Okuzeka
Social Work vocabulary · Casework and Assessment

Engage with

Meaning in social work, with examples

phrasal verbCommon term

In social work, engage with means: To take part in and cooperate with a service or professional, for example by keeping appointments and working on the agreed plan.

In Turkish: işbirliği yapmak, sürece katılmak, hizmeti kabul etmek

How it is used

Very common in case notes and reports: 'Mr Ali has engaged well with services', 'the family did not engage'. Good practice asks why someone is not engaging, such as fear, past experiences or practical barriers, rather than simply blaming them.

Example sentences

  1. Since the change of worker, the mother has engaged with the plan much better.

  2. Young people are more likely to engage with services that are flexible and friendly.

Common collocations

  • engage with services
  • engage well with
  • fail to engage
  • difficult to engage
  • engagement with services
  • clientA person, family or group that receives help or services from a social worker or an agency.
  • outreachTaking services out to people where they are, such as on the street or in the neighbourhood, instead of waiting for them to come to an office.
  • care planA written plan setting out a person's needs, the goals to work towards, the services to be provided, who is responsible and when progress will be reviewed.
  • follow upTo check what has happened after an earlier action, or to take further action on something such as a concern, a referral or a missed appointment.

More terms: Casework and Assessment

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: