| Absconded | A child who has gone missing from their residential care home or foster home |
| A&E | Accident & Emergency. Emergency medical treatment |
| Acceptable behaviour contracts | Written agreements between unruly neighbours, the police and other public agencies banning antisocial behaviour. The contracts are not legally binding but if breached can lead to sanctions. |
| Accommodated | Children who are looked after under Section 20 1989 Children Act by agreement with themselves and/or their parents |
| ACPC | Area Child Protection Committee. Replaced by Local Safeguarding Children Board |
| ACPO | Association of Chief Police Officers |
| Active Communities Unit (ACU) | Government body located in the Home Office. It works to create local infrastructures for people to become more involved, including improving opportunities for volunteering, training and mentoring |
| Acute Health Services | Medical and surgical treatment provided mainly in hospitals. Acute Hospital Trusts are the management units in charge of hospitals providing these services |
| ADD | Attention Deficit Disorder. People with ADD find it extremely difficult concentrating, are overactive and impulsive. |
| ADHD | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder |
| Adoption | The process by which all parental rights and responsibilities for a child are permanently transferred to an adoptive parent by a court. As a result, the child legally becomes part of the adoptive family |
| Advocacy | Advocates support a service user to help them to put across
their point of view. They are usually employed in social care, or in the voluntary sector supporting disadvantaged groups, such as people with a mental illness or a disability. |
| Aftercare | Support services provided for a child who has left local authority care |
| Agency | An organisation, either statutory, private or voluntary, which provides and/or purchases social care, health care or housing in the community |
| ALD | Adults with Learning Difficulties |
| Allocated Case | A case that has been made the responsibility of a named worker until the case is closed, transferred or managed in another way so that the named worker is no longer responsible for it |
| APIR | Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Review – Connexions. It provides a methodology through which a young person supported by their Personal Adviser can develop and implement a personal action plan for realising their goals based on a holistic assessment of their needs. |
| ASBO | Anti-Social Behaviour Order |
| ASD | Autistic Spectrum Disorder, sometimes called autism |
| Aspire & E-Aspire | NCH’s structured framework for the systematic recording of NCH’s involvement with a child, young person and their family through each stage of the process of initial contact and initial referral, assessment, planning, provision of a service, review and closure. E-Aspire is the electronic version |
| Assessment | The process of defining an individual person’s needs, deciding on the help that they require and determining their eligibility for services |
| Attainment Targets | The knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils of different ability and maturity are expected to have by the end of each Key Stage of the National Curriculum |
| AWOL | Absent Without Leave
|
| AWS | Army Welfare Service |
| Baseline Assessment | A teacher assessment designed to establish the attainment level of children, particularly on entry to infant schools. |
| Beacon councils | Award scheme that aims to highlight good practice in delivering local government services. Other councils are then encouraged to learn from the beacons |
| Benchmarking | A method used by public sector organisations, charities and private companies for gauging their performance by comparing it to the performance of other organisations, typically of a similar size. |
| BIP | Behaviour Improvement Programme. A DfES initiative to improve behaviour and attendance in schools. |
| BSP | Behaviour Support Plan. An action plan to tackle behaviour problems and education outside of mainstream school |
| CAA | An assessment of local public services. It examines how well councils are working together with other public bodies to meet the needs of the people they serve and is undertaken jointly by a group of six independent watchdogs. Red and green flags are awarded for poor or outstanding performance. |
| CAADA | Co- ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse. A national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. |
| CAB | Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice. Advisers can help fill out forms, write letters, negotiate with creditors and represent clients at court or tribunal |
| Cabinet | A way of running local authorities based on the Westminster model of cabinet government. Up to ten councillors are selected to take on the day-to-day running of the local authority – they are either appointed by a directly elected mayor or elected by their fellow local politicians |
| CAF | Common Assessment Framework. A standardised approach to assessing children and young people’s needs for services to be followed by all agencies |
| CAFCASS | Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services. This brings together the family court welfare service, children’s guardians and the children’s branch of the official solicitor’s department. |
| CAIU | Child Abuse Investigation Units. Investigates allegations of abuse where the perpetrator comes from within the family. |
| Caldicott Guardian | A designated health or social care professional responsible for ensuring the Caldicott principles governing the sharing of identifiable information are adhered to within that organisation.
|
| CAMHS | Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service. Multi-disciplinary teams made up of a mix of psychiatrists, social workers, community psychiatric nurses, psychologists and therapists. They provide assessment, treatment and care outside hospitals for children and young people with complex mental health problems. They may also work with families to improve relationships. |
| Capacity building | Increasing the ability of the organisation to provide services or take action. Usually involves people, money, equipment, expertise and information |
| Care Management | This term, introduced in the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, refers to the management of the care of anyone subject to a care plan. |
| Care Manager | The person responsible for coordinating a care package to an individual or group of people. |
| Care Order | A court order under Section 31 of the Children Act 1989, that directs a child be placed in the care of the local authority and gives shared
parental responsibility to that council. |
| Care Pathway | The co-ordination of a persons care through the healthcare or social care system |
| Care Plan | A plan to provide social care services to an individual. |
| Carer | A person providing care on a regular basis, The person may be employed/paid by an agency or an organization or be a friend or relative looking after someone. |
| Case | All the information relevant to a child’s need for services |
| Case Closed/
Closed case |
A case on which no further action will be taken unless a referral is made |
| Case Current/
Current Case |
A case that requires ongoing action to be taken by the responsible agency. |
| CAVA | Police form used for recording details of children who come to the notice of the police; copies are routinely passed to children’s services and the Primary Care Trust |
| CCPAS | Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service |
| CDOP | Child Death Overview Panel |
| CDRPs | Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships |
| CEOP | Child Exploitation and On-line Centre |
| Child | Anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday |
| Child in Need | Under section 17 of The Children Act 1989, these are children who are disabled, are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health and development and whose health and development will be significantly impaired without the provision of support services |
| Childminder | Person paid by parents to care for children in their own home for more than two hours a day. Childminders are registered and inspected annually. |
| Child Assessment Order | An order under Section 43 Children Act 1989. It requires anyone who can do so to produce a child for an assessment. |
| Child Protection | Child protection is the term used when children who have suffered significant harm, or who are at risk of suffering significant harm are identified. |
| Child Protection Case Conference | A formal inter-agency meeting to share information so that a robust protection plan can be developed. |
| Child Protection Plan | A detailed inter-agency plan setting out what must be done to protect a child from further harm, to promote the child’s health and development and if it is in the best interests of the child, to support the family to promote the child’s welfare. |
| Child Protection Review Case Conference | A review case conference is held to review the work being done
with the child and family and to consider any developments which may have increased or decreased any risk to the children. The conference can recommend that the child’s child protection plan be discontinued if it decides that the child faces no further serious risk |
| Child Psychologist | A person trained in understanding and helping with emotional and behavioural difficulties, taking into account a child’s developmental level and family context |
| Child Psychotherapist | A person trained to undertake therapeutic work directly with individual children using all forms of communication |
| Children Act 1989 | This Act is the legislative basis for work with children in need, children in need of protection and looked after children. The Children Act came into force in England and Wales in 1991 |
| Children Act 2004 | The legislative basis for the establishment of Children’s Departments, Children’s Directors and Local Safeguarding Boards. Promotes multi agency work in meeting the needs of children. |
| Children’s Centres | Provide a one stop source of early education, child care and family support. |
| Children’s Guardians | An adult – but not a solicitor – appointed by a court to act on behalf of a child or young person in legal proceedings. Formerly known as ‘guardians ad litem’ |
| Children’s Trust | Children’s Trusts are organisational frameworks which plan, commission and deliver children’s services within an area |
| Chronology | The brief record in date order of all significant events and changes in the life of a child or young person |
| CIS | Children’s Information Service provides advice about child care and early years provision |
| CJCSA | Criminal Justice and Court Services Act |
| CMACE | Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries |
| CME | Child Missing Education |
| CMHT | Community Mental Health Team. Multi-disciplinary team made up of psychiatrists, social workers, community psychiatric nurses, psychologists and therapists. The team provides assessment, treatment and care outside hospitals for individuals with severe and enduring mental health problems |
| Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs | Sets out guidance for schools and children’s departments on how to assess and manage special educational needs |
| Commissioning | The process by which the needs of the local population are identified, priorities set, and appropriate services purchased and evaluated. |
| Community Care | The provision of services and support to people who are affected by problems such as ageing, mental health, learning disabilities, or physical or sensory disability, and who need services to be able to live independently in their own homes. |
| Community Nurses | Nurses who work within communities rather than in hospitals. They include practice nurses, district nurses, health visitors and school nurses |
| Community Safety Unit | Police units responsible for investigating both domestic violence and hate crimes that are directed at specific sectors of the community (racism, homophobic crime) |
| Community Strategy | Plan drawn up by the council for improving the quality of life for local
people. It must be completed with the help of businesses, voluntary groups and citizens |
| CONI | Care of the Next Infant. Support for families of subsequent babies following a cot death |
| Confidential Data | Data identified as being of a personal and sensitive nature |
| Connexions | A service which replaced the careers service and other statutory youth services. Aimed at supporting 13 to 19 year-olds in transition to adulthood and involves personal advisers going into schools, colleges and communities. |
| Contact | Arrangements made for parents who are not looking after their children to have agreed meetings with them. Formerly known as access. |
| Contact Order | Requires the person with whom a child lives to allow the child to visit or stay with the person named in the order |
| Consent | An expression of agreement |
| Consultant | Highly trained senior doctor or independent expert |
| Contracting out | The practice of purchasing services from the voluntary & community sector and other organisations by local authorities and other statutory bodies. |
| COP | Code of Practice for special needs education. Provides guidance from DCSF |
| Core assessment | An in-depth assessment which addresses the needs of a child and the capacity of the parents or caregivers to respond appropriately to these needs within the wider family and community context. |
| Core funding | The money required for operational, management and day to day costs of a service/organisation |
| Core Group | Bring together a ‘Team Around the Child’, once a child becomes subject to a child protection plan. |
| Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) | Local umbrella body for voluntary organisations, charities and campaign groups in a particular area. It provides support, advice and information for local voluntary organisations. |
| CPA | Comprehensive Performance Assessment. Used to determine whether a council ranks as excellent, good, fair, weak or poor in the local government league table system. The assessment is made up of performance indicator data, information from Whitehall inspectorates, a judgment on the state of a council’s finances and an assessment of a council’s managerial centre. Now replaced by CAA – Comprehensive Area Assessment |
| CPN | Community Psychiatric Nurse |
| CPS | Crown Prosecution Service |
| CPSU | Child Protection in Sport Unit |
| CQC | Care Quality Commission |
| CRB | Criminal Records Bureau. Criminal record checks for employees, carers and volunteers. Now undertaken by Independent Safeguarding Authority |
| CSAS | Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service |
| CSMT | Community Substance Misuse Team. Confidential service for people experiencing drug/alcohol problems, their family and friends. Information, needle exchange, advice and counselling offered |
| CSO | Child Safety Order |
| CTB | Children’s Trust Board |
| CWD | Children With Disabilities |
| CWDC | Children’s Workforce Development Council |
| CYPP | Children and Young People’s Plan. A multi agency plan setting out the outcomes to be achieved for children in the local authority area and how they will be achieved |
| CYPPC | Children & Young People in Public Care |
| CYPS | Children and Young People’s Services. Directorate responsible for provision of statutory education and social care services to children. |
| DAT | Drug Action Team. Local multi-agency partnership that operates the government’s drugs strategy at a local level |
| Data | Includes information processed by computer, as well as manual data forming part of a relevant filing system |
| Data Controller | The person who decides the purposes for which and the manner in which data is to be processed |
| Data Processor | The person who processes the data on behalf of the data controller |
| Data Protection Act 1998 | A set of legal rules that set out rights and responsibilities when dealing with personal data |
| Data Protection Officer | The person within an organisation who has overall responsibility for compliance with the Data Protection Act and for data protection issues |
| Data Subject | The individual to whom the data relates |
| Day Care | A childcare service provided to care for children whilst parents go to work. |
| Day Care Standards | Minimum standards within the Children Act, that early years and childcare providers are required to meet |
| DCFS | Department for Children, Families and Schools. Responsible for children’s services. Now renamed Department of Education |
| DE | Department of Education |
| Designated Doctor/Nurse for Child Protection | Provide a strategic lead in all aspects of the health service’s contribution to safeguarding children. |
| Developmental Assessment | A universal assessment at key milestones in child development normally undertaken by the Health Visiting Service. Identifies deviations from expected child development. |
| DH | Department of Health. Provides health policy and guidance |
| Direct Payments | Money given to individuals to pay for care services on the basis of a community care needs assessment |
| Disability Discrimination Act 1995 | Sets minimum standards so that public buildings and private companies providing a public service make their service available to disabled people. Also contains legislation to prevent discrimination against job candidates based on their disability |
| Disability Rights Commission | Independent advisory body set up by the government to help secure civil rights for disabled people. |
| District nurses | Registered nurses who have special training in the skills of providing nursing care to people in their own homes |
| Domiciliary Care | Services provided to people at home, to assist them to live independently |
| DPA | Data Protection Act |
| Dual Diagnosis | Cases where someone with a mental illness is subsequently diagnosed with an additional condition that aggravates their current condition. |
| Duty officer | A worker who can be contacted by the public during normal office hours |
| Education Lead Officer | Responsible for co-ordinating policy and action on child protection across schools and non-school services maintained by the Authority |
| Educational Psychology Service | A team of professionally qualified educational psychologists who provide advice on the special educational needs of children who are the subject of statutory assessment under the 1996 Education Act and support to schools in managing the behaviour of pupils. |
| Eligibility criteria | Requirements for access to a service |
| EPO Emergency Protection Order | Emergency Protection Order. Gives authority to remove a child believed to be suffering from significant harm and places the child under the protection of the applicants for a maximum of eight days |
| Emotional abuse | Persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. |
| EOTAS | Education Other Than At School. This may be through a Pupil Referral Unit, hospital school and home tutoring |
| Every Child Matters | Green Paper published in 2003 by the DfES, setting out proposals for development of services for children, young people and their families. Followed by Children Act and associated guidance in 2004. |
| Evidence-based Practice | The use of current best evidence from systematic research in making decisions about the care of individuals |
| EWO | Education Welfare Officer. Practitioners who monitor attendance and follow up statutory procedures regarding absence, truancy and disaffection. In Warrington known as Attendance Officer. |
| EWS | Education Welfare Service. |
| EYFS | Early Years Foundation Stage |
| Exclusion | Articles of Government allowing headteachers to exclude pupils from schools for serious breaches of discipline. Exclusions may be fixed period or permanent |
| Extended Schools | Provide a range of services and activities often beyond the school day to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community. |
| Family Centre | A therapeutic setting where one of both parents attend with their children. |
| Family Group Conferences | Chaired by an independent co-ordinator, whose role it is to organise and facilitate the meeting, family group conferences aim to support families to find their own solutions to problems affecting the family. |
| Family Intervention Project | Targeted multi agency intervention with referred families who have complex needs and require a high level of face to face contact and family focussed interventions |
| Family Support | Provision of services to families at an early stage of identified need in order to help families promote and safeguard the welfare of their children. |
| Family Support Strategy | Outlines the needs for preventative service provision to children, young people, families, schools and communities and sets out a framework by which those needs can be met by commissioning new services or transforming existing services to meet those needs. |
| Family Proceedings Court | A magistrates court which hears proceedings under the Children Act 1989 |
| FCO | Foreign and Commonwealth Office |
| FE | Further Education. Part- or full-time education, often with a vocational emphasis, provided in colleges for students over statutory school age |
| FGM | Female Genital Mutilation |
| FII | Fabricated ort Induced Illness |
| FIP | Family Intervention Project. Targeted parenting and family support |
| Foster Care | Provision of substitute care within a family approved for that purpose on a temporary or permanent basis |
| Foundation Stage | Stage of education before Key Stage 1, with its own curriculum and early learning goals, for children aged three to the end of reception year. The foundation stage curriculum can be delivered in a range of nursery education settings by foundation stage practitioners |
| Foundation Stage Practitioner | A generic term for staff delivering foundation stage curriculum in nursery education settings. The term includes teachers, nursery nurses and nursery officers. |
| Foyers | Aim to tackle homelessness and unemployment by providing accommodation and training for young people under one roof. |
| Framework for the assessment of children in need and their families | A framework that provides a systematic way of analysing, understanding and recording what is happening to children and young people within their families and the wider context of the community in which they live. |
| Full Council | A meeting of every councillor on a local authority to vote on council decisions. Has to ratify policy frameworks and decide on budgets. |
| GCSE | General Certificate of Secondary Education. An exam usually taken at 16 years of age |
| Gillick Competence | A test upon which decisions as to a young person’s ability to give informed consent will be based. The test is usually administered by a health care professional. |
| GMC | General Medical Council. Regulatory body that licences doctors to practice medicine in the UK. |
| GNVQ | General National Vocational Qualification. There are three levels – Foundation, Intermediate (one year) and Advanced (two years) in vocational subjects |
| GO | Government Office for the Regions. Established in 1994 to bring together the regional outposts of various government departments. Responsible for spending government money at regional level and the co-ordination of regeneration programmes. |
| GONW | Government Office North West |
| Governors | Those appointed to act as corporate members of a body set up to exercise general oversight of the conduct and curriculum of a school or college |
| GP | General Practitioner. Provide family health services to a local community. |
| Grants | Sums of money given to a charity, organisation or individual, usually from some kind of grant-making body, such as a charitable foundation or government department. There are usually strict criteria drawn up by the grant maker that the applicant must adhere to in order to receive the money. |
| Green Paper | A consultation document that sets out the government’s views on a policy area and invites discussion. The first step in a policymaking
process that usually leads to legislation. |
| GSCC | General Social Care Council. Independent regulatory body that was responsible for social care. Its aim was to raise standards of conduct and practice by setting requirements for training, qualifications and professional development, as well as registering social workers and other social care staff. Now abolished. |
| Health Assessment | An assessment of a child/young person’s health status and needs by a qualified medical or nursing practitioner |
| Health Care Plan | A plan setting out the work needed to meet a child’s health needs as identified in the Health Assessment |
| Health Visitor | Trained nurses who work mainly with children under five. Primary focus on health promotion and the prevention of illness – usually work closely with GPs. |
| Healthy Schools Programme | Government programme to make children, teachers, parents and communities more aware of the opportunities that exist in schools for improving health |
| HE | Higher Education. Part or full time education at Universities and Colleges. |
| Help4Me | Online directory of support services and expertise available to children, young people, their families and practitioners |
| HI | Hearing Impairment |
| HMI | Her Majesty’s Inspectorate |
| HMIC | Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary |
| HMIP | Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons |
| Home-School Agreement | School contract drawn up with parents/carers and the child. Includes expectations about standards of education, attendance, behaviour and homework |
| House officer | Junior doctor (or doctor in training), who has successfully completed five years at medical school and is learning general medicine in a hospital in preparation to become a registrar, and eventually a GP or consultant |
| Human Rights Act 1998 | Legislates for personal human rights that can be defended in court, including the right to life, liberty, freedom from inhuman treatment and the right to a family. |
| IBP | Individual Behaviour Plan. Focuses on behavioural issues for a child with learning difficulties or disabilities and sets out the strategies to use to meet each child’s identified needs. |
| ICS | Integrated Children’s System. An electronic recording system for all children’s services involvement with families. |
| ICT | Information and Communication Technology |
| IEP | Individual Education Plan. Builds on the curriculum that a child with learning difficulties or disabilities is following and sets out the strategies to meet each child’s identified needs. |
| IMR | Individual Management Review |
| Independent school | A school neither maintained by a local education authority, nor a grant maintained school, which is registered under section 70 of the Education Act 1944. |
| Independent sector | An umbrella term for voluntary, ‘not-for-profit’ and private organisations which may provide services for children and young people. Also known as the third sector. |
| INSET | In-Service Training. Professional development for teachers, undertaken alongside their usual teaching responsibilities. |
| Inter-Agency Communication | Information sharing between agencies – formal and informal, written and oral |
| Inter-Agency Working | More than one agency working together in a planned way |
| Interim Care Order | Time limited order made by the court to protect a child while waiting for a final hearing. |
| Intra Vires | Within an organisation’s legal powers |
| IRO | Independent Reviewing Officer |
| ISA | Independent Safeguarding Authority |
| IT | Information Technology |
| Joint assessment | An assessment of needs made by different assessors working together. |
| Joint Funding | Funding provided by more than one agency |
| Joint Working | Professionals from more than one agency working directly together |
| KS1 | Key stage 1 – pupils aged 5 – 7, in year 1 and 2, infant |
| KS2 | Key stage 2 – pupils aged 7 – 11, in year 3 – 6, junior |
| KS3 | Key stage 3 – pupils aged 11 – 14, in year 7 – 9, lower secondary |
| KS4 | Key stage 4 – pupils aged 14 – 16, in year 10 -11, following exam courses |
| LA | Local Authority. Publicly elected and accountable body which has a range of statutory powers and responsibilities to obtain or provide particular services |
| LAC | Looked After Children |
| LADO | Local Authority Designated Officer |
| LAF | Local Admissions Forum |
| LASSL | Local Authority Social Services Letter |
| LAYS | Local Authority Youth Services |
| LEA | Local Education Authority. No longer exists as the authority was incorporated within Children and Young People’s Services |
| Lead Professional | The practitioner who takes key responsibility for case co-ordination and case management for a child or young person |
| Learning Disability/
Difficulty |
A disorder that affects people’s ability to either interpret what they see and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain. It affects the way someone learns, communicates or does everyday things. Someone has a learning disability all through their life. There are many different types of learning disability. They can be mild, moderate or severe. |
| Lifelong Learning | Involvement in a range of learning activities, at any time in life and in a wide range of environments. |
| LIFT | Local improvement finance trust. Private limited company set up under the public-private partnership initiative in order to fund, replace and refurbish public premises in England. |
| LIO | Local Intelligence Unit. Police unit concerned with making the best use of information and intelligence from all parts of the community and from police forces, locally, regionally and nationally. |
| LMS | Local Management of Schools. A system by which schools manage their own finances through the governing body |
| LPSA | Local Public Service Agreements |
| LSA | Learning Support Assistant. Support individual pupils with special needs or the whole class or groups within the class, especially with literacy and numeracy |
| LSC | Learning and Skills Council. Covers further education; work-based training and young people; workforce development; adult and community learning; information, advice and guidance for adults; education business links. |
| LSCB | Local Safeguarding Children Board. A multi agency statutory body led by Children’s Services responsible for monitoring the provision of services which safeguard or promote a child’s welfare |
| LSP | Local Strategic Partnership. Ensures co-operation between public agencies, voluntary groups and businesses in the regeneration of deprived neighbourhoods |
| LSR | Learning Support Record, a school’s record of intervention |
| MAPPA | Multi Agency Public Protection Panel. Held to discuss registered sex offenders or people considered to be particularly dangerous to co-ordinate the protection of the public |
| MARAC | Muti Agency Risk Assessment Conference. A multi agency meeting which focuses on supporting the high risk victims of domestic violence |
| ME | Medical Examiner |
| Mental Health Act Commission | A special health authority fully independent of mental health service providers. Its main function is to review the operation of the Mental Health Act 1983 in relation to detained patients |
| Mentoring | A system whereby a peer or adult offers additional personal support |
| Messages from Research | Influential publication of research into child protection issues |
| MHRT | Mental Health Review Tribunal. The Mental Health Review Tribunal safeguards the rights of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 |
| MIR | Major Incident Room |
| Mixed Economy of Care | Composite provision of services involving the use of private and voluntary providers alongside public services |
| MLD | Moderate Learning Difficulties |
| Monitoring | Routine appraisal of implementation of child care plans and their outcomes. Its function is to oversee the child’s continuing welfare and to enable any necessary actions to be instigated in a timely manner. |
| MSI | Multi-Sensory Impairment. A combination of visual and hearing difficulties |
| Multi-Agency Working | More than one agency working with a young person/family but not necessarily jointly. |
| Multi-Professional Working | Staff working together with different professional backgrounds and training |
| Multi-disciplinary Team | A team consisting of representatives from several different professional backgrounds who all have different areas of expertise. |
| Multiple Index of Deprivation | An official measure used by the government to target regeneration policies in the most deprived areas. |
| NACVS | National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service. Umbrella body of more than 280 local councils for voluntary service. |
| National Curriculum | Established by the 1988 Education Reform Act to ensure that all pupils aged 5-16 by law, receive a broad and balanced education, which is relevant to their needs. There are three ‘core’ subjects (English, Maths and Science) and seven ‘foundation’ subjects, together with nationally agreed attainment targets and assessment arrangements |
| NCH | National Children’s Homes |
| NCVO | National Council for Voluntary Organisations. National umbrella body for voluntary organisations and charities in England. Represents more than 1000 organisations in negotiations with the government over service levels, charity law and consultation. Also provides support and services to organisations |
| NEET | Not in employment education or training |
| Neglect | Persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs likely to result in serious impairment of the child’s health or development |
| NHS Direct | Telephone helpline and website that gives 24 hour nurse advice and health information |
| NHS Trusts | Bodies responsible for the management of hospital and community health care facilities and the services they provide |
| NICE | National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Body set up in April 1999 to decide which health treatments and technologies – from
drugs to artificial hips – should be available on the NHS in England and Wales. |
| NIMHE | National Institute for Mental Health in England. The NIMHE was set up to provide research and expertise to help the NHS implement
the National Service Framework on Mental Health. |
| NOMS | National Offenders Management Service |
| NPFS | Naval Personal and Family Service |
| NPIA | National Police Improvement Agency |
| NRM | National Referral Mechanism |
| NSF | National Service Framework. Introduced in 1998, NSF’s establish a set of minimum national standards of clinical quality and access to services in a series of major care areas and disease groups. |
| NSPCC | National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children |
| NSTS | National Strategic Tracing Service. A national database of people, places and NHS organisations. NHS staff will, subject to stringent security procedures, be able to access their patients name, address, date of birth, GP, NHS number and a range of up-to-date administrative information. |
| Nursery Education Setting | A generic term which indicates approval to deliver the foundation stage curriculum. The definition includes maintained nursery classes and reception classes, day nurseries, pre-schools and playgroups, independent schools, pre-prep and kindergarten, Montessori and Steiner schools |
| Ofsted: Office for Standards in Education | Leads on integrated inspections and is a non-ministerial government department whose main aim is to help improve the quality and standards of education and childrens services through independent inspection and regulation |
| OIC | Office of the Information Commissioner |
| OIS | Operational Information System. Records all telephone calls made by the public to the Police |
| OT | Occupational Therapist. Work to aid the recovery and rehabilitation of patients. |
| Outcome | The end or desirable result of a particular activity |
| Outpatient | A patient who attends hospital for treatment, consultation and advice but does not require a stay in hospital |
| Paediatrician | Specialist in the medical care of babies and young children |
| PACE | Police and Criminal Evidence Act |
| PAF | Performance Assessment Framework |
| PALS | Patient Advice and Liaison Services. Provide ‘on the spot’ help and guidance about NHS services to patients – how to access services, complain or how to contact local medical conditions support groups. Pals are based in each Acute Trust and Primary Care Trust |
| Paramountcy Principle | The welfare of the child is the paramount consideration in all proceedings concerning children |
| Partnership | An agreed model of working together where all parties contribution is specified and recognised |
| Pastoral care | A school’s arrangements for monitoring and advising pupils on their personal, career and academic development |
| Pathway Plan | Under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, all Looked After Children should have a Pathway Plan set up by their 16th birthday. The plan should set out the support that the young person will receive in transition to independent life and should cover the period up to the age of 18, or when they are living independently. |
| Patient Forums | The key public representative body in Acute Trusts and Primary Care Trusts Their role is to monitor the range and effectiveness of services provided and to seek out patients’ views. |
| PAYP | Positive Activities for Young People. A national scheme of developmental activities for young people at risk |
| PCHR | A health record (in a red book) of a child aged 0-5 years which is retained by the prime carer |
| PCT | Primary Care Trust. PCT’s are free-standing statutory bodies that provide primary and community services and commission secondary (hospital) care on behalf of their local population. |
| PEP | Personal Educational Plan. Education plan for any pupil in school or similar setting, including input from the child, education and social care. |
| Peripatetic teacher | Teacher with specific expertise who travels from school to school and is employed by the LA to give appropriate specialist advice and support to the child and the school. |
| Pharmacists | Specialist health professionals who make and sell medicines. They usually have a shop in the high street, and are often called ‘chemists’ |
| Physical Abuse | May involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child |
| PI | Performance Indicator |
| Placement | Living arrangement made by social care for a person in their care. It could be in foster care, residential care, independent living or at home on a short or long-term basis |
| Playgroups | Services offering care and education for children mainly aged three to five years of age cared for with or without parents. Care may be for a short period or all day. |
| PMLD | Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty. In addition to very severe learning difficulties, pupils have other significant difficulties, such as physical disabilities, sensory impairment or a severe medical condition. |
| PNC | Police National Computer |
| PND | Police National Database |
| Portage | A planned approach to home-based pre-school education for children with developmental delay, disabilities or any other special educational needs. |
| PPS | Parent Partnership Service. Information, advice and support to families who have a child with Special Educational Needs |
| PPO | Probation and Prisons Ombudsman |
| PPP | Police Protection Powers |
| PR | Parental Responsibility. “All the rights, duties, powers, responsibility and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property” – Children Act 1989 section3 (1) |
| Practice nurses | Work alongside doctors with patients registered with GP practices. |
| PRESCAT | Pre-school Assessment Teams. Multi-agency assessment process for children from birth to aged 5 years with special needs to identify supports required. |
| Prevention | Support of parents and carers so their strengths and resilience and the well being and life chances of children are enhanced |
| Primary Care | Services provided by family doctors and dentists |
| Prohibited Steps Order | An Order forbidding a person to take any actions specified in the Order which are of a nature normally undertaken by a parent in exercising his/her parental responsibility for a child, unless the court gives leave. |
| Provider | Any person, group or organisation providing a service to children and young people |
| PRU | Pupil Referral Unit. Education facility for pupils who have very specific needs and are unable to attend school often following exclusions from school, but also include children with mental health problems |
| PSA | Public Service Agreements. Three year agreements between a local authority and central government intended to raise standards in education, personal social services and transport. |
| PSA | Parenting Support Advisor |
| PSHE | Personal, Social and Health Education. Part of the curriculum in a school or similar setting, addressing personal, social and health issues. |
| PSP | Pastoral Support Programme. Outlines the additional welfare and guidance support a school will provide for a pupil. |
| PSR | A multi-disciplinary meeting at which all relevant information about a pre-school child with special needs is collated in order to give advice about educational needs. |
| Psychiatrist | A doctor who specialises in the treatment of people with mental health problems. |
| Public or statutory sector | Bodies required by statute to obtain or provide particular services, such as local authorities or Health Boards |
| RA | Reading Age. Measured in years or as a standardised score |
| Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 | Deals with racism in the public sector by requiring bodies such as councils, hospitals and schools to take steps to promote racial equality, good race relations and to eliminate unlawful discrimination. |
| Referral | A request for help for an individual from a public body. |
| Registered Child-Care Provision | Childcare provision registered and inspected by OFSTED. All provision providing childcare for more than two hours for children aged 0 – 8 years must be registered. Includes pre-schools, playgroups, schools providing child-care under the extended schools programme, after school and holiday clubs, childminders, day nurseries, crèches. |
| Rehabilitation | The process of working with children and parents, and providing resources and support, to enable children to return home to be brought up in their families. |
| Residence Order | Specifies the arrangements as to with whom a child is to live |
| Residential Family Centre | A centre in which a family lives for a set period. Children remain under their parent’s care whilst living in the centre. |
| Residential Home | A category of home that provides personal care and other services and whose work has to be monitored by Ofsted |
| Respite Care | Care provided by a day or residential unit or by a family on a temporary basis. |
| Restraint | Control to prevent a person from harming themselves or other people. This can be applied by physical means, mechanical means or medication. Children and Young People’s Services policies refer to positive handling. |
| Risk | Significant harm as a consequence of poor, inadequate or abusive parenting, the behaviour of other adults, his/her own behaviour of a combination of these situations. |
| RN | Royal Navy |
| RSHO | Risk of Sexual Harm Orders |
| RSL | Registered Social Landlord |
| RTA | Road Traffic Accident |
| SALT | Speech and Language Therapy/Therapist |
| SA | Spelling Age measured in years or as a standardised score |
| SANDS | Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Society. Offers support to parents and families when their baby has died before, during or shortly after their birth. Telephone support and home visits. |
| SARC | Sexual Assault Resource Centres |
| SARS | Sexual Assault Referral Centres |
| SATs | Standard Assessment Tests. Pupils take these at the end of KS1, 2 & 3. |
| SCH | Secure Children’s Home |
| SCR | Serious Case Review |
| School Nurse | Qualified nurses with additional training and qualifications in child health |
| Schools Action | When a school gives extra or different help for a child because that child has additional educational needs |
| Schools Action Plus | If a child does not make enough progress within Schools Action, the teacher or SENCO will talk to the parents about asking for advice from other people outside the school e.g. specialist teacher, educational psychologist, speech and language therapist or other health professionals |
| Scrutiny Committee | Group of councillors that monitors the work of a mayor or cabinet and holds members of the executive to account for their decisions. |
| Section 17 | Under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, local authorities have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area |
| Section 47 | Under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989, local authorities must make inquiries about children suspected of being at risk of significant harm, so they can decide whether they need to take further action to protect the child. |
| Sectioned | Refers to powers in the Mental Health Act 1983 that allow the detention of people who are suffering from mental disorders. |
| Self-assessment | A means by which people set out their own estimation of their needs for support, usually on a standardised form |
| SEN | Special Educational Needs |
| SENCO | SEN co-ordinator. All schools must have a teacher with responsibility for co-ordinating SEN provision. |
| SENDA | Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2002 – outlines the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in education, linked with the Revised Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs 2001 |
| Sensitive Personal Data | Personal data that contains information about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, physical/mental health, sexual health or criminal offending |
| Serious Case Review | A review undertaken by the LSCB following the death or serious injury of a child when abuse is suspected |
| Service User | An individual who uses, requests, applies for, or benefits from health or local authority services. They may also be referred to as a client, patient or customer. |
| Sexual Abuse | Forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. |
| Sexual Exploitation | Term used to describe children who are involved in prostitution, pornography or any other form of commercial sexual exploitation |
| SHA | Strategic Health Authority. Strategic management support for Primary Care Trusts and hospitals |
| Significant Harm | Whether harm or likely harm suffered by a child is significant is
determined by comparing the child’s health or development with that which could reasonably be expected of a similar child. |
| Silo | A description of not working effectively with other parts of the organisation and outside service providers. |
| Single Agency Working | Where only one agency is involved with a person. May still be the
consequence of inter-agency decision-making. |
| SOPO | Sexual Offences Prevention Orders |
| SLD | Severe Learning Difficulties |
| Social Care | Services that provide social support and assistance to people. |
| Social Exclusion | Term used to describe people or areas that suffer from a combination of factors that include unemployment, high crime, low incomes and poor housing. |
| Social Inclusion | A shorthand name for strategies designed to assist individuals, groups or areas to overcome the problems of deprivation |
| Social Regeneration | Process of tackling the social problems that lead to deprivation, such as crime and drugs. The process is different from physical regeneration, which tackles run-down areas and economic regeneration aimed at creating jobs and wealth. |
| Social Services | Local authority departments in England and Wales responsible for the provision of personal social services. Established under the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, they combined the children’s, health and welfare departments. Now superceded by separate departments for children and adults. |
| Special Health Authorities | Health authorities with national functions that cannot be effectively undertaken by other NHS bodies |
| Special school | A school which makes special educational provision for pupils with special educational needs. |
| Social Work | The provision of personal help to resolve a range of social difficulties. |
| Social Worker | Person employed to carry out social work |
| SpLD | Special Learning Difficulties, (such as dyslexia) |
| SSA | Special Support Assistant. Will help a pupil in school, but is not a teacher |
| SSAFA-FH | Soldier, Sailor and Air Force Association – Forces Help.. Supports servicemen and their families |
| STC | Secure Training Centre |
| Stakeholders | People who have an interest in an organisation, its activities and its achievements, including customers, partners, employees, shareholders, owners and government regulators. |
| Statement | A legal document used in court proceedings or setting out a child’s SEN and the provision that is required for them |
| Statutory Assessment | The process by which the special educational needs of a child are assessed. May lead to a statement of SEN being written |
| Statutory Authority | An organisation that is required by law to provide public services and receives central and/or local government funding, for example health authorities and local authorities |
| Statutory Services | Services specified by legislation and regulations provided by the health authority or the local authority |
| Strategy Discussion | A discussion held at the start of a Section 47 enquiry involving the police, children’s services and any other involved agency. |
| Substance Abuse/Misuse | The use of a mood altering substance in such a way that it is either socially unacceptable or impairs social, medical and/or occupational functioning |
| SUDI | Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infancy |
| Supported Housing | Accommodation for vulnerable people with care needs |
| Supporting People | Funding for the housing support needs of vulnerable people |
| SureStart | Aimed to improve children’s life opportunities by working with families in deprived areas. Now absorbed into local authority services usually within children’s centres. |
| TA | Teaching Assistant |
| TAC | Team Around the Child |
| Telecare | The use of communication systems such as video and computers to provide a contact point for immediate support allowing more care to be provided in the community or at home |
| Think Family Practice | A Government initiative to co-ordinate support provided by adult and children’s services to a single family using targeted, specialised and whole family approaches to addressing family’s needs |
| Threshold | An identifiable set of criteria pointing to a particular level of need. |
| TPSO | Teenage Pregnancy Support Officer |
| Tribunal | Formal body which considers appeals within statutory services e.g. education and mental health |
| UASC | Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child |
| UKBA | United Kingdom Border Agency |
| UKHTC | UK Human Trafficking Centre |
| Universal Services | A service which is open to all who need it without any criteria for access e.g. education or health services |
| VBS | Vetting and Barring Scheme |
| VI | Visually Impaired |
| Victoria Climbié Inquiry | Public Inquiry led by Lord Laming to find out why child protection services failed to prevent the murder of Victoria Climbié. It resulted in far reaching changes outlined in Every Child Matters. Changes reviewed in 2009 following death of Baby P leading to Laming Report. |
| VISOR | The Violent and Sexual Offenders Register |
| Volunteer | A person who gives a portion of their time to an organisation as a worker or helper without payment |
| VOO | Violent Offender Orders |
| Vulnerable children | Children who would benefit from extra help from public agencies to allow them to make the most of their opportunities in life |
| Walk-in Centres | Nurse-led drop-in centres, managed by the NHS, that provide minor treatments, self help and information. |
| Ward of Court | A child under the protection of the High Court. No important decision can be made about the child without the consent of the Wardship Court |
| White Paper | Statement of policy issued by the government. White Papers are often the basis of new legislation and are usually preceded by a consultative Green Paper |
| Working Together | ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ describes the inter agency processes which agencies follow to protect children |
| Written Agreement | The recorded agreement between the child, family and agencies providing services which forms the basis of working in partnership. |
| YCW | Youth and Community Worker |
| YJB | Youth Justice Board. Set up under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the Youth Justice Board advises the home secretary on the operation and performance of the youth justice system. Its work includes monitoring the youth court, youth offending service and secure accommodation and disseminating good practice |
| YJS | Youth Justice System |
| YMCA | Young Men’s Clubs Association |
| YOI | Young Offender Institution |
| YOS/YOT | Youth Offending Service/Youth Offending Team |
| Young Carers | Young people under the age of 18 who have the responsibility of caring for a member of their family |
| Youth Court | A Magistrate’s court sitting for the purpose of dealing with offences of children and young people, except for the most serious offences |
| Youth Work, Detached | Youth Workers, normally based in Youth Centres, move out to meet with young people at their local meeting points, either to give information and advice or to engage them in specific projects. |
| Youth Work, Outreach | Youth Workers who work in ‘hot spots’ where young people’s behaviour is causing concern. Their role is to identify the cause and to facilitate a resolution. |
