Cohorts: Glossary of terms

This glossary defines terms that appear across the cohorts article. If you're new to cohorts, read this first - the article assumes you know what these words mean.

For what cohorts are and why they matter, please see our Cohorts in Lookout article.

Cohort

A label you attach to a group of Members who share something in common — a risk factor, a care theme, a life circumstance. You decide what each cohort means.

Member

The role for a person receiving care and support — the client, participant or care recipient at the centre of the platform. Also called clients, participants or care recipients.

Helper

The role for a worker who delivers direct care services to Members. A Helper may be an internal employee or a worker from an outsourced third-party provider. Also called workers.

Membership

The service arrangement a Member sits within — think of it as the case or household file that holds a Member's plan, funding and history. When you add "a Member" to a community, it's really the membership that's linked, which is why a Member's funding and care details travel with them. For everyday reading you can treat "Member" and "membership" as the same thing.

Membership plan

(Not a cohort.) What the Member is funded and enrolled for.

Community

An operational group that ties together Members, Helpers and Staffers. Communities shape what a Staffer sees on their dashboard, act as a filter across the platform, control who can access which records, and can carry their own settings such as public holidays. A place people belong to and work within.

Cohort assignment

The act of adding a Member to (or removing them from) a cohort. A Member can be in several cohorts at once.

Active cohort

A cohort that is currently in use and available to assign to Members.

Archived cohort

A cohort that's been retired. It can no longer be assigned and doesn't count as a current cohort, but its history is preserved and it can be brought back later.

Join date/exit date

The date a Member entered a cohort and, if applicable, the date they left it. Lookout keeps this timeline rather than simply erasing past associations.

Access role/permission

 The set of actions a staff member is allowed to perform. The relevant one here is "Configure cohorts globally."

Filter

A tool on the Members list that lets you narrow the view — for example, showing only Members in a chosen cohort.