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Social Work vocabulary · Records and Case Notes

Case notes

Meaning in social work, with examples

nounCore term

In social work, case notes means: Written records of contacts, conversations, observations and actions in a case, made by the worker as the work happens.

In Turkish: vaka notları, görüşme notları, vaka kayıtları

How it is used

Usually typed into an electronic case recording system. Good case notes are dated, factual, clear and written soon after the contact. People write up, update or add to case notes, remembering that the person may read them later.

Example sentences

  1. I'll write up my case notes as soon as I'm back in the office.

  2. According to the case notes, the family missed three appointments in May.

Common collocations

  • write up case notes
  • update the case notes
  • contemporaneous case notes
  • case note entry
  • record keepingThe practice of creating, organising, storing and updating accurate records about the people you work with and the actions you take.
  • case fileThe complete record held about a person or family, including referrals, assessments, plans, case notes, letters and reports.
  • chronologyA list of the significant events in a person's or family's life and in the case, in date order, used to spot patterns over time.
  • objectiveBased on facts and observations rather than on personal feelings, opinions or assumptions.

More terms: Records and Case Notes

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