Okuzeka
Social Work vocabulary · Adults and Vulnerable Groups

Best interests

Meaning in social work, with examples

nounCommon term

In social work, best interests means: What is best for a person, taking into account their wishes, feelings, beliefs and circumstances, when a decision has to be made for them.

In Turkish: üstün yarar, en iyi yarar

How it is used

For children, 'the best interests of the child' comes from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. For adults who lack capacity, professionals make a best interests decision after consulting the person and those close to them.

Example sentences

  1. The judge decided that the move was in the child's best interests.

  2. A best interests meeting was held because he could no longer decide about his own care.

Common collocations

  • in the child's best interests
  • best interests decision
  • best interests meeting
  • act in someone's best interests
  • mental capacityA person's ability to understand, remember and weigh up information about a particular decision and to communicate their choice.
  • self-determinationA person's right to make their own choices and decisions about their life, even when others might disagree with them.
  • child protectionThe work of identifying children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, abuse or neglect and taking action to keep them safe.
  • duty of careThe legal and ethical responsibility to act in a way that keeps people in your care safe and does not cause them avoidable harm.

More terms: Adults and Vulnerable Groups

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