The DAP format asks the worker three questions: what happened, what do you make of it, and what next. It removes the distinction SOAP draws between what the client said and what the worker observed — which makes it faster to write and more natural for talk-based contacts, and slightly less rigorous for contacts where the distinction matters, such as safeguarding.
The three sections
- D — Data. Everything factual about the contact: what the client reported, what the worker observed, what was discussed, interventions used. Both subjective and objective material sit here, and good practice is still to make clear which is which (“client reported”, “worker observed”).
- A — Assessment. The worker’s professional interpretation of the data: progress, risk, changes since the last contact, response to intervention.
- P — Plan. Agreed actions, homework or tasks, referrals, and the date of the next contact.
DAP note example — community counselling session
DAP or SOAP?
Use whichever your organisation specifies. If you have the choice: SOAP is better where the line between what was said and what was seen may later be examined — child protection, safeguarding, court-involved work. DAP is faster and reads more naturally for counselling, mental health and support work where the contact is mostly conversation. Many services use SOAP for assessments and DAP for routine sessions. Either way, the discipline that makes a note defensible is the same: facts in one place, judgement in another, clearly labelled.
Try CaseworkAI free
Type your rough notes — receive a professional draft document by email in 60 seconds. No account. No sign up. Notes deleted after delivery.
Generate your first document →Free for individual social workers, forever · ICO registered · GDPR compliant
Common mistakes
- Assessment leaking into Data. “Client is doing much better” belongs in A, not D. In D, say what you saw and heard.
- A Plan that repeats the last one. If nothing changed, say why. A plan that never moves is a note that isn’t being read.
- No risk statement. Even “no risk indicators observed or reported” should be written. Silence on risk reads as an omission later.
Free DAP note template
DAP NOTE TEMPLATE
Client reference: [reference code only]
Date/time: [date, start–end]
Session: [number, if applicable]
Worker: [name, role, organisation]
D — DATA
[What the client reported / what the worker observed / interventions used — label which is which]
A — ASSESSMENT
[Progress, risk, change, response to intervention]
P — PLAN
[Numbered actions; next contact date]
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between DAP and SOAP notes?
SOAP separates Subjective (what the client said) from Objective (what the worker observed). DAP combines both into a single Data section. Assessment and Plan are the same in both.
Are DAP notes acceptable for court?
Yes, if the Data section is written with clear attribution of what was reported versus observed. The format is not the issue; the discipline is.
Can CaseworkAI produce DAP notes?
CaseworkAI drafts case notes in SOAP format, which contain everything a DAP note needs. Merging the S and O sections into a single Data section takes seconds on review.