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Social Work vocabulary · Casework and Assessment

Caseload

Meaning in social work, with examples

/ˈkeɪsləʊd/nounCore term

In social work, caseload means: The number of cases or clients that one social worker or team is responsible for at a given time.

In Turkish: vaka yükü, sorumlu olunan vaka sayısı

How it is used

Used in supervision, staffing discussions and workforce reports. A caseload can be high, heavy, manageable or protected (kept low, for example for newly qualified staff). People carry, hold or manage a caseload.

Example sentences

  1. With a caseload of thirty families, she has very little time for direct work.

  2. Newly qualified workers have a protected caseload in their first year.

Common collocations

  • heavy caseload
  • manageable caseload
  • carry a caseload
  • protected caseload
  • caseload size
  • case managementA way of working in which one worker assesses a person's needs, plans and coordinates the services they receive, and reviews progress over time.
  • social workerA trained professional who helps individuals, families and communities cope with problems such as poverty, abuse, illness or disability, and connects them with support and services.
  • supervisionRegular protected meetings in which a social worker discusses cases, decisions, workload, learning and wellbeing with a more experienced manager or colleague.
  • burnoutA state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by long-term work stress, often with feelings of detachment and reduced effectiveness.

More terms: Casework and Assessment

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