| Terms | Definition |
| Abuse | Abuse of a child is defined by the statutory guidance as a form of maltreatment which includes physical, sexual, emotional and neglect. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. ¹
Adults can experience the same abuse as children, but the definition for adult abuse also includes self-neglect, acts of omission, financial, material, discriminatory or organisational abuse. ² |
| Accommodation | The Children’s Act 1989 states Local Authority’s must provide accommodation for any child in need within their area who has no person with parental responsibility; who is lost or abandoned; or the person who has been caring for him being prevented from providing them with suitable accommodation or care. |
| Achieving best evidence | Achieving best evidence refers to guidance set out by the Ministry of Justice to be used when interviewing victims and witnesses and preparing and supporting them during the criminal justice process. The guidance has been produced for everyone involved in relevant investigations, including police, adults and children’s social care workers, and members of the legal profession. |
| ADASS | The Association of directors of adult social services in England (ADASS), is a charity which aims to promote high standards of social care services and influence the development of social care legislation and policy. |
| Advice | Advice refers to helping and supporting a person to identify choices and recommending a course of action in relation to their care and support. |
| Advocacy | Advocacy is about supporting children and/or adults to understand information, secure their rights and ensure their wishes and feelings are heard and acted upon by decision-makers. |
| ASCOF | The Adult Services Outcomes Framework (ASCOF) measures how well care and support services achieve the outcomes that matter most to people. |
| Assessment of a Child Under the Children Act (S17) | Following acceptance of a referral by the local authority children’s social care, a social worker should lead a multi-agency assessment under section 17 of the Children Act 1989. The assessment should take into account the child’s wishes and feelings when planning the provision of services. Assessments should be carried out in a timely manner reflecting the needs of the individual child, as set out in this chapter. The assessment should be completed within 45 days from the point of referral. ¹ |
| AssetPlus | AssetPlus is an assessment and planning interventions framework developed by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and replaces Asset. AssetPlus has been designed to allow one record to follow a child during their time in the youth justice system and provide a full assessment and intervention plan. |
| Best Interest Decision | The Mental Capacity Act 2005 states that if a person lacks the capacity to make a decision, then the decision made for them must be in their best interest. |
| Breast Flattening or Ironing | Breast ironing or flattening is a form of child abuse. It is alleged to be a process by which pubescent girls breasts are ironed or flattened to constrain their growth or delay the onset of breasts. Adolescent girls or boys may also bind their breasts due to gender identity and this can cause health problems. |
| CAMHS | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) assess and treat young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties. The service is provided by the NHS. |
| Care Act 2014 | The Care Act 2014 was introduced to help improve people’s independence and well-being. Local Authorities must arrange or provide services that help prevent people developing needs for care and support. This legislation also introduces a number of provisions about safeguarding adults at risk of abuse or neglect. |
| Care and Support Needs | Care and support needs refers to the support a person needs in their daily life relating to their well-being, quality of life and safety. |
| Care Settings and Services | Care settings and services include health care, nursing care, social care, domiciliary care, social activities, support setting, emotional support, housing support, emergency housing, befriending and advice services. |
| Care Order | Under the Children Act 1989 a Local Authority can apply for a care order if it believes a child is suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm. A care order is given by a court and allows a Local Authority to take a child into care. Care orders last until the child’s 18th birthday, an order is made giving parental responsibility to another person (e.g. through adoption or special guardianship) or the court lifts the order (this is called ‘discharging’ the order). ¹ |
| Carers Assessment | Where an individual provides care and support (or intends to) and it appears they have support needs, the Local Authority must carry out a carers assessment. The assessment considers the carers need for support and the sustainability of the role. |
| CCG | Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) commission most of the NHS hospital and community services. CCGs replaced Primary Care Trusts and are involved in deciding what services are needed in local areas and ensuring they are provided. |
| Child | A child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. The fact that a child has reached 16 years of age, is living independently or is in further education, is a member of the armed forces, is in hospital or in custody in the secure estate, does not change their status or entitlements to services or protection. ¹ |
| Child Death Review | Whenever a child dies, there should be a child death review arranged by the ‘Child Death Review Partners’. The purpose of a review is to identify any matters relating to the death, or deaths, that are relevant to the welfare of children in the area or to public health and safety, and to consider whether action should be taken in relation to any matters identified. ¹ |
| Child in Need (CIN) | A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a:
· child who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable level of health or development, · or whose health and development is likely to be significantly or further impaired, without the provision of services; · or a child who is disabled. Children in need may be assessed under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 by a social worker. ¹ |
| Child Protection | Child protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. ¹ |
| Child Protection Conference | Following a child protection enquiry (section 47), an initial child protection conference is held with family members, the child (where appropriate), advocates and practitioners to make decisions about a child’s safety , health and development. ¹ |
| Child Protection Enquiry (S.47) | Under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that a child (who lives or is found in their area) is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, it has a duty to make enquiries to decide whether to take any action to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare. Such enquiries should be initiated where there are concerns about all forms of abuse, neglect. This includes female genital mutilation and other honour-based violence, and extra-familial threats including radicalisation and sexual or criminal exploitation. ¹ |
| Child Protection Plan | A child protection plan is a detailed plan involving inter-agencies to ensure the child concerned is safe from harm and to prevent them from suffering further harm. It also aims to promote the child’s health and development and support the family and wider family members to safeguard and promote the welfare of their child, provided it is in the child’s best interests.¹ |
| Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) | Child sexual exploitation is defined as a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology. ¹ |
| Clinical Governance | Clinical governance is system through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care and treatment. |
| Consent | Consent is defined as having the freedom and capacity to choose. Consent to sexual activity may be given to one sort of sexual activity but not another, e.g.to vaginal but not anal sex or penetration with conditions, such as wearing a condom. Consent can be withdrawn at any time during sexual activity and each time activity occurs. Someone consents to vaginal, anal or oral penetration only if s/he agrees by choice to that penetration and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice. |
| Contemporaneous Notes | The term contemporaneous notes refers to notes taken of meetings, telephone calls, visits to the premises or during an investigation. Notes are considered contemporaneous if they have written with 24 hours and can be used as evidence in court. |
| Contextual Safeguarding | A contextual safeguarding approach recognises that young people are vulnerable to abuse in a range of social contexts. The different relationships young people form in their local area, schools and online can feature violence and abuse and their parents and carers may have little influence over this. A contextual safeguarding approach means that professionals should focus on addressing these wider environmental factors, working with other agencies and individuals who do have influence over those areas. |
| Core Group | Once a child becomes subject to a child protection plan a core group or ‘team around the child’ is established to implement and develop the child protection plan to inform decisions about the child’s welfare and safety. |
| County Lines | County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line’. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money, and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons. ¹ |
| CPA | The Care Programme Approach (CPA) is package of care for people with mental health problems. It is a framework to assess need and ensure that adequate support is put in place. People in receipt of CPA are allocated a Care Co-ordinator to monitor and review their care needs and support. |
| CPS | The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the government department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales. |
| Criminal Exploitation of Children and Vulnerable Adults | Criminal exploitation is defined as an individual or group taking advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child, or vulnerable adult into any criminal activity. This can be in exchange for something the victim needs or wants; and/or for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator; and/or through violence or the threat of violence. It does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology. ¹ |
| CQC | The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an independent regulator of all health and social care services in England. It inspects and regulates hospital, care homes, GP surgeries, dental practices and other care services to ensure standards of quality and safety are met. |
| CSP | The community safety partnership (CSP) are statutory bodies that help make communities feel safer. They also ensure the voices of the community are heard on local community and policing issues. |
| Cuckooing | Cuckooing refers to a process in which criminals target the homes of vulnerable adults with care and support needs and use their property to house or sell drugs. |
| DASH | Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour Based Violence (DASH) is a risk identification tool to support practitioners identify high risk cases that fall within this category. |
| DASM | The Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager (DASM), is responsible for the management and oversight of cases where allegations are made or concerns are raised about a person (e.g. employee, volunteer or student, paid or unpaid). |
| DASS | Director of Adults Social Services. |
| DBS | The Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) provides criminal record checks. It is designed to help employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with children and/or vulnerable adults. |
| Defensible Decision Making | Defensible Decision Making refers to decisions that are just, evidence based, balanced and based on the information available at the time. Any rationales for decision making must be clearly record, including the different options available, how the decision was made and who was consulted. |
| DoLS | The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure that people in hospitals or care homes are looked after in a way that doesn’t restrict their freedom inappropriately. |
| Domestic Abuse | Domestic abuse is defined as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to: psychological, physical, sexual, financial and/or emotional abuse. ¹ |
| Discriminatory Abuse |
Discriminatory abuse includes forms of harassment slurs or similar treatment because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion. ² |
| Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) | A domestic homicide review (DHR) is a review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has (or appears to have) resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a related person, member of the household or someone they had been in an intimate personal relationship with. The purpose of the review is to identify the lessons to be learnt from the death. |
| Duty of Candour | All health care professionals have a duty of candour. It is a professional responsibility to be honest when things go wrong. |
| EHA | An Early Help Assessment (EHA) is an inter-agency assessment to support children and families access co-ordinated support to prevent issues escalating to crisis point. |
| EHCP | An Education Health Care Plan or (EHCP) is a single plan which covers the education, health and social care needs of a child or young person with special educational needs and/or a disability (SEND). ¹ |
| Eligibility Threshold | The eligibility threshold for adults with support needs is based on identifying how a person’s needs affect their ability to achieve relevant outcomes and how this impacts on their wellbeing. |
| Emotional Abuse | Emotional abuse is defined as the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone. ¹ |
| EPO | An Emergency Protection Order (EPO) is applied for when it is necessary to remove a child from their home. |
| Extremism | Extremism goes beyond terrorism and includes people who target the vulnerable – including the young – by seeking to sow division between communities on the basis of race, faith or denomination; justify discrimination towards women and girls; persuade others that minorities are inferior; or argue against the primacy of democracy and the rule of law in our society. Extremism is defined in the Counter Extremism Strategy 2015 as the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist. ¹ |
| Family Group Conferences (FGC) | Family Group Conferences (FGCs) are voluntary decision-making meetings to support families find their own solutions to problems with support from professionals. |
| Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) | FGM comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. It is illegal in the UK and a form of child abuse with long-lasting harmful consequences. |
| Financial or Material abuse |
Financial or material abuse includes theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements including wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions and /or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits. |
| Financial Information and Advice | This relates to services who support people in planning, preparing and paying for their care costs. |
| Fraser Guidelines | Fraser guidelines support people to assess whether a child has the maturity to make their own decisions and to understand the implications of those decisions. |
| Forced Marriage | A forced marriage is defined as a marriage entered into without the full and free consent of one or both parties and where violence, threats or any other form of coercion is used to cause a person to enter into a marriage. Threats can be physical or emotional and psychological. A lack of full and free consent can be where a person does not consent or where they cannot consent (if they have learning disabilities, for example). Nevertheless, some communities use religion and culture as a way to coerce a person into marriage. |
| Forced Marriage Unit | The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) is a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office unit which operates both inside the UK and overseas (where consular assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals). The FMU operates a public helpline to provide advice and support to victims of forced marriage as well as to professionals dealing with cases. In extreme circumstances the FMU will assist with rescues of victims held against their will overseas. |
| Hate Crime | Hate crimes are crimes committed against someone because of their disability, transgender-identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. They can include threatening behaviour, assault, robbery, damage to property, inflicting others to commit hate crime and harassment. |
| Hazing / Initiation Type Violence | Hazing and initiation type violence refers to challenges, rituals and other activities which involves harassment and abuse in order to ‘initiate’ someone into a group. It can be found in (but is not limited to) boarding schools, gangs and sports teams. It can include sexual harassment, sexual violence, criminal activity, physical or emotional abuse. |
| Health Watch | Health Watch is an independent voice for people in local areas to help shape and improve health and care services. |
| Health and Well-Being Board | Established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, Health and Well-Being Boards act as a forum to decide what the main public health needs of the population are and how services can be improved. |
| Homelessness | Homelessness is defined as not having a home. A person is classed as homeless if they have no-where to stay and are living on the street. It also includes people who do not have a home but are staying with friends and relatives or living in other accommodation e.g. shelter. It also includes people who are squatting, living in poor conditions and those at risk of violence and abuse in their own home. |
| Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 | The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 places a new legal duty on English councils so that everyone who is homeless or is at risk of homelessness will have access to meaningful help including an assessment of their needs and circumstances, the development of a personalised housing plan, and work to help them retain their accommodation or find a new place to live. |
| Honour Based Violence (HBV) | So-called ‘Honour-Based’ Violence (HBV) encompasses incidents or crimes which have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or the community, including female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, and practices such as breast ironing. Abuse committed in the context of preserving “honour” often involves a wider network of family or community pressure and can include multiple perpetrators. |
| Human Trafficking | Human trafficking is the act of recruitment, transportation or harbouring or people for the purpose of exploitation. This can be through coercion, force, abduction or violence. Exploitation includes sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced criminality, begging, organ harvesting and domestic servitude. |
| Independent Living | Independent living is a core part of adult well-being and encompasses an individual’s control of their day to day life, suitability of living accommodation, contribution to society and requires Local Authorities to considers each persons, wishes, beliefs, views and feelings. ² |
| Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) | Where there is an allegation a person is responsible for abuse, but they lack capacity, they are entitled to the help of an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The role of the IMCA is to support and represent them in the enquiries that are taking place. |
| Intermediate Care and Reablement | Intermediate care services are provided to adults after they have left hospital or when they are at risk of being sent to hospital. This short-term care aims to support an adult to maintain living independently or regain their ability to live independently. This includes home based intermediate care, bed-based intermediate care (e.g. in a hospital) and reablement support services to help people live independently. ² |
| Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) | A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is a process that assesses and maps the needs and demand for health and care and support, supports the development of joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies to address needs, understands community assets and informs commissioning of local health and care and support services that together with community assets meet needs. ² |
| LADO / DOLA | The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or Designated Officer for the Local Authority (DOLA), is involved in the management and oversight of allegations against adults who work with children where there are concerns that their behaviour may have harmed a child; they have possibly committed a criminal offence against a child and/or they have behaved in a way to a child that presents a risk to other children. |
| Lead Practitioner or Lead Professional | A lead practitioner or professional should take the lead role in an Early Help Assessment. Their role is to provide help to the child and family, act as an advocate on their behalf and co-ordinate the delivery of support services. A GP, family support worker, school nurse, teacher, health visitor and/or special educational needs co-ordinator could undertake the lead practitioner role. ¹ |
| Levels of Need | Levels of Need is a framework to support practitioners in providing the right level of response to children’s needs. (See threshold guidance). |
| MAPPA | Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) are put in place to risk assess and manage sexual and violent offenders to protect the public and victims of crime from serious harm. |
| MARAC | A Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) is joint service made up of Police, Adult Services, NHS and other organisations. Information from different agencies is collated and used to decide what action to take. This helps agencies to act quickly in a coordinated and consistent way, ensuring that the person at risk is kept safe. |
| Mate Crime | A form of exploitation where someone befriends a vulnerable person with the intention of exploiting them financially, physically or sexually. |
| Mental Capacity | Mental capacity means being able to make your own decisions. Someone lacking mental capacity means they are unable to understand the information and make an informed decision, retain information long enough
and /or communicate their decision. |
| Mental Capacity Act (MCA) | The Mental Capacity Act 2005 outlines how agencies should support someone who lacks the capacity to make a decision. |
| Modern Slavery | Modern slavery is defined as encompassing slavery, human trafficking, domestic servitude and forced / compulsory labour. |
| National Referral Mechanism | The National Referral Mechanism is the process for identifying victims of human trafficking and modern slavery and ensuring they receive appropriate support. |
| Needs Assessment | If an adult appears to need care and support the Local Authority must undertake an assessment of their care and support needs regardless of any support being provided by a carer. ² |
| Neglect | Neglect of a child is defined as the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
· provide adequate food, clothing and shelter · protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger · failing to ensure adequate supervision · ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs. ¹
The neglect of an adult is defined as ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services and/or the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating. ²
Adults may also self-neglect and this covers a wide range of behaviours including neglecting to care for own personal hygiene, health or surroundings and hoarding. ² |
| NOMS | NOMS is the National Offender Management Service. |
| NPCC | The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) brings together police forces in the UK to help policing coordinate operations, reform and improve. |
| Organisational abuse | Organisational abuse includes neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home or in relation to care provided in an adult’s own home. This may range from one off incidents to on-going ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation. ² |
| Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) | The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), helps people in England and Wales to stay in control of decisions about their health and finance. It also protects people who may not have the capacity to make certain decisions for themselves. |
| PACE | Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 regulates police powers and protects public rights. |
| PALS | The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offers confidential advice and support on health-related matters. |
| Parental Responsibility (PR) | The Children’s Act 1989, defines parental responsibility (PR) as ‘all the rights, duties, powers and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property.’ A mother automatically has parental responsibility. A father has parental responsibility if he’s married to the child’s mother or appears on the birth certificate. An unmarried father can apply for PR through a legal order. PR can be removed from parents at the point a child is adopted. It can also be acquired by the Local Authority if a child is taken into care. |
| Peer on Peer Abuse | Children can abuse other children, and this is referred to as peer on peer abuse. It can take many forms which includes (but is not limited to) bullying (including cyberbullying), sexual violence and sexual harassment, physical abuse (such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling) or causing physical harm, sexting and initiation/hazing type violence and rituals. |
| Personal Budget | A personal budget forms part of a care and support plan and gives the person clear information regarding the money allocated to them to meet their care and support needs. |
| Physical Abuse | Physical abuse is defined as a form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child. ¹
The definition for adult physical abuse includes assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint and inappropriate physical sanctions. ² |
| Prevention | The term ‘prevention’ can cover many different types of care and support aimed at promoting health, well-being and independence to avoid situations escalating to crisis point. |
| PREVENT | The Government strategy launched in 2007 which seeks to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism is known as CONTEST. The Prevent Duty Guidance 2015 defines the preventive part as:
· responding to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat from those who promote it · preventing people from being drawn into terrorism and ensuring that they are given appropriate advice and support · working with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that need to be addressed. |
| Principal Social Worker | A principal social worker is a qualified and registered social work professional practice lead. Their role to oversee, support and develop social care work and practice and provide quality assurance. |
| Protection of Property | Protection of property refers to the Local Authority’s duty to take all reasonable steps to protect the ‘moveable’ property of an adult with care and support needs who is being cared for away from home and can’t arrange to protect their property themselves. |
| Public Interest | Public interest refers to the rights, health or finances of the public. |
| Public Interest Disclosure Act | The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, protects whistle-blowers from detrimental treatment by their employer. |
| Psychological Abuse | The definition of psychological abuse includes emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber bullying, isolation, unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks. ² |
| S42 Enquiry | See Child Protection Enquiry. |
| Safeguarding Alert | A safeguarding alert is where a person (whether they are a professional, member of the family, carer or a member of the public) notifies the local authority of suspected abuse or neglect. This could be as a result of a disclosure, an incident or the signs and indicators of abuse and / or neglect. ² |
| Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children | Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
· protecting children from maltreatment · preventing impairment of children’s health or development · ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care · taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes. ¹ |
| Safeguarding Partners | A safeguarding partner in refers to the local authority, a clinical commissioning group for an area any part of which falls within the local authority area, and the chief officer of police for an area any part of which falls within the local authority area. These three safeguarding partners should agree on ways to co-ordinate their safeguarding services; act as a strategic leadership group in supporting and engaging others; and implement local and national learning including from serious child safeguarding incidents. To fulfil this role, the three safeguarding partners must set out how they will work together and with any relevant agencies as well as arrangements for conducting local reviews. ¹ |
| SAB | Safeguarding Adults Board’s (SAB) ensure that Local Safeguarding arrangements are effective in safeguarding adults at risk of abuse or neglect. |
| SAR | A Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) is a multi-agency review conducted by a Local Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB). A SAR should be conducted when an adult in its area dies as a result of abuse or neglect, there is concern that partner agencies could have worked more effectively to protect the adult, or an adult is still alive but has experienced serious neglect or abuse. The purpose of a SAR is to establish what professionals and agencies could have done differently that could have prevented significant harm and/or death to promote effective learning. It is not designed to apportion blame. |
| Sexual Abuse | Sexual abuse as defined as forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse Sexual abuse can take place online, and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse. Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children. ¹
The definition for adult sexual abuse includes, rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure, sexual assault, sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting. ² |
| Sexual Violence | When referring to sexual violence we are referring to sexual violence offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as described below:
Rape A person (A) commits an offence of rape if: he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis, B does not consent to the penetration and A does not reasonably believe that B consents. Assault by Penetration A person (A) commits an offence if: s/he intentionally penetrates the vagina or anus of another person (B) with a part of her/his body or anything else, the penetration is sexual, B does not consent to the penetration and A does not reasonably believe that B consents. Sexual Assault A person (A) commits an offence of sexual assault if: s/he intentionally touches another person (B), the touching is sexual, B does not consent to the touching and A does not reasonably believe that B consents. |
| Sexual Harassment | Sexual harassment means ‘unwanted conduct of a sexual nature’ that can occur online and offline. It violates a child or adults dignity, and/or make them feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated and/or create a hostile, offensive or sexualised environment. It can include but is not limited to:
· sexual comments (telling sexual stories, lewd comments, sexual remarks about clothes and appearance and calling someone sexualised names; · sexual “jokes” or taunting; · physical behaviour, such as: deliberately brushing against someone, interfering with someone’s clothes and displaying pictures, photos or drawings of a sexual nature
Online sexual harassment may be standalone, or part of a wider pattern of sexual harassment and/or sexual violence. It may include: • non-consensual sharing of sexual images and videos; • sexualised online bullying; • unwanted sexual comments and messages, including, on social media; sexual exploitation; coercion and threats; • up-skirting. |
| Single Competent Authority (SCA) | The Single Competent Authority (SCA) within the Home Office replaced the existing two Competent Authorities in the National Crime Agency and UKVI. All modern slavery decisions will now be made regardless of the nationality of the potential victim. |
| Significant Harm | The Children Act 1989 introduced significant harm as the threshold that justifies compulsory intervention in family life in the best interests of children under the category of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. The Children’s Act 1989 defines harm as the “ ill treatment or impairment of health and development and may include impairment suffered from seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another”. |
| SIRI | A Significant Incident Requiring Investigation (SIRI) is a NHS process to investigate serious incidences resulting in serious harm or unexpected unavoidable death of one or more patients, staff, visitors or members of the public. |
| Supported Self- Assessment | A supported self-assessment is an assessment carried out jointly by the adult with care and support needs or their carer and the local authority. It places the individual in control of the assessment process to a point where they themselves complete their assessment form. |
| Threshold Guidance or Continuum of Need. | Safeguarding partners should publish a threshold document that sets out the criteria for accessing early help support and when a case should be referred to local authority children’s social care for assessment and for statutory services under section 17 (Child in Need) and 47 (Child Protection). |
| Upskirting | ‘Upskirting’ typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without them knowing, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm. It is now a criminal offence. |
| Vital Interests | Vital interests is one of the six lawful bases under which personal data may be processed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation. It permits sharing of information where it is critical to prevent serious harm or distress or in life threatening situations. |
| Well-Being | The broad concept of ‘wellbeing’ of an adult is described by the Care Act 2014 as encompassing:
· personal dignity (including treatment of the individual with respect) · physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing · protection from abuse and neglect · control by the individual over day-to-day life (including over care and support provided and the way it is provided) · participation in work, education, training or recreation · social and economic wellbeing · domestic, family and personal · suitability of living accommodation · the individual’s contribution to society
The well-being principle applies in all cases where the Local Authority is carrying out care and support or making a decision regarding that person. It applies equally to adults and their carers. In some circumstances, it applies to children, their carers, and to young carers when they are subject to a transition arrangement. ² |
| Young Carer | A young carer is a person under 18 who provides or intends to provide care for another person (of any age, except generally where that care is provided for payment, pursuant to a contract or as voluntary work). ¹ |
| YJCEA | Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act. |
Definitions taken from:
¹Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2018
²Care and Support Statutory Guidance, 2018
³Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2019
