Jargon-Buster!
This jargon buster has been developed with contributions from many education settings and
other services in Sheffield. If you have any corrections or jargon we have not included, please
let us know by emailing: Bea.Kay@sheffield.gov.uk
Jargon:
Explanation & further information:
ABH/AOABH
Actual Bodily Harm: properly known as Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm, AOABH, a
statutory offence of aggravated assault in England and Wales,
Accommodated
Child
A child for whom the local authority has provided 'accommodation', with parental consent,
under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989; or a child who is subject to Police Protection,
Remanded or otherwise Lawfully Detained; or is subject to a Supervision Order with a Residence
requirement.
Any child who is ‘accommodated’ is a ‘Looked After Child’ (LAC).
ADD/ADHD
Attention Deficit Disorder: also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, a
group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
ASBO
Anti-Social Behaviour Order: a civil order to protect the public from behaviour that is likely to
cause harassment, alarm or distress, containing conditions prohibiting an individual from carrying
out specific anti-social acts
BME
Black Minority Ethnic: terminology normally used in the UK to describe people of non-white
descent
CA 1989
Children Act 1989
CA 2004
Children Act 2004
CAF
Common Assessment Framework
CAFCASS
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
CAMHS
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
CCP
Child’s Care Plan (LAC): brings together information from the assessment of the child’s
developmental needs and from any other assessments of the child and family, including the health
plan and the personal education plan.
CDOP
Child Death Overview Panel
CEOP
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
CAO
Child Arrangement Orders: replace ‘residence orders’ and ‘contact orders’ and decide where
your child lives, when your child spends time with each parent and when and what other types of
contact, like phone calls, take place
CIN
Child in Need: children under 18 who need local authority services to achieve or maintain a
reasonable standard of health or development, prevent significant or further harm to health or
development or who are disabled.
CO
Care Order: when a court puts a child under the care of a local Health and Social Care (HSC)
Trust, sharing parental responsibility with the parents
Contact Centre
Child contact centres are neutral places where children of separated families can enjoy supported
or supervised contact with their non-resident parents and sometimes other family members, in a
comfortable and safe environment.
Core Groups
Core Groups are made up of professionals from differing agencies, including the Social Worker,
who are responsible for implementing and monitoring a Child Protection Plan
CP
Child Protection: The protection of individual children identified as either suffering, or likely to
suffer, significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect.
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CP Conference
Child Protection Conference: brings together family members, the child (where appropriate),
supporters/advocates and those practitioners most involved with the child and family to share
information, assess risks and formulate a Child Protection Plan
CP Plan
Child Protection Plan: a child who has suffered, or is likely to suffer Significant Harm must
have a Child Protection Plan, which has clear actions, timescales, how much improvement is
needed, and by when. Formulated in CP Conference.
CPET
Child Protection Enquiry Team: The Safeguarding Service maintains a list of all those children
who are subject (current and historical) to a Child Protection Plan, and CPET can provide this
information to practitioners where there are specific child welfare concerns or allegations about a
child.
CPS
Crown Prosecution Service: responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the
police in England and Wales
CPSU
Child Protection in Sport Unit: a partnership between the NSPCC, Sport England, Sport
Northern Ireland and Sport Wales to help minimise the risk of child abuse during sporting
activities.
CQC
Care Quality Commission: the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England,
ensuring safe, effective, and compassionate, high-quality care.
CRO
Community Rehabilitation Order: a sentence made by the courts for offenders aged 16 and
over, to ensure young people take responsibility for their offending. It can be made for any period
between six months and three years.
CSCI
Commission for Social Care Inspection: - independent inspectorate for all social care services
in England
CSE
Child Sexual Exploitation: situations, contexts and relationships where young people receive
e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money as a result of them
performing sexual activities.
CSO
Child Safety Order: to protect children under 10 who are at risk of becoming involved in crime;
may require a child to be at home at certain times or to stay away from certain places or people.
CYPF
Children, Young People and Families: portfolio of Sheffield City Council that provides services
for children and young people
DAT
Drug Action Team
DBS
Disclosure and Barring Service
DfE
Department for Education
DHR
Domestic Homicide Review: for someone over 16 who is killed by a person they are related to,
in an intimate personal relationship with, or living with. The SSCB is involved in all reviews where
there are children living in the house and the findings and recommendations are fed into the
Safeguarding Children Board.
DoH
Department of Health
DPA
Data Protection Act
DSD/DSL
Designated Safeguarding Deputy/Designated Safeguarding Lead: specialist staff in
schools and early years settings who deal with safeguarding issues for children and young people
DTO
Detention and Training Order: can be given to someone aged between 12 and 17.
They last between 4 months and 2 years; the first half of the Order is served in custody, the
second half is served in the community.
DofC
Duty of Care: a legal obligation which is imposed on e.g. employers, staff and volunteers, to
provide a reasonable standard of care and to prevent harm.
Duty to
cooperate
Children Act 2004, section 10: agencies have a duty to cooperate to protect children and
young people.
DA/DV
Domestic Violence: also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, intimate partner violence,
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battering, is a pattern of behaviour which involves violence or other abuse by one person against
another in a domestic or relationship setting.
EAL
English as an Additional Language
ECM
Every Child Matters: Government guidance which sets out the national framework for early
assessment and intervention for children and young people
EO
Exclusion Order: Family Law Act 1996 may allow a perpetrator to be removed from the home,
instead of having to remove the child (private law proceedings).
A Court can include an exclusion requirement with an Interim Care Order or an Emergency
Protection Order in certain circumstances.
EMTAS
Ethnic Minority & Traveller Achievement Service: deploys resources through schools and in
study support settings to raise the attainment and participation in learning of specific groups of
young people and improve community cohesion.
EPO
Emergency Protection Order: made in court to protect a child from significant harm or if
Section 47 Enquiries are being frustrated by urgent access to a child being unreasonably refused.
EWO
Education Welfare Officer; a member of staff attached to schools who deals with non-attendance
of pupils
EYFS
Early Years Foundation Stage: a government framework that sets the standards for early years
providers to ensure that children learn and develop well, are kept healthy and safe, have the
knowledge and skills they need to start school
FAO
Family Assistance Order: a means of providing support to families experiencing difficulties after
separation or divorce through a CAFCASS Officer or Social Worker, often in relation to facilitating
and monitoring contact.
FCAF
Family Common Assessment Framework: early assessment of the needs of children and their
families, to identify support; used across children and adult services and other agencies working
with families throughout the city.
FGC
Family Group Conference: a process led by family members to plan and make decisions for a child
who is at risk. Children can be involved although often with support from an advocate.
FGM
Female Genital Mutilation: procedures which include the partial or total removal of the external
female genital organs for non-medical or therapeutic reasons
FM
Forced Marriage: a marriage in which one or both spouses do not (or, in the case of some adults
with learning or physical disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and duress is involved.
FMPO
Forced Marriage Protection Order: to protect a person who is being threatened with a forced
marriage, or is in a forced marriage, e.g. to stop someone being taken out of the UK.
Fraser
Guidance
Fraser guidelines: A doctor can give contraceptive advice and treatment providing that the girl
under 16 will understand his advice; will not allow her parents to be informed; is very likely to
continue having sexual intercourse; and her physical &/or mental health are likely to suffer.
Gillick
Gillick Competency: under Fraser guidelines the girl should understand the nature of the advice
which is being given and have a sufficient maturity to understand what is involved.
Groomong
Grooming: when someone builds an emotional connection with a child or young person to gain
their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or exploitation; either online or in the real world, by a
stranger or someone they know; male or female; any age.
HDC
Home Detention Curfew: or 'tag', is a scheme that allows certain offenders to be released from
prison early subject to an electronically monitored curfew.
ICO
Interim Care Order: awarded by a court to allow time for a child safety and welfare to be
investigated further and plans to be made. The judge will decide how long the interim care order
will last and how often it will be reviewed.
IDAP
Integrated Domestic Abuse Project
IDVAS
Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy Service: a Sheffield service providing impartial
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advice and support to high risk victims of domestic abuse
Info sharing
Information Sharing: the sharing of information between family, agencies and professionals in
the best interests of the child or young person, including issues of consent and confidentiality.
IRO
Independent Reviewing Officer: to monitor how the local authority treats children and young
people in care and makes sure their views and wishes are heard when decisions and plans are
made about their care.
JIT
Joint Investigation Team, Sheffield City Council, CYPF
KCSIE
Keeping Children Safe in Education: Statutory guidance for schools and colleges about
safeguarding children and young people in their care, latest edition is 2015
Kinship
Kinship Care: The care of children by relatives or close family friends
LA
Local Authority
LAC
Looked After Child: A child in the care of the local authority, living with either foster parents, at
home with their parents under the supervision of social services or in a residential children's home.
LADO
Local Authority Designated Officer: deals with allegations against staff, volunteers and carers
who work with children, on behalf of the Local Authority
LDD
Learning Difficulties and Disabilities
List 99
A confidential document containing details of teachers whose employment has been barred or
restricted, due to misconduct or medical issues.
LSCB
Local Safeguarding Children Boards
MAAM
Multi-Agency Allocation Meeting: a meeting that considers the Common Assessment for a
child and their family and advises on which services are available
MAPLAG
Multi-Agency Pregnancy Liaison Assessment Group
MAPPA
Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements
MARAC
Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (for high-risk victims of domestic abuse)
MAST
Multi-Agency Support Team: advice and support service for families
NEET
Not in Education, Employment or Training
NICE
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
NOMS
National Offender Management Service
OFSTED
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills
PACE
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
PCT
Primary Care Trust
PHSE
Personal Social and Health Education
PEP
Personalised Education Plan (LAC): a record of what needs to happen for looked after
children to enable them to fulfil their educational potential and reflect any existing education plans,
such as a statement of special educational needs, Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Provision
Mapping.
PLP
Personalised Learning Plan: Education plan drawn up between school, parent/carer/child to
provide a curriculum which meets their aptitude and ensures their progression
PLO/P
Public Law Outline / Proceedings: timescales for care, supervision and other family
proceedings.
PPO
Police Protection Order: if Police believe that a child is likely to suffer significant harm, they can
move the child to suitable accommodation (or prevent removal from) and keep them there for up
to 72 hours.
PR
Parental Responsibility: the rights, duties, powers and responsibilities a parent has to their
child and the child’s property.
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PF
Private Fostering: a private arrangement about the care of a child under the age of 16 (or under
18 if disabled) by someone other than a parent or close relative, with the intention it should last
for 28 days or more.
PPR
Person Posing a Risk
PPU
Public Protection Unit: a dedicated police team that deal with crimes of Domestic Abuse,
Honour Based Violence, Hate Crime, Rape and Serious Sexual Assault.
PRA
Parental Responsibility Agreement
PRO
Parental Responsibility Order
PSO
Prohibited Steps Order: prohibits a person with Parental Responsibility from carrying out a
particular act in relation to a child, e.g. moving house
PLO
Public Law Outline: judicial protocol regarding the process for care proceedings
RAG/SRAG
(Sheffield) Runaways Action Group: the key agencies that are working with children and
young people who run away or go missing from home, accountable to the Sheffield Safeguarding
Children’s Board.
Risk
Assessment
The process of assessing whether or not a person or situation may
present a risk to the welfare of a child or young person
RO
Residence Order: a court order deciding the arrangements about which adult a child will live
with.
SCR
Serious Case Review: undertaken by the Local Safeguarding Children Board where a child has
died or been seriously harmed and there are concerns about how agencies have worked together
to safeguard the child.
S17
Section 17, Children Act 1989: Provision of services for children in need, their families and
others
S47
Section 47, Children Act 1989: Local authority’s duty to investigate.
S8 Orders
Section 8, Children Act 1989: Residence, contact and other orders with respect to children.
SARC
Sexual Assault Referral Centre
SCDOP
Sheffield Child Death Overview Panel
SEN
Special Educational Needs: learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for a person
to learn than others of the same age
SEND
Special Education Needs and Disability
SGO
Special Guardianship Order, Children Act 1989: an order appointing one or more individuals
to be a child's 'special guardian'
Sig. harm
Significant Harm: the threshold that justifies compulsory intervention in family life in the best
interests of children. Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional Abuse and Neglect are all categories
of Significant Harm.
SO
Supervision Order: Sections 31 and 32 of the Children Act 1989
SOPO
Sex Offender Prevention Order: civil preventative orders designed to protect the public from
serious sexual harm.
SORT
Sheffield Outreach Team: an assertive outreach service providing intensive community
treatment and support to adults with severe and enduring mental health problems who have
complex needs.
SOVA
Support Others Through Volunteer Action
Specific Issue
Order
A specific issue order gives directions for the purpose of determining a specific question which has
arisen or which may arise in connection with any aspect of parental responsibility for a child (see
section 8 orders above)
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SSCB
Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board: ensuring that relevant organisations in Sheffield work
together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people & provide an
effective service.
SNIPS
Special Needs Inclusion Playcare Service
Strat meeting
Strategy Discussion: A meeting or discussion to decide whether a Section 47 Enquiry under the
Children Act 1989 is required and if so, to develop a plan of action for the Section 47 Enquiry.
SUDI
Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy: See Sheffield Child Death Overview Panel
TAC
Team Around the Child (meetings under the Common Assessment Framework, now known as
Team around the Family, see below)
TAF
Team around the Family: meetings held under the Family Common Assessment Framework
UASC
Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Child: children under 18 years who are seeking asylum, but
not living with their parents, relatives or guardians in the UK. Local authorities have a duty of care
to ensure that the welfare of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is met.
UKBA
UK Border Agency: now replaced with UK Visas and Immigration, see below
UKHTC
UK Human Trafficking Centre
UKVI
UK Visas and Immigration: responsible for deciding who has the right to visit or stay in the UK
USI
Unlawful Sexual Intercourse: sexual intercourse between a man and a girl under the age of 16
VBS
Vetting and Barring Scheme, now replaced with Disclosure and Barring Service
ViSOR
Violent and Sex Offender Register: the secure database that holds details of MAPPA offenders
WTTSC
Working Together to Safeguard Children: guidance about the legislative requirements and
expectations on individual services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; and a clear
framework for Local Safeguarding Children Boards to monitor the effectiveness of local services.
YJB
Youth Justice Board: oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales; an executive
non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice.
YOS
Youth Offending Service, now known as Youth Justice Service
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