Safeguarding Glossary

AAT (Access & Assessment Team): This team is the single point of access to most of our community services in Adult Mental Health. A number of services are available that offer treatment. The team also carries out assessments and offers short periods of support or treatment (less than 12 weeks). If longer term support (more than 12 weeks) is needed then one of the Community Treatment Teams may be involved.

Abuse(Adults) and neglect can take many forms and may be deliberate or unintentional. Professionals should not be constrained in their view about what constitutes abuse or neglect and should always consider the circumstances of the individual case. The Care Act (2014) definesthe following categories of abuse:

•Physical

•Domestic Violence and Abuse

•Sexual

•Psychological

•Financial or material

•Modern slavery

•Discriminatory

•Organisational

•Neglect and acts of omission

•Self neglect

Accommodated (see also: Section 20 Children Act 1989, Provision of Accommodation for Children): Section 20 of the Children Act places a duty on Local Authorities to provide accommodation to children in the following circumstances:

  • There is no person who has Parental Responsibility for them;
  • The child is lost or abandoned;
  • The person who has been caring for them is prevented from providing suitable accommodation (whether permanently or not, and for whatever reason)
  • A Child in Need has reached the age of sixteen whose welfare would be ‘seriously prejudiced’ if accommodation was not provided
  • The Local Authority may provide accommodation to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare (this is not a legal duty)
  • The Local Authority cannot provide accommodation if the person who has Parental Responsibility can provide or arrange accommodation, and objects (in most cases the Local Authority must have the consent of the person(s) with Parental Responsibility

Any person who has Parental Responsibility may remove the child from section 20 accommodation

Acid Testwas introduced by the Supreme Court in March 2014 in relation to two cases involving Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) (P v Cheshire West and Chester Council, and P and Q (aka MIG and MEG) v Surrey County Council). To determine if a person who lacks capacity to consent to their care arrangements may be being deprived of their liberty, the Court ruled that the Acid Test must be applied. The Acid Test states that if an adult in a hospital or care home is under continuous supervision and control and is not free to leave, an unlawful deprivation may be occurring. Where this threshold applies, a DoLS application must be made to the Local Authority. Also seeDeprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers): an organisation that leads the development of police policy in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services): the national leadership association for directors of local authority adult social care services.

Adult at risk:a person over 18 years of age who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mentalhealth issues or other disability, age or illness, and who is or may be unable to take care of themselves, or protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation.This term replaces ‘vulnerable adult’ as outlined within the Care Act (2014).

Adult safeguarding strategy discussion: a multi-agency discussion coordinated by the Local Authority with relevant organisations and the adult at risk as far as possible, to agree how to proceed with the referral. It can be face to face, by telephone or by email.The purpose of the strategy discussion is to decide whether there is need for further action under multi-agency safeguarding procedures in order to protect the adult at risk of harm.

Adult safeguarding strategy meeting is a multi-agency meeting with the relevant involved agencies (coordinated by the Local Authority) and the adult at risk wherever possible, to agree how to proceed with the safeguarding referral. The purpose of the strategy planning meeting is to decide whether there is need for further action under multi-agency safeguarding procedures in order to protect the adult at risk of harm.

Adult safeguarding case conferenceis a multi-agency meeting coordinated by the Local Authority to discuss the outcome of a safeguarding investigation and to review or put in place a protection or safety plan.The adult who is subject to the safeguarding process should be involved in the process and invited to attend wherever possible.

Advocacy (see also Independent Advocacy, IMCA, IMHA, IDVA and ISVA)is a process of supporting and enabling people to express their views or concerns, access information and services, defend and promote their rights and responsibilities and to explore choices and options (Mind, 2015).

Alert is a concern that an adult at risk is or may be a victim of abuse, neglect or exploitation. A safeguarding alert may be a result of a direct disclosure, an incident, or other signs or indicators and may be current or historical.

Alerter: a person who raises a concern that a child or adult is being, has been, or is at risk of being abused or neglected. This could be the person themselves, a family member, a carer, a friend or neighbour or could be a member of staff or a volunteer.

Assessment is a process of gathering information to assess the health and social care needs of a child, an adult at risk of abuse, or of an adult who may have caused harm.

Best Interests Decision: The term 'best interests' is not defined in the Mental Capacity Act (2005) but is broadly taken to mean the decision a person would have made for themselves if they had the capacity to do so, respecting their autonomy and individuality as far as is compatible with ensuring their safety, but is case and situation specific and cannot be generalised (SCIE, 2015).

CAADA (Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse) is a national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. The aim is to protect the highest risk victims – those at risk of murder or serious harm (CAADDA, 2012). The CAADA-DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour-based violence) risk identification checklist was developed by CAADA and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

Caldicott Guardian is an identified person within NHS and local authorities with social care responsibilities who has the responsibility for the procedures governing access to, and the use of, person-identifiable information within the organisation, and the transfer of such information to other bodies.

Capacity (see also Mental Capacity):the ability of a person to make a particular decision or take a particular action for themselves at the time the decision or action needs to be taken (MCA 2005 Code of Practice).

Care Act (2014): From 1st April 2015, the Care Act came into force and brought with it the most significant changes in adult social care for over 60 years. The Care Act has introduced new national eligibility criteria, greater support for unpaid carers and new duties for Local Authorities to make care and support more consistent across the country. The Care Act brings all previous statute relating to adult social care into one place and for the first time, provides a legal framework for adult safeguarding.

Carer refers to unpaid carers, for example, relatives or friends of the child or adult at risk. This is distinct from paid workers, including personal assistants, whose job title may be ‘carer’.

Care setting/services include health care, nursing care, social care, domiciliary care, social activities, support settings, emotional support, housing support, emergency housing, befriending and advice services and services provided in someone’s own home by an organisation or paid employee for a person by means of a personal budget.

CDOP: Child Death Overview Panel

CEOP: Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday

Child and Family Assessmentreplaces the current initial and core assessment but its purpose remains the same; to gather information about a child and family, assess the level of risk and any harm being suffered by the child and to determine whether the child is a child in need (Section 17) and/or is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm (Section 47).

Child Assessment Order can be made under section 43 of the Children Act 1989 and is for cases where there are suspicions, but no firm evidence, of actual or likely Significant Harm but in circumstances not constituting an emergency. A Child Assessment Order directs a person who is in a position to do so to produce the child to the person named in the Order so that an assessment may take place and comply with any directions or other requirements included. The Order authorises the carrying out of the assessment in accordance with the terms of the Order.

Child in Care (CIC) or Looked After Child (LAC) is a child who is Accommodated by the local authority, or a child who is the subject of an Interim Care Order (ICO), Full Care Order or Emergency Protection Order (EPO). A child is looked after by a local authority if he or she has been provided with accommodation for a continuous period of more than 24 hours, in the circumstances set out in sections 20 and 21 of the Children Act 1989, or is placed in the care of a local authority by virtue of an order made under part IV of the Act.

Child in Need (CIN): Under Section 17 (10) of the Children Act 1989, a child is a Child in Need if:

  • He/she is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision for him/her of services by a local authority
  • His/her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision for him/her of such services; or
  • He/she is disabled.

Child Protection Enquiryis often referred to as Section 47 (Sec 47; S47). If there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer Significant Harm, a Core Assessment, incorporating a Child Protection Enquiry, is initiated. This normally occurs after an Initial Assessment and a Strategy Discussion/Meeting. Child Protection Enquiries are usually conducted by a social worker, jointly with the Police, and must be completed within 15 days of a Strategy Discussion.

Clinical governance is the framework through which the National Health Service (NHS) improves the quality of its services and ensures high standards of care.

CTT’s (Community Treatment Teams)provide a range of community-based mental health services for people who need support for their mental health issues for more than a 12 week period. Referrals and access to these teams is usually via the Access and Assessment Team (AAT).

Common Assessment Framework (CAF) offers a basis for early identification of children's additional needs, the sharing of this information between organisations and the coordination of service provision. It requires the consent of the child or parents/carers.

Community Safety Partnerships bring agencies and communities together to tackle crime within our communities. Community safety partnerships (CSPs) are made up of representatives from the responsible authorities, these are:

  • Police
  • Police authorities
  • Local authorities
  • Fire and rescue authorities
  • Local health boards (LHBs) in Wales
  • Primary care trusts (PCTs) in England
  • Probation
  • Community safety partnerships were set up as statutory bodies under Sections 5-7 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

Consent: is the voluntary and continuing permission of the person to the intervention based on an adequate knowledge of the purpose, nature, likely effects and risks of that intervention, including the likelihood of its success and any alternatives to it.

Contact Order is an Order made by the Court requiring the person with whom a child lives to allow the child to have contact with the person named in the order. The Order is made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, where the child is not the subject of a Care Order or a Placement Order, and can be made when an Adoption Order is made.

Court of Protection (CoP)is a specialist court for all issues relating to people who lack capacity to make specific decisions. Where there are disputes and a best interests decision cannot be agreed, the Court will make decisions in the person’s best interests. The Courtalso appoints deputies to make decisions relating to health and welfare in the best interests of those who lack capacity to do so.

CPA (Care Programme Approach) was introduced in England in the joint Health and Social Services Circular HC(90)23/LASSL(90)11, ‘The Care Programme Approach for people with a mental illness, referred to specialist psychiatric services’, published by the Department of Health in 1990. This requires health authorities, in collaboration with social services departments, to put in place specified arrangements for the care and treatment of people with mental ill health in the community.

CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) is the government department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.

CQC (Care Quality Commission) is responsible for the registration and regulation of health and social care in England.

DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and ‘Honour’-based violence): A risk identification checklist used to help front-line practitioners identify high risk cases of domestic abuse, stalking and ‘honour’-based violence.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards):The Mental Capacity Act (2005) allows restraint or restrictions to be used but only if they are in the best interests of a person who lacks the mental capacity to make the specific decision for themselves. DoLS can apply to anyone over the age of 18 years old who resides in a hospital or care home that lacks mental capacity to make decisions regarding their care arrangements, is under continuous supervision and control and is not free to leave (also see Acid Test).The managing authority (the hospital or care home) is responsiblefor completing a DoLS application to the Local Authority when it is thought that a person may be being deprived of their liberty. The Local Authority will arrange for an assessment to be completed to determine if the deprivation is required and can be legally authorised.

Domesticabuse: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.

Duty of Candour: The Duty of Candour places a requirement on us as health providers to be open and honest with patients, families and each other when things go wrong or mistakes are made. This is a fundamental and really important aspect of care towards families and patients affected by incidents, and has become a statutory requirement for Trusts to demonstrate how they are providing this aspect of care from October 2014.

EDT (emergency duty teams) are social services teams that respond to out-of-hours referrals where intervention from the council is required to protect a vulnerable child or adult, and where it would not be safe, appropriate or lawful to delay that intervention to the next working day.

EPO(Emergency Protection Order):Under Section 44 of the Children Act 1989, the local authority, the NSPCC, a Police Officer or any other person can apply for an Emergency Protection Order (EPO) where there is an immediate risk of Significant Harm to a child. Under the Order, the local authority acquires Parental Responsibility for the child.

FACS (Fair Access to Care Services) was as system for deciding how much support people with social care needs could expect to help them cope and keep them fit and well. It applied to all the local authorities in England to help social care workers make fair and consistent decisions about the level of support needed, and whether the local council should pay for this. From April 2015, FACS was replaced by new eligibility criteria outlined in the Care Act (2014) which aims to make care and support more consistent across the country.

Family Group Conference: Family Group Conferences are meetings held between professionals and family members, which aim to achieve the best outcomes for children through a collaborative approach. They promote the involvement of the wider family in the assessment, planning and decision-making process to achieve a resolution of difficulties for children in need, and may help to identify short-term and/or permanent solutions for children within the family network.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM):The removal of part or all of the female genitalia for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons (Hampshire LSAB).This is a criminal offence in the UK.

FII: Fabricated or induced illness

Forced Marriage: A marriage without the consent of one or both parties and where duress is a factor (Crown Prosecution Service & Association of Chief Police Officers).A forced marriage is not the same as an arranged marriage. In an arranged marriage, the meeting of the spouses may have been arranged by family members or friends however, the spouses agree of their own free will to marry each other.