Definition
A person with a professional qualification, like a doctor, a lawyer or a social worker.
The bigger picture
Use with caution. The term ‘professional’ is often used to distinguish people working in care and support from people accessing care and support, but this divides people up into us and them, and suggests that people accessing care and support aren’t ‘professionals’ and that people working in care and support don’t also draw on care and support themselves.
It also suggests people hold a ‘professional’ qualification, which is not always the case.
Saying it differently
Person working in…
Worker
Care and support worker
Or a named ‘profession’ e.g. social worker, occupational therapist