EPR key terms

A person's voluntary agreement to an assessment or intervention after receiving understandable information about its purpose, risks, benefits, alternatives, and their right to withdraw at any time without penalty.

A person's ability, at the time a decision is made, to understand relevant information, weigh consequences, and communicate a choice about their own care or participation.

The professional obligation to act in ways that protect the safety and wellbeing of the people you work with, balancing that obligation against respecting their autonomy and choices.

The duty to keep personal information private and share it only with those who need it, for legitimate purposes, with the person's knowledge wherever possible.

The limits that keep the working relationship safe and purposeful, distinguishing appropriate support from personal, financial, or romantic involvement that could harm or exploit the person served.

A situation where a practitioner holds more than one role with the same person, such as clinician and employer or friend, creating a conflict of interest or risk of harm.

The proactive steps taken to protect children and adults at risk from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and self-harm, including recognising signs and reporting concerns through proper channels.

A legal requirement in many jurisdictions to notify a designated authority when a practitioner suspects certain harms, such as abuse of a child or a vulnerable adult.

The legal and ethical rules governing how personal information is collected, stored, used, shared, and destroyed, including principles such as purpose limitation and data minimisation.

The organisational systems, policies, and controls that ensure personal and clinical information is handled lawfully, securely, accurately, and only by people entitled to access it.

Making decisions by combining the best available research evidence with practitioner expertise and the values, preferences, and circumstances of the person being supported.

A systematically developed statement that recommends how to assess or treat specific conditions, usually based on a review of research and agreed by a recognised body.

The level and quality of service a reasonably competent practitioner in the same field would be expected to provide in comparable circumstances.

The reasoned decision a practitioner reaches by interpreting assessment information, weighing options, and applying experience within accepted standards and the person's preferences.

A structured explanation of why a person is presenting with particular difficulties, linking predisposing, precipitating, maintaining, and protective factors to guide intervention planning.

The systematic process of gathering information about a person's needs, strengths, risks, and context to inform decisions about support or treatment.

A brief, standardised procedure used to identify people who may need fuller assessment, not to confirm a diagnosis on its own.

A measurement tool with fixed items, administration rules, and scoring, and with known reliability and validity, allowing results to be compared across people or over time.

The measurement of a person's functioning or symptoms taken before an intervention begins, used as the reference point for judging later change.

A written record of agreed needs, goals, interventions, responsibilities, and review dates, developed collaboratively and updated as circumstances change.

The collaborative process of defining specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound targets that reflect what matters to the person and guide intervention.

The timely, accurate, legible, and secure documentation of contacts, decisions, observations, and actions, sufficient for another practitioner to understand what happened and why.

A structured evaluation of the likelihood and severity of harm to the person or others, the factors that increase or reduce that risk, and the actions needed to manage it.

An approach that places the person's own goals, values, and preferences at the centre of decisions, supporting choice and control rather than fitting them to available services.

Any planned action, programme, or treatment delivered to address identified needs and move the person toward agreed goals.

The degree to which an intervention is delivered as designed, including adherence to its core components, dosage, and delivery style, which affects whether results can be trusted.

The process of putting a planned intervention or change into real-world practice, including adapting it to local context while preserving its essential elements.

A collaborative, goal-oriented conversation style that strengthens a person's own motivation and confidence for change by exploring their reasons in an accepting, non-confrontational way.

A process where practitioner and person exchange information about options, benefits, and preferences and reach a decision together, rather than the practitioner deciding alone.

A tool or indicator used to quantify change in symptoms, functioning, satisfaction, or another target over time, ideally one with evidence of reliability and sensitivity to change.

The consistency of a measurement or tool: whether repeated use, or use by different raters, produces similar results under similar conditions.

The extent to which a tool or assessment actually measures the construct it claims to measure and supports the inferences drawn from its results.

A continuous, data-driven cycle of identifying gaps, testing small changes, measuring effects, and embedding what works to raise the standard of care.

A structured comparison of current practice against an agreed standard, followed by action to close any gap and a later re-audit to confirm improvement.

The organisational framework through which services assure and improve quality and safety, covering standards, risk management, audit, training, and accountability.

Fully concentrating on what a person says and means, reflecting back content and feeling, and checking understanding rather than planning a reply while they speak.

The capacity to understand another person's perspective and communicate that understanding sensitively, without necessarily sharing or taking on their emotions.

The collaborative working relationship between practitioner and person, built on agreed goals, tasks, and an emotional bond of trust and respect.

Communication that uses short, familiar words and clear structure so the intended audience can understand a message on first reading or hearing.

A group of practitioners from different professions who coordinate their expertise and share information to plan and deliver integrated care for the same person.

A regular, structured relationship in which a more experienced practitioner supports, reviews, and develops another's practice and wellbeing, including ethical and boundary issues.

The habit of examining your own actions, reasoning, and emotional responses after events in order to learn, improve, and maintain professional awareness.

Having the knowledge, skills, and judgement needed to perform a task safely and effectively, and recognising when to seek help or decline work outside that scope.