Okuzeka
Social Work vocabulary · Casework and Assessment

Intake

Meaning in social work, with examples

/ˈɪnteɪk/nounCommon term

In social work, intake means: The first stage of contact with a service, when basic information is collected and a decision is made about what should happen next.

In Turkish: kabul, ilk başvuru, ön görüşme

How it is used

Used for a team (the intake team), a meeting (an intake interview) and a form. Some UK services call the same stage the front door, the duty team or first response. Intake staff screen referrals and check how urgent they are.

Example sentences

  1. The intake team decides within 24 hours whether a referral needs a visit.

  2. At the intake interview we ask about income, housing and health.

Common collocations

  • intake team
  • intake interview
  • intake form
  • intake assessment
  • referralA formal request passing a person or a concern to another service or professional so that they can assess the situation or provide help.
  • 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.
  • assessmentThe process of gathering and analysing information about a person's situation, needs, strengths and risks in order to decide what help is needed.
  • clientA person, family or group that receives help or services from a social worker or an agency.

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: