Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

A person who receives services provided in the carrying on of a regulated activity. Please note: The regulations refer to 'service users' and where we quote the regulation directly we use this phrase. Elsewhere in the guidance we have used the terms 'people who use services' or 'people'.

An individual who is in receipt of social care services.

A person who receives services from a care and support provider. Not everyone likes this term, and may prefer to be described simply as a 'person who uses services' rather than a 'service user.'

Confusion around the terms commissioner, buyer, service user, customer (as used in the TEC sector) can arise because (eg) a local authority is a buyer in some transactions, a commissioner in others, and a provider in still others. Need to establish a terminology that clearly identifies roles within the TEC sector: - Commissioner of services (eg LA) - Buyer of services (eg a residential home) - Equipment supplier - Telecomms provider - Service provider - assessment - Service provider - installation and maintenance - Service provider - monitoring - Service provider - response