What Are Case Notes in a Charity?
A clear definition of case notes for charities and nonprofits, covering what they contain, examples from different charity types, legal requirements, GDPR considerations, and best practices for effective documentation.
Case notes are written records of interactions between a support worker and a service user. They document what was discussed, what actions were agreed, what concerns arose, and what progress was made. In the UK charity sector, case notes form the backbone of accountable, consistent support delivery — and are often a legal and regulatory requirement.
TL;DR: Case notes are structured records of each interaction with a service user, typically including the date, participants, what was discussed, actions agreed, and any concerns raised. Most charities delivering direct services maintain some form of case documentation, yet many lack a consistent format across their organisation — leading to gaps in quality, continuity, and compliance.
What Exactly Is a Case Note?
A case note is a contemporaneous written record of a specific interaction with a service user — whether that interaction is a face-to-face meeting, a phone call, a home visit, or a group session. It captures the key facts, observations, and decisions from that interaction in a format that can be understood by other professionals.
Case notes are distinct from other forms of record-keeping. They are not assessments (which evaluate a person's overall situation), care plans (which set out agreed goals and actions), or referral forms (which request a specific service). A case note records what happened during a particular interaction, while these other documents serve broader planning and coordination purposes.
Definition: A case note is a factual, contemporaneous record of a specific interaction between a professional and a service user, documenting what was discussed, observed, decided, and agreed during that interaction.
In practice, case notes are the most frequently created records in any case management system. A single case might accumulate dozens or even hundreds of notes over the course of support, building a chronological narrative of the person's journey.
What Information Should Case Notes Include?
Effective case notes contain a consistent set of core elements, regardless of the charity type or service being delivered. Well-structured documentation is widely recognised as essential for safe handovers — when a case is transferred between workers, a clear written record ensures that critical context is not lost.
The essential elements are:
Date and time: When the interaction took place. This establishes the chronological record and is critical for safeguarding timelines.
Participants: Who was present — the service user, any family members, other professionals, interpreters, or advocates.
Method of contact: Whether the interaction was face-to-face, by telephone, video call, home visit, or another method.
Summary of discussion: The key topics covered, using factual language. What did the person say? What information did you provide? What options were discussed?
Observations: What you directly observed — the person's presentation, demeanour, environment (for home visits), or any concerns.
Professional assessment: Your interpretation of the facts, clearly separated from the factual observations. This might include your assessment of risk, progress, or wellbeing.
Actions agreed: What will happen next, who is responsible, and by when. This is often the most important element for continuity of care.
Concerns or risks: Any safeguarding concerns, risk indicators, or escalation actions taken during or following the interaction.
| Element | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Establishes chronology | "14 February 2026, 10:30am" |
| Participants | Records who was present | "JR, mother (via phone), interpreter" |
| Method of contact | Context for the interaction | "Home visit" |
| Summary | Core content of the interaction | "Discussed housing application progress" |
| Observations | Factual, first-hand details | "Flat was cold; JR appeared fatigued" |
| Assessment | Professional interpretation | "Possible deterioration in mental health" |
| Actions agreed | Next steps and accountability | "Referral to GP — worker to submit by 17/02" |
| Concerns | Risk and safeguarding flags | "Disclosed financial abuse by partner" |
Case Note Examples from Different Charity Types
The content and emphasis of case notes varies depending on the type of charity and the nature of the support being delivered. With 170,862 charities on the register at March 2025 (Charity Commission Annual Report 2024-25), a significant proportion deliver some form of direct service — yet documentation standards vary enormously between sectors.
Homelessness and Housing Charities
Notes typically focus on accommodation status, tenancy sustainment, support needs, and progress towards independent living. A housing support worker might record: the person's current accommodation, any issues with the tenancy, benefit applications in progress, and referrals to other services such as mental health or substance misuse support.
Advice and Legal Services
Notes in advice charities tend to be highly detailed and action-oriented. They record the specific legal or benefits issue, the advice given, any casework undertaken (such as drafting letters or making calls on the person's behalf), and outcomes achieved. The Advice Quality Standard requires that advice notes clearly distinguish between the facts of the case and the advice given.
Mental Health and Counselling Services
Session notes in therapeutic settings record the themes discussed, the therapeutic approach used, the person's presentation, and any risk factors identified. These notes are often briefer and more reflective than notes in other settings, focusing on therapeutic progress rather than practical actions.
Youth and Mentoring Services
Notes may focus on engagement, behaviour, relationships, and developmental progress. They often record activities completed together, the young person's mood and engagement levels, and any disclosures or concerns.
What Are the Legal Requirements for Case Notes?
UK charities have several legal obligations relating to case documentation. The Charity Commission assessed 3,132 serious incident reports in 2024-25 (Charity Commission Annual Report 2024-25), with safeguarding and protecting people among the top three reported issues. The ICO regularly highlights record-keeping as a common source of data protection complaints across all sectors, and charities — which often handle sensitive personal data — are no exception.
UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
Case notes contain personal data — and often special category data such as health information, ethnic origin, or criminal records. Under the UK GDPR, charities must:
- Have a lawful basis for recording and storing this data (typically consent, legitimate interests, or legal obligation)
- Apply data minimisation — recording only information that is relevant and necessary for the support being provided
- Ensure accuracy — keeping records factually correct and up to date
- Define retention periods — specifying how long notes are kept after case closure and deleting them when the retention period expires
- Provide subject access — individuals have the right to request copies of their case notes
A purpose-built case management system with role-based access controls and audit trails makes GDPR compliance significantly more straightforward than spreadsheets or paper files.
Safeguarding Legislation
Under the Children Act 1989, the Care Act 2014, and associated statutory guidance, organisations working with children or adults at risk have specific duties to record safeguarding concerns. Case notes are the primary mechanism for meeting these duties.
Safeguarding records must be contemporaneous (written at or near the time of the event), factual, and stored securely. They must record the concern, the actions taken, and the rationale for decisions.
Regulatory Requirements
Some charities operate under specific regulatory frameworks that impose additional documentation standards. For example, services commissioned by local authorities or the NHS may have contractual documentation requirements, and CQC-registered services must maintain records to CQC standards.
How Long Should Charities Keep Case Notes?
There is no single answer — retention periods depend on the type of service, the regulatory context, and the organisation's own data retention policy. However, common practice in the UK charity sector is:
- Adults: 6–7 years after case closure
- Children: Until the child reaches age 25, or 7 years after case closure, whichever is longer
- Safeguarding records: May need to be retained indefinitely in some circumstances
- Commissioned services: As specified in the commissioning contract
Records should be securely deleted when the retention period expires. Under GDPR, keeping records longer than necessary is itself a compliance risk.
How Can Charities Improve Their Case Notes?
Improving case note quality does not require perfection — it requires consistency. Frontline charity workers commonly report that administrative tasks — particularly case note writing — consume a substantial portion of their working time, reducing the hours available for direct support. The Charity Digital Skills Report 2025 found that 67% of charities cite squeezed finances as their biggest barrier to improving processes, including documentation.
Use a consistent structure: Adopting a standard template — even a simple one — dramatically improves quality. Every note should follow the same format so nothing is missed.
Write notes promptly: Memory for conversational detail decays rapidly. Notes written the same day are significantly more accurate than those written later. AI case notes can eliminate the delay entirely by generating structured notes from recorded conversations.
Separate fact from opinion: The most common quality issue in case notes is the blurring of factual observation and professional interpretation. Good notes clearly distinguish between the two.
Record actions and outcomes: A note that records what was discussed but not what was agreed is incomplete. Always include specific actions, who is responsible, and when they will be completed.
Use technology effectively: A dedicated case management platform structures the note-writing process, prompts for key information, and makes notes searchable and accessible to authorised colleagues. This is a significant improvement over unstructured Word documents or paper files.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a case note and a case record?
A case note is a single record of a specific interaction. A case record is the complete file for an individual, containing all case notes, assessments, care plans, correspondence, and other documents accumulated over the course of support. The case record is the whole; the case note is one entry within it.
Can service users see their own case notes?
Yes. Under UK GDPR, individuals have the right to request access to personal data held about them, including case notes. This is known as a Subject Access Request (SAR). Organisations must respond within one calendar month. There are limited exemptions — for example, where disclosure would cause serious harm to the individual or another person, or where notes contain information about a third party.
Should case notes be written in first or third person?
Practice varies between organisations, but the most common approach in UK social care and charity settings is to write in the third person ("Ms Ahmed stated that...") for the main body of the note, with first person used only for professional assessments ("I assessed that the risk of harm is..."). The key principle is consistency within the organisation.
Do volunteers need to write case notes?
If volunteers are delivering direct support to service users, yes. The same documentation standards should apply to volunteers as to paid staff. Volunteers should receive training on case note writing, data protection, and the organisation's documentation policies. Their notes should be reviewed as part of supervision.
What happens if case notes are lost or destroyed?
Loss or destruction of case notes containing personal data may constitute a data breach under UK GDPR. The organisation must assess the risk to individuals and, if the breach is likely to result in a risk to people's rights and freedoms, report it to the ICO within 72 hours. This is one reason why using a secure, cloud-based case management system with automatic backups is strongly preferable to paper or local file storage.
Recommended Next Pages
How to Write Effective Case Notes: Best Practices for Support Workers – Practical guidance on improving the quality and efficiency of your case documentation.
Case Management, GDPR, and Data Protection for Charities – Detailed guidance on GDPR compliance for charity case records.
What is Case Management? – A clear definition of case management and its core components.
How to Track Case Interactions and Notes – Systematic approaches to tracking all case activity and interactions.
Last updated: February 2026
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