Understanding the jargon

Approved Social Worker (ASW)
each local authority has a responsibility to provide sufficient numbers of social workers specifically trained and approved by the local authority under the Mental Health Act l983. Their role is to assess people who may require hospital admission and if they consider there is no alternative, to authorise such admission and make the necessary arrangements.

Assessment
with regard to community care - to make an initial identification of need and match the appropriate level of services to that need. It should be a participative process involving the person being assessed, their carer and relevant agencies. Assessment may also be carried out under the Mental Health Act.

Benefits Agency
this was an agency of the Department of Social Security responsible for the payment of most social security benefits. It is being replaced by Jobcentre Plus, the Pension Service and the Disability and Carers Service, which will all come under the new Department of Work and Pensions.

Care Coordinator
the new term for keyworker.

Care home
An establishment providing care and accommodation.

Care Programme Approach (CPA)
the CPA extends the aftercare provisions in Section 117 of the Mental Health Act l983 to people considered to be vulnerable on discharge from hospital and to other people considered to be vulnerable who are already living in the community. The central features of the CPA are assessment of need, involving service users and carers (if appropriate), the allocation of a key worker and an agreed care plan.

Clinical Psychology
the use of psychological knowledge and techniques in the treatment of illness.

Commission for Health Improvement (CHI)
A statutory body providing independent assessment of the quality of health care.

Community Health Council (CHC)
CHCs are statutory bodies which provide information and advice to local people about health services and represent patients' interests. At the time of writing, their role was under review.

Community Mental Health Nurse (CMHN) or Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN)
a qualified person who provides out-patient and follow up care, care without admission to hospital or preventative services, often within primary health care.

Day Care
communal care normally provided in a setting away from a service user's place of residence with paid or voluntary carers present. Day care can cover a very wide range of services.

Domiciliary care
care arrangements/services which support an individual living in a private household either alone or in the care of a relative or other carer.

Drop-in
a centre or session where people may drop in for services or a chat without an appointment.

Informal care
care provided by individuals including relatives, friends, neighbours or directly recruited carers, rather than by formal organisations.

Jobcentre Plus
A service providing assistance with finding and keeping employment and dealing with many benefits for people of working age.

Key worker
the service-providing practitioner who has most contact with the service user and who may undertake a similar co-ordinating function to a care manager but remains involved in direct service provision.

Mental health problems
these include acute psychiatric conditions, long term disabling mental illness, serious personality disorders, adverse reactions to specific life events, mood and behavioural disorders, drug or alcohol related problems and offending associated with mental disorder. It excludes elderly people with organic disorders such as dementia.

National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental Health
A document outlining national standards for adult mental health services.

Needs based assessment
assessment that focuses on an individual's needs rather than their eligibility for services available.

NHS Trust
under the National Health Service and Community Care Act l990, health service providers (usually hospitals or community health services) can opt to become independent of their health authorities and be managed by a board of trustees, running along business lines and still within the NHS but having a large degree of independence.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)
provides guidance on best practice in health care, including the prescribing of treatments.

Nursing home care
care provided in a registered nursing home as defined in part III, Section 21 of the Registered Homes Act 1984: this entails a state registered nurse being on the premises at all times and the provision of medical care by a General Practitioner. Nursing homes have now been replaced by “care homes” and “independent hospitals” in the Care Standards Act (2000).

Primary Care Group
Based around natural local communities, each group typically serves 100,000 patients. They bring together GP practices, nurses and other groups in the community and give them the main role in planning local health services.

Primary Care Trusts (PCT) 
groups of doctors, nurses and social care professionals - as well as other organisations and agencies - working in partnership to shape local health and social care services. They are free standing, statutory bodies, responsible for delivering better health care to their local population.

Psychiatrist
a qualified doctor who has acquired a further qualification in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. A psychiatrist may use all the techniques available to a psychologist and in addition may prescribe treatment such as drugs or electro-convulsive therapy.

Psychologist
a person with a degree in psychology and a specialist qualification in one of the profession's many sub divisions. Psychologists cannot prescribe drug treatment unless they are also qualified doctors. Not all branches of psychology are relevant to health care.

Referral
a request for help made on behalf of a service user by one agency or individual to another with appropriate knowledge or expertise. For example a GP might refer a patient to a psychiatrist for specialist help if mental illness is suspected or an application for housing might be referred to a Local Housing Authority.

Regional secure unit
a unit for people with mental health problems who are too disruptive for an ordinary hospital open ward but who are not so disturbed as to need a special hospital such as Broadmoor.

Respite care
short-term care to enable carers (and service users) to have a break from their day-to-day situation.

Sections 2, 3 & 4
‘Section’ refers to a Section of the Mental Health Act l983. These sections allow certain mental health care professionals to hospitalise patients compulsorily when necessary.

Section 2 concerns admission for assessment. It lasts up to 28 days. Applications are made by an ASW or by the person's nearest relative and must be backed up by recommendations from two doctors.

Section 3 concerns admission for compulsory treatment. It lasts up to 6 months. Application procedures are similar to those for Section 2.

Section 4 concerns emergency admission for assessment. It lasts up to 72 hours. Application is made by an ASW or by the person's nearest relative but only one medical recommendation is needed. If a second is obtained within 72 hours then the 28 day limit of Section 2 applies.

Service user
in the context of Community Care this means someone receiving or eligible to receive a community care service that the local authority has a duty or power to provide or secure.

Sheltered housing
housing provided with warden support.

Social care
non-medical care which is arranged and may be provided by local authorities and for which authorities may assess a service user's ability to pay and charge accordingly. It is recognised that there is no clear division between health care and social care; this interface is for local discussion and agreement between health authorities and local authorities.

Social Services Department (SSD)
the Department of Social Services is the authority responsible for personal social services and is headed by the Director of Social Services.

Voluntary sector
those organisations supported by grants or fund-raising in which any surpluses are re-invested into the work of the organisation and managed by unpaid management committees, trustees or directors.