Glossary
Advocacy
The promotion and support of a cause and the activities engaged in to achieve this.
Attending skills
These are used by a listener. When used, they demonstrate to the speaker that full attention is being paid to what is being said. Attending skills include nodding, giving minimal responses, remaining relaxed with an open posture and maintaining eye contact without staring.
Carer
Someone who lives with or is close to a person with a disability. This includes family carers and friends who support people with a disability in times of need.
Client
A person who is currently being offered support services by your organisation.
Client advisory group
Group of clients, relatives, friends and significant others established with the aim of giving input into policy, directions and debate on issues affecting services for people with a disability or in need of support services.
Client records
Any information or details kept about a particular client. They may include such documentation as their medical history, family history, or resume.
Closed questions
Questions that are usually answered with one word answers such as yes or no. They are used when brief, specific information is required.
Empowerment
Causing a person or group of people to feel confident and in control of their own life.
Equity
The relative fairness of principles, processes and outcomes.
Evaluation
Appraisal and assessment, often involving judgement on the outcomes of activities.
Handovers
These are used when a new support worker is taking over the role from someone else to support a particular client. For the handover, the initial support worker needs to provide the new support worker with relevant information about the client. This information may be written or verbal.
Minimal responses
This activity involves acknowledging the speaker by using utterances such as ‘mmm’ and ‘I see’ in response to the speaker’s dialogue. This indicates to the speaker that the listener is paying attention to what the speaker is saying.
Networking
Connecting and establishing relationships with people for a common cause, with the aim of engaging their assistance.
Non-verbal communication
This refers to the messages a person sends without the use of speech. This could include facial expressions, posture, gestures and eye contact.
Notes
Written records about events, statements or actions of some importance.
Occupational health and safety
This refers to legislation and policies designed to protect people from the risk of injury or disease in the work environment.
Open questions
Questions that cannot be answered with yes or no. They require a more detailed answer, usually containing statements about feelings or opinions.
Organisation’s policy and procedures manual
The manual contains the employing agency’s policies and procedures about a range of workplace topics that may be presented in print or electronic format. Essentially, policy and procedure manuals are meant to tell employees how a task is to be done, when to carry it out, the forms needed to complete the task and who is responsible to whom.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is restating the sense of a dialogue in order to demonstrate to the speaker that the receiver is clear about the message conveyed. Both speaker and receiver may paraphrase or reword a statement to ensure clarity and understanding.
Policies
These are broad statements of the principles of an organisation with regard to particular issues, such as health and safety. They give an insight into how the organisation views this particular issue, how they arrange their service according to this view, and how work is then carried out by the people within that organisation. Policies also give support workers, and all employees, guidelines about how to handle particular situations that arise.
Procedures
Detailed instructions about how policies are to be carried out by employees, including support workers.
Protocols
Procedures and etiquette that are acceptable in a given situation, according to factors such as culture or language.
Quality assurance
Processes and practices used to ensure that services are meeting the needs of their clients.
Reflecting feelings
Telling the speaker what feelings you thought they were trying to convey.
Stakeholders
Key people who are directly affected by and can directly influence decisions, policies and outcomes.
Stereotype
A standardised concept or idea; a conventional presentation or response.
Stigma
Social disgrace or a mark causing shame.