Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust. Provides Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Northumberland.

Accident and Emergency Department of a hospital.

Advanced Award in Social Work.

Awarding Bodies Action Group.

Anti-social behaviour contract.

A child missing from a residential care home.

Public funded independent school established under Section 482 of the Education Act 1986.

Quality, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (Welsh acronym) ACCAC.

Units that are funded by Skills for Care.

The main aim of Access programmes is to prepare adult learners from non-traditional backgrounds and under-represented groups for admission to undergraduate education. They often lead to GCSEs and A levels and are run by Colleges of Further Education. ACCESS to teaching would offer GCSE Mathematics, English and Science and appropriate A levels for Initial Teacher Training degree entry.

Children who are looked after by their Local Authority but are not subject to Care Orders.

Advisory Centre for Education.

Association of Chief Education Officers.

Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations.

Association of Colleges for Further and Higher Education.

Adult and Community Learning Fund.

Attendance Centre Order

Association of Chief Officers of Probation.

Area Child Protection Committee – Multi-agency, developing and reviewing local child protection policies.

Assistant Chief Probation Officer or Association of Chief Police Officers.

Association of Care Training and Assessment Networks.

Open minded, flexible and spontaneous learner.

Short term crisis phase of an illness.

Medical and surgical treatment provided mainly in hospitals.  Acute Trusts are management units in charge of hospitals providing these services.

Management trusts in charge of providing Acute Health Services.

Advisory Committee for Vocational Training (European Union).

Assistant Director.

Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder.

Association of District Councils.

Attention Deficit Disorder.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Local Education Authorities (LEAs) are admissions authorities with responsibility for admissions to community and voluntary controlled schools. Schools that handle their own pupil applications are also admissions authorities. They send out information about the school and pupil application forms, giving a deadline for receipt.

A process by which parental rights and responsibilities are transferred to an adoptive parent by a court. The child legally becomes part of the adoptive family.

Association of Directors of Social Services.

Association of Directors of Social Work (Scotland).

Advanced General National Vocational Qualification. This is similar to BTEC and the equivalent of 2 A levels. The subjects offered have a vocational element such as childhood studies.

Broader-based sixth-form studies, the same standard as A levels.

Is a registered charity providing national advice for parents of children aged 5-16 in state education.

Advocates support and argue the case for a service user or help them to put across their point of view.

Advanced Extension Award.

Additional Educational Needs.

Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services.

Numerical or statistical data collated in such a way that individuals to whom it relates cannot usually be identified.

A syllabus of religious education that is not specific to one religion adopted by an LEA for teaching in community and controlled schools. The course is developed by the SACRE (see below).

Adults with Learning Difficulties.

Adult Learning Inspectorate.

A family or young person who has been made the responsibility of a named social worker or other key worker until the case is closed, transferred or managed in another way so that the named worker is no longer responsible for it.

Advanced Modern Apprenticeships.

Annual review of a pupil’s Statement of Special Educational Needs by the school, usually in conjunction with other professionals and the parents, with the aim of ensuring the pupil continues to receive the most appropriate education.

Data from which the name of the person concerned has been removed.

Association of Colleges (Further Education).

Accreditation of Prior Experience and/or Learning.

Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Review. Connexions assessment framework.

Accreditation of Prior Learning.

Action Plan Order.

Area of Particular Practice.

Area of Particular Practice.

The process of assessing how well a member of staff is carrying out his or her job.

Alliance of Parents and Schools.

Assessment and Qualification Alliance.

Association for Residential Care.

Annual Review Meeting (typically of Social Services by SCIE).

Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:

“States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.”

Anti social behaviour order.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Sometimes referred to as autism. Also includes high functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome.

Measuring the circumstances of an individual, a family, a group or community against agreed benchmarks leading to informed analysis upon which to base delivery of appropriate services.

A systematic multi-agency approach to analyse and record what is happening to children and young people within their families and in the wider context of the community in which they live.

Assessment framework developed by the Youth Justice Board and used nationally by Youth Offending Teams.

A person who is appointed by the governing body as a member of a committee established by it, but who is not a governor.

Advanced Skills Teacher.

Approved Social Worker, qualified (in England & Wales) to carry out statutory duties in mental health services.

Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

Association of Teachers in Social Work Education.

Bonding between babies, children and their parent(s)/carer(s).

The knowledge, skills and understanding which pupils of differing ability and maturity are expected to have by the end of each Key Stage of the National Curriculum, i.e. assessed at ages 7,11,14 and 16.

A learning style where the individual displays overt behaviour and needs constant feedback.

Independent body set up by Government to monitor the use of funds by local authorities and certain other bodies.

The type or level of award that is being claimed for, e.g. NVQ level 3.

Bachelor of Arts — arts degree-level ITT qualification leading to QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). One of the main routes into primary teaching.

UK wide children's charity that provides services in partnership with other agencies to children in greatest need.

An assessment of a child's skills and abilities usually made by a teacher within the first seven weeks of starting primary school. It shows teachers what a child can do when starting school and helps them to plan lessons and measure progress. Areas covered include Language and Literacy, Maths and Personal and Social Development.

Refers to a certain level of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills that every individual needs to acquire in order to run their ‘everyday’ lives.

British Association of Social Workers.

Borough Council.

British Council of Disabled People.

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency.

Bachelor of Education — degree-level initial teacher training qualification leading to Qualified Teacher Status. One of the main routes into primary teaching.

A DfES initiative to improve behaviour and attendance in schools. A number of LEAs receive additional funding to support targeted schools within the authority. This funding runs to March 2006. In RBKC the funding provides additional for staff in schools and BESTs (see above).

A statement which sets out local arrangements for schools and other service providers for the education of children with behavioural difficulties.

Inspects local government service, giving them two marks of between zero and three – first for their performance and second for their likelihood of improving.  Also responsible for producing annual league tables of overall council performance. Part of the audit commission.

Regime that aims to continuously improve local government performance through a programme of reviews and inspections.  Councils must examine their services according to four guiding principles.  They must challenge how, why and by whom a service is provided; compare its performance with that of other authorities; consult service users; and use competition to get the best service available.

British Federation of Care Home Proprietors.

Free, independent, voluntary mediation service. It supports individuals who are caught up in neighbourhood or community disputes.

The publicly accountable body of an organisation.

British Psychological Society.

A rule applied by some admission authorities if your school of choice is over-subscribed. They will sometimes treat the application more favourably if your child already has a brother or sister at the school

Software package which is used to view World Wide Web pages.

The act of looking through the World Wide Web, or a Website, as you would do when walking through a shop.

Basic Skills Agency.

Science degree-level initial teacher training qualification leading to qualified teacher status. One of the main routes into primary teaching.

British Society of Gerontology.

Behaviour Support Plan.

Bail Supervision and Support.

Behaviour Support Team.

National Qualification equivalent to two A level courses. Subjects include Nursery Nursing, Business Studies and Art and Design. There are considerable practical elements to the courses with work placements offered.

Best Value (or Blyth Valley).

Best Value Performance Indicator.

Children & Families.

City and Guilds Affinity.

Children and Young People.

Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

A way of running Local Authorities based on the Central Government model of cabinet government.  Up to 10 councillors are chosen to take on the day to day running of a Local Authority – they are either appointed by a directly elected mayor or elected by their fellow local politicians.

Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education.

Common Assessment Framework.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services. This brings together the family court welfare service, guardians ad litem (now the children’s guardian) and the children’s branch of the official solicitors department.

Centre for Advancement of Inter-Professional Education in Primary and Community Care.

Computer Assisted Learning.

Children and Adolescent Learning Disability Team.

A designated health or social care professional responsible for ensuring Caldicott Principles (relating to the sharing of personally-identifiable information) are adhered to within an organisation.

Principles governing the sharing of personally-identifiable information.

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service. A multi-disciplinary team comprising psychiatrists, social workers, community psychiatric nurses, psychologists and therapists. Provide assessment, treatment and care for children and young people with complex mental health problems outside a hospital environment.

Spending on building projects and large items of equipment.

NHS and Community Care Act 1990 –referring to the management of the care of adults in receipt of a care plan.

A court order, provided under the Children Act 1989, that directs that a child be placed in the care of a specific Local Authority, and gives shared parental responsibility to that local authority.  It is granted when a court decides that a child is suffering or might suffer significant physical or emotional harm or educational problems as a result of receiving poor care at home.  A Care Order stops when an Adoption Order is made or lapses when a young person reaches 18.

Co-ordination of patient care through healthcare services.

A plan to provide care services to an individual.  The plan should follow an assessment and involve service users, carers and their families, as well as all the relevant professionals.

Care Trusts are local bodies responsible for delivering primary healthcare, community health services and social care for older people.  Ministers believe Care Trusts will firmly integrate joint working between health and social care.  The first trusts – developed from existing Primary Care Trusts – were established in April 2002.

A person providing care on a regular basis, but not employed by an agency or organisation – most usually a friend or relative.

A current case that appears on the Social and Caring Services Department’s records but for which there is no intention for further action unless a referral is made.

A case that requires action to be taken by Social and Caring Services.  The initiative required can range from intensive casework and the provision of care to a decision and the administrative steps to close the case.

Cognitive Ability Test (Produced by the National Foundation for Educational Research).

A defined geographical area from which a school takes its pupils.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme.

Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges.

Children’s Centre.

Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (defunct).

Central Council for Education and Training in Youth & Community Work.

Care Council for Wales/Cyngor Gofal Cymru.

Connexions Customer Information System.

Community Council of Northumberland.

Care Council Wales.

Community Development Network.

Careers Education Guidance.

Chief Education Officer.

Continuing Education and Training.

Carry Forward.

City and Guilds of London Institute.

Care Group Workforce Teams.

Commission for Health Audit & Improvement. Set up to support and inspect the quality of governance and clinical services of health trusts. CHI produces an annual report and the NHS ‘star’ rating.

Community Health Council. These represent the interests of the local community and provides advice and information on rights in relation to services provided by the health service.

Commission for Health Improvement. National body set up in April 2000 to support and oversee the quality of governance and clinical services; to investigate failing trusts; produce an annual report of the state of the NHS; and publish NHS “star rating” performance system.

The Support Society for Children of Higher Intelligence.

Multi-disciplinary teams made up of a mix of psychiatrists, social workers, community psychiatric nurses, psychologists and therapists.  They provide assessment and therapy in community and hospital settings. They have a four tier service:

Tier 1 Primary Care provided in GP’s, schools, nurseries and other community settings.

Tier 2 Secondary Care (aiming to provide short term work for emerging issues)

Tier 3 Multi disciplinary team who provide longer term therapy for complex needs

Tier 4 Acute care often residential.

Overarching term used in the identification of children who have suffered, or who are at risk of suffering, significant harm. Protection is arranged via a multi-agency plan drawn up at a child protection case conference.

This is a formal, inter-agency meeting (with a social worker, health visitor, nursery worker, teacher, GP and police officer, etc).  It follows an inquiry under section 47 of the Children Act, to decide whether a child is at continuing risk of significant harm and should be placed on the Child Protection Register.

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.  The plan is agreed in outline at the first Child Protection Conference and developed by the key worker, core professionals, and where possible, the child and family.

A confidential list of every child in a local authority area where professionals have identified a serious concern about abuse or neglect. A case conference can decide whether or not to place a child on the register. It can ensure necessary help is directed to children and families but it does not affect the parent/carer’s legal responsibility towards their child.

A Review Case Conference is held within six months of a child being placed on the Child Protection Register.  The meeting should review the work being done with children and their family, and consider any developments, which may have decreased any risk to the children.  The Conference can recommend that the child’s name be removed from the register if it is decided that he or she faces no further serious risk.

A police unit that provides 24 hour service aimed at protecting life and preventing crime and has responsibility for investigating crimes against children under the age of 16, particularly those within the family. They can undertake the emergency protection of abused or neglected children and can use the powers of entry and removal where necessary.

A person trained in understanding and helping with emotional and behavioural difficulties, taking into account a child’s developmental level and family context.

A person trained to undertake therapeutic work directly with individual children using all forms of communication.

People paid by parents to care for children in their own home for more than 2 hours a day. Childminders are registered and annually inspected by local authority inspectors under the Children Act 1989.

This act gives every child the right to protection from abuse and exploitation and the right to have inquiries made to safeguard their welfare.  Its central tenet is that children are best looked after within their family, with both parents playing a full role and without having to resort to legal proceedings.  Children should always be consulted about what will happen to them and their family should, where possible, continue to be part of their lives.  The Children Act came into force in England and Wales in 1991.

This brings together the family court welfare service, the guardians ad litem – now called children’s guardians – and the children’s branch of the official solicitor’s department.

Social workers appointed by the court to represent the rights and interests of children in divorce proceedings. They work for CAFCASS or may be self-employed and contracted by CAFCASS.

Same as “Children Looked After” or “Looked After Children” i.e. children and young people for whom the Local Authority has parental responsibility.

A government Department now subsumed in Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

Regional children’s charity.

A central government initiative providing funding to each local authority area to develop preventive services for children in the 5-13 age group.

Social workers appointed by the court to represent the rights and interests of children in cases that involve social services. They are independent of social services, courts and everyone else involved in the case. Children’s Guardians work for CAFCASS or may be self-employed and contracted by CAFCASS. Formerly known as ‘guardians ad item’.

Organisations piloted from late 2003 to plan, commission and finance children’s services. Will bring together health, education and social services under the overall control of local authorities.

Continuing for a long time.

Council for Industry and Higher Education.

Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research.

Children in Need. Under S17 of the Children Act 1989 these are children with a disability, or who are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health and development, or whose health and development will be affected if there is no provision of support.

Policy statement issued by a government department, which does not have the status of law, but which gives guidance on interpretation and implementation of the law.

Common Induction Standards.

Children’s Information Service. Provides parents and carers with advice about child care and early years provision.

Children Looked After.

Learning through experience to associate two things in our environment, a simple association between two stimuli leading to a change in behaviour.

Council of Local Education Authorities (replaces AEC).

This is can be a child, a young person or parent/guardian/carer.

Information relating to a living individual, including their image or voice, who can either be identified from that information on its own or from that and other information available to the Data Controller.

Service dealing with complaints from service users about social care. Every Social Services Department is required to have such a service.

Referring to the direct health care and nursing of sick people.

Centre for Language in Primary Education.

Care Learning Zone.

Community Mental Health Nurse.

Community Mental Health Team.

Chartered Management Institute.

Chief Nursing Officer.

Guidance for schools and LEAs on the assessment and management of special educational needs.

The act and process of knowing.

Referring to the understanding, memory, judgment and reasoning.

The attitudes and behaviours of an individual that determine the way they prefer to learn, also referred to as learning style.

Where two or more governing bodies may arrange for any of their functions to be discharged jointly, by holding joint meetings and/or having joint committees.

National body set up in April 2000 to support and oversee the quality of governance and clinical services; to investigate falling trusts; produce an annual report of the state of the NHS, and publish NHS “star rating” performance system.

The process by which the needs of the local population are identified, priorities set, then appropriate services are put in place and evaluated.

A person appointed as a governor, who lives or works in the community served by the school or, in the opinion of the governing body, a person who is committed to the good government and success of the school.

Local people meeting and working together to support each other or provide services.

Multi-disciplinary teams made up of a mix of psychiatrists, social workers, community psychiatric nurses, psychologists and therapists.  Provide assessment, treatment and care outside hospitals for individuals with severe and enduring mental health problems.

Police units responsible for investigating both domestic violence and hate crimes that are directed at specific sectors of the community (racism, homophobic crime).

A state school in England and Wales which is wholly owned and maintained by the LEA.

Services based close to people’s homes.

A state school in England and Wales which is wholly owned and maintained by the LEA providing for pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

Plans councils develop for the improvement of the quality of life in a local area.

Psychiatric patients released into the community who fail to take their medication face compulsory readmission to hospital under proposals unveiled in a government white paper to reform the 1983 Mental Health Act.  Patients discharged from hospital would receive a compulsory care and treatment order specifying where they live and a care plan.

Agreement – usually between voluntary and community groups and public sector organisations.

Anyone aged 12 years or over deemed to understand their rights under the Data Protection Act 1998, and any consequences arising from the processing of such information

Involving more than one significant problem.

An idea or mental image about an object or event.

This consists of professionally sensitive data not detailed in the Data Protection Act 1998, but has been identified as being of a personal and sensitive nature.

Service that provides a single point of access for all 13-19 year olds to help them prepare for the transition to work and adult life.

Expression of agreement. For IRT it specifically refers to the agreement to share information.

A signature required confirming that the data subject has given consent to share information with or between specific organisations or individuals. This can be withdrawn or withheld without notice or reason. For those aged under 16 years the appropriate parent/guardian/carer can do so on their behalf. Young People who are competent can consent on there own behalf.

Arrangements made for parents who are not looking after children to have agreed meetings with them.  Formerly known as access.

Money set aside for unexpected costs.

The member of the Lead Partner’s / Contractor’s staff who undertakes administration for the contract.

An increase or decrease to the contract value.

The organisation that holds the contract with Skills for Care.

Skills for Care staff member who assists with the running of the contract.

Skills for Care staff member responsible for the running of the contract.

System that enables professionals to work together more effectively to support children, young people and their parents.

Code of Practice.

English, Mathematics and a Science - those subjects which must be studied by all pupils.

The money required for operational, management and day to day costs of a charity.

A framework through which organisations are accountable for standards in conduction corporate business, including meeting statutory financial duties.

A ‘whole council’ inspection that aims to tackle problems at the political and managerial centre of a council.  The majority of local government Best Value inspections focus on groups of services.

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

Court Ordered Secure Remand.

Local umbrella body for voluntary organisations, charities and campaign groups in a particular area.

State schools in England and Wales which are wholly owned and maintained by local education authorities.

Child protection.

Centre for Policy on Ageing (formerly NCCOP).

Comprehensive Performance Assessment (of a whole Local Authority).

Continuing Professional Development.

Child Protection Issue.

Community Psychiatric Nurse. A nurse with specialised mental health training sometimes also known as Community Mental Health Nurse (CMHN).

Chief Probation Officer.

Council for the Protection or Rural England.

Crown Prosecution Service.

Care Quality Commission.

Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (old social work qualification).

Careers Research and Advisory Centre.

Criminal Records Bureau. With effect from April 2002, Protection of Children Act 1999 (POCA)Checks for employees, and referrals have been handled by the ‘disclosure service’ of the Criminal records bureau (CRB).

Commission for Racial Equality.

Crime Reduction Plan. Multi-agency neighbourhood plan to reduce crime.

Crime Reduction Team.

Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Children Services Manager.

Continuous Student Record.

Certificate in Social Service (now defunct).

Community Support Team.  Does intensive work with families where a child is at risk of becoming looked after.

CityTechnical College - Independent all ability non-fee-paying schools for pupils aged 11-18. There are 14 CTCs and one CCTA — City College for the Technology of the Arts, in urban areas across England. CTCs teach the national curriculum to pre-16-year-olds with a focus on Science, Mathematics and Technology. They offer a wide range of vocational qualifications and part of their role is to innovate in the development, management and delivery of the curriculum.

Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals of Universities of the UK.

Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) Local umbrella body for voluntary organisations, charities and campaign groups in a particular area.

Care Workforce Group (within DH).

Children and Young People Strategic Partnership.

Drug Action Team. Local multi-agency partnership operating government’s drugs strategy at a local level.

Information produced by computer or manually as part of a filing system.

Individual deciding the purposes for which ‘personal data’ is to be processed and how it will be processed.

Person processing the personal data on behalf of the controller.

Individual within an organisation with responsibility for compliance with Data Protection Act.

Individual to whom personal data relates.

Collection of data that is organised so that its contents can be easily accessed, managed and updated.

Daytime care provided in a centre away from a service user’s home, covering a wide range of services from social and educational activities to training, therapy and personal care.

Minimum standards as laid down by the Children’s Act that early years childcare providers are required to meet.

These take children under five for the whole working day. Children can attend on a part-time or full-time basis according to their parents' needs. They may be run by local authorities, voluntary organisations, private companies, individuals or employers. There must be at least one adult for every eight children and at least half of the staff must have a qualification recognised by the local authority.

District Council.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Sets minimum standards to ensure services are available to disabled people. Also prevents discrimination against job candidates because of their disability.

Department of Economic Development (refers to Northern Ireland (NI)).

A process where one body or person gives another body or person authority to take decisions on a particular matter.

Department of Education (Northern Ireland).

Data about an individual from which all personally identified information has been removed, including any unique identifiers such as a computer reference number.

The role is to provide a strategic lead in all aspects of the health service contribution to safeguarding children. They work with all named and designated health professionals and child protection advisors from other agencies to give advice, improve working together, and develop policies and practise in protecting children.

The role is to provide a strategic lead in all aspects of the health service contribution to safeguarding children. They work with all named and designated health professionals and child protection advisors from other agencies to give advice, improve working together, and develop policies and practice in protecting children.

Advocates who liaise with other services on behalf of young people in care.

Disability Equality Training.

An assessment of the developmental difficulties experienced by a child and the planning of action to ensure these problems are assessed.

Department for Education & Skills.

Department of Health.

Department of Health and Social Services (NI).

Diploma of Higher Education.

Diploma in Social Work – the standard social work qualification.

Money paid to individuals to pay for care services.

Delivery & Improvement Statement

Independent body set up to advance civil rights for disabled people.

Team of social workers working with disabled children and their families.

Term used where parts of the National Curriculum requirements are lifted or modified in relation to a pupil in specified cases or circumstances

Desirable Learning Outcomes.

Directors Management Team.

Date of birth.

Department of Health.

The transmission of a file from one computer system to another (often smaller) computer system. From the Internet users point of view, to download a file is to request it from one computer, or from one Web page to another computer, and to receive it.

Data Protection Commission/Commissioner.

Disability Rights Commission.

Facility where young people can obtain advice about health, contraception etc without an appointment.

Drug Testing and Treatment Orders. Requires offenders to undertake treatment rather than a custodial sentence.

Cases where someone with a mental illness is subsequently diagnosed with an addition that aggravates their condition, such as cannabis use on top of schizophrenia.  Conversely, it may refer to someone whose drug addiction leads to a mental illness, as may happen with the long-term use of amphetamines or cocaine.

Social Worker who can be contacted by the public during office hours.

Education and Training.

Entry to employment.

Education Assets Board.

English as an Additional Language.

Plans education locally for children below compulsory school age, and childcare for children from 0 to 14 years. One Partnership in each local education authority area draws up a plan each year which explains what local early education and childcare services will be provided and includes a list of all local providers of free early education.

 A local plan which sets out how early education and childcare services will be provided.

Children’s Fund participation project.

Education Action Zone.

Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties.

A questionnaire that is used to help identify post natal depression.

Education Development Plan. A plan setting out the LEA’s priorities and plans over a specific period.

Emergency Duty Team. A social work team who provide an out of hours service for urgent matters including child protection.

Every LEA must nominate a lead officer with responsibility for co-ordinating policy and action on child protection across schools and non-school services maintained by the Authority.

Professionals advising LEA’s on the special educational needs of children who are the subject of a statutory assessment under the Education Act 1996. Supports schools, preschools and others in meeting the educational needs of children and young people particularly those with special educational needs.

Early Excellence Centres.

Elective Home Education. Parents choosing to educate their children at home.

Emotional Intelligence. The term “Emotional Literacy” is preferred.

EiC was launched in March 1999 by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State. Its aim is to raise standards in specific city areas through targeted intervention and investment. EiC is mainly focused on secondary schools. The main programs involved are: extending opportunities for Gifted and Talented pupils, expansion of the number of specialist and beacon schools, establishing City Learning Centres, introducing new smaller Education Action Zones, providing access to Learning Mentors, and establishing Learning Support Units to tackle disruption.

Education and Library Board (refers to NI).

The electronic copy of the funding claim form, to be submitted via Email.

Education Maintenance Allowance.

Enabling people to take responsibility for themselves and helping them to make decisions about their own lives.

Education Management System.

Employers Organisation (Local Government).

Education Other Than at School.

Educational Psychologist.

Emergency Protection Order. A court order granted under Section 44 of the Children Act 1989 on the grounds that a child may suffer significant harm, to secure immediate safety of the child. Usually used to remove a child to a place of safety, or prevent removal from a place of safety.

European Social Fund.

Education Support for Looked After Children.

English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Education Standard Spending.

Education and Training Development Agenda.

In employment education & training.

Completed Unit summary sheets, CIS Forms, LDQ Forms and a signed Funding Claim form.

Education Welfare Officer.

Someone who is automatically a governor/able to attend meetings by virtue of the office they hold e.g. headteacher, parish priest, vicar. i.e. the position of governor comes with the job.

Exclusion Form – Permanent.

Notification of Pupil Disciplinary committee decision regarding permanent exclusion.

Banning a pupil from school by the headteacher, either temporarily or permanently, on disciplinary grounds.

Main decision-making body of an organisation. In the County Council it makes recommendations to the full Council.

An unambiguous expression of agreement by a person, after they have been given what is clear and sufficient information upon which to base their decision to consent.

A school that provides 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.

Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

Families and Children’s Trust.

A school found by an Ofsted inspection team to be failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.

The term that describes the system of funding for schools introduced in April 1999 which sets the framework for the financial relationship between schools and LEAs.

Notice data processor is required to give in accordance with the Data Protection Act to data subject in certain circumstances advising them of the use to which information about that person will be put.

A centre offering support to parents and children.

A centre offering support to parents and children.

Court for family matters e.g. divorce and care proceedings.

A way of trying to develop more effective partnerships between families and professionals in child care decision making process.

Opportunities for parents and children to learn together (e.g. literacy, numeracy) so that parents are equipped to support their children’s education.

Service managed by Children North East that recruits, trains and supports volunteer parents to befriend and support families experiencing difficulties. Operates in Ashington, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle.

Social Services teams responsible for organising fostering and adoption.

These are a multi agency meeting with parents/carers and young people to share information about emerging issues and help the family/YP make a plan that will offer support. Social services are not required to attend the meetings but can be present if appropriate. The meetings can be convened by any agency.

Funding Agency for Schools.

Further Education.

A national, voluntary organisation which aims to promote enjoyment and interest in children's books and reading.

The coming together under one governing body of not more than 5 maintained schools.

Some admission authorities give priority to children from certain primary schools.

Further Education Funding Council.

Further Education National Training Organisation.

An information service for all staff working within the Post Compulsory Education sector. It aims to support individuals and organisations in making effective use of Information Learning Technologies.

Further Education Curriculum Review and Development Unit.

An individual who is able to select relevant information from information that is largely complex and confusing.

Financial Information System.

Foundation Modern Apprenticeships.

Financial Management Regulations.

Police form used for recording details of children who come to the notice of the police; copies are routinely passed to social services and the Primary Care Trust.

The method by which funds for school budgets are calculated. The most important factor is the number of pupils.

Type of state school which is run by the local authority but which has more freedom than community schools to manage their school and decide on their own admissions.

Education pre Key Stage 1 for children aged three to the end of the Reception year.

Fixed Period Exclusion Form.

Notification of committee decision regarding fixed period exclusion.

A framework that has been developed which 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. Effective collaborative work between staff from different disciplines and agencies assessing children in need and their families requires a common language to understand the needs of children, shared values about what is in their best interests and a joint commitment to improving outcomes for children. The Framework underpins this approach.

A school is given a ‘Fresh Start’ when it is closed and reopened on the same site under the normal school reorganisation procedures. Schools eligible for Fresh Start must be in Special Measures, serious weaknesses, subject to a formal LEA warning or (for secondary) achieving less than a 15% rate of pupils gaining at least 5 A*-C GCSEs over three years from March 2000.

Family Rights Group.  National charity supporting families in care proceedings.

Free School Meals.

Family Support Worker.

Full Time Equivalent.

Full-Time Education and Training.

A meeting of every Councillor on a Local Authority to vote on council decisions.  Has to ratify policy frameworks and decide on budgets.

A form provided by Skills for Care, and completed and signed by the Lead Partner, containing a summary of the evidence submitted in a given batch.

Gifted and talented.

General Certificate of Secondary Education.

A group of similar types.

Grants for Education, Support and Training.

A test used to decide whether a young person is able to give informed consent.

Grant Maintained (school).

General Medical Council. Regulatory body that licences doctors to practice medicine in the UK.

General National Vocational Qualification. Vocational qualifications taken mainly by pupils age 16 and in full-time education.

Government Office for the North East. Has responsibility for regional government spending.

General Practitioner.

State schools in England and Wales which were funded by central government through the Funding Agency for Schools.

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.  A grant is different to a donation in that it is usually applied for along strict criteria drawn up by the grant maker that the applicant must adhere to in order to receive the money.

A consultation document that sets out the government’s views on a policy area – such as planning or the NHS – and invites discussion.  The first step in a policy-making process that usually leads to legislation.

General Social Care Council. Independent regulatory body for social care. All social workers are required to be registered with this body.

General Teaching Council. The professional body for school teachers.

Old term for Children and Family Reporter.

The signed hard copy of the funding claim form, including all evidence, to be signed by the Lead Partner and submitted via post.

Health Development Agency.

Higher Education.

Health Education Authority.

Head Teachers Leadership and Management Programme.

Partnerships between the NHS, Local Authorities, community groups and the voluntary and business sectors in areas of high deprivation, aimed at tackling health inequalities and poor health.

The gap in health status, and in access to Health Services, between different social classes and ethnic groups and between populations in different geographical areas.

Paper survey to inform health promotion strategies directed at young people.

Online health related behaviour questionnaire.

A network of centres across the UK set up in 1999 to promote health and healthy life styles and tackle social exclusion in areas of urban or rural deprivation and among the most disadvantaged members of those communities.  The centres can be in the form of a building, or as a form of outreach.

Government scheme to help improve the health of both pupils and teachers. The initiative includes a Wired for Health website, a Healthy Teacher focus to address occupational health issues for staff and cooks' academies in schools to improve knowledge about nutrition.

Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

Higher Education Institution.

Health Improvement Programme – drawn up by primary health care professionals in association with other agencies with an aim to improve health and healthcare locally.

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools.

Her Majesty's Inspector (OfSTED inspector).

Higher National Certificate.

Higher National Diploma — a two-year course that equates to two years of a degree course. Offered in many subject areas, mostly with a practical application. HNDs may also have an industrial or commercial placement as part of the course.

Home Office.

The authority which holds case responsibility.

All state schools are required to have written home-school agreements, drawn up in consultation in parents. They are non-binding statements explaining the school's aims and values, the responsibilities of both school and parents, and what the school expects of its pupils. Parents will be invited to sign a parental declaration, indicating that they understand and accept the contents of the agreement.

Health of the Nation Outcome Scale. An audit scoring tool used in Child and adolescent mental health to monitor the outcome services of interventions.

The authority where a child may be found, is visiting for a short break or in receipt of specified services e.g. education.

Homeless Person’s Unit.

Human Resources.

Human Resources Development Strategy Grant.

Health and Social Care Workforce Group (see also SHCWG).

Health & Safety Executive.

Health and Social Services Board (refers to NI).

Legislation supporting rights such as the right to liberty, freedom from inhuman treatment.

Health Visitor. All preschool children have an identified health visitor. They are responsible for working with parents/carers to monitor health, development and well being to achieve maximum potential prior to school entry.

A piece of text or image that when clicked on takes you to another part of the same page, new page, or Website.

Information, Advice and Guidance – generally applied to careers advice.

Institute of Careers Guidance.

Integrated Care Network. National agency to promote partnership between social care organisations.

Independent Care Organisations.

Interim Care Order This may be made by the court to protect a child while waiting for a final hearing.  It gives time to gather more details about the child’s welfare before making a decision whether to grant a full Care Order.

Independent Care Organisations Network.

Integrated Children’s System. This system aims to bring together manual and electronic recording systems for the assessment framework for children in need and Looked After Children. Also stands for Integrated Care System which is the system of electronic patient registering and recording of contacts used by some (but not all) healthcare professionals.

Improvement and Development Agency. National agency to promote modernising public services.

Individual Education Plan.

Independent Healthcare Association.

Information and Learning Technology.

Index of Multiple Deprivation. An official measure used by the government to target regeneration policies to the most deprived areas.

Imprest. A financial term.

Information Management Team.

To insure against any liabilities which may be incurred.

These are schools which are not funded by the state and obtain most of their finances from fees paid by parents and income from investments. Some of the larger independent schools are known as public schools, while most boarding schools are independent. Further information is available from the ISIS — Independent Schools Information Service.

Organising information into concepts, generating hypotheses to be explored and converting knowledge into skills.

The independent body set up to oversee and enforce the Freedom of Information Act, and the Data Protection Act.

A sequence of cognitive activities whereby information from the social world (data) is combined with the learner’s knowledge (theories) to produce an interpretation, or mental representation.

A signed, individualised, document between Partner Organisations on what information will be shared, with whom, over what period and why it will be shared.

(See also consent) The data subject has been informed that Partners, in order to ensure that they are working with the same person, may share personal information such as name, address and date of birth without the data subject signing an explicit consent form.

In-Service Training. Professional development for teachers.

Legal document detailing the composition of a governing body of a school.

Information sharing between agencies – formal and informal, written or oral.

When more than one agency work together in a planned and purposeful way.

Learners who intersperse work with ‘chat’, seek activities where working and talking are simultaneously possible.

(Often called the Net) A worldwide system of computer networks a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer.

Within the legal powers of an organisation.

Internal rewards an individual might receive when carrying out a certain action increasing the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated in the future.

A government initiative to help young people make the best of their abilities and to ensure that they all have access to, and are encouraged to take up education or training post 16. This could be in schools, colleges or work-based training.

Identification Referral & Tracking. Former name for ISA.

Information Systems.

Information Sharing and Assessment – a newer name for IRT.

Independent Schools Council.

International Standard Classification of Education which was initially designed by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in the early 1970s to serve as an instrument suitable for assembling, compiling and presenting statistics of education both within countries and internationally.

Independent Schools Information Service.

International Social Services.

Intensive supervision and surveillance Programme.

Information Technology.

Initial teacher training — most people need to take an ITT course in order to gain qualified teacher status (QTS).

Provider of initial teacher training — e.g. college/university, consortium of schools.

Joint Awarding Bodies.

Joint Management Committee.

Deliberate and coordinated planning and working, which take account of different policies and varying agency practices and values. Can refer to thinking or to practice or policy development.

When organisations such as councils, hospitals and schools work together to solve local problems.

Professionals from more than one agency working directly together on a project, for example, teachers and social work staff offering joint group work.

Joint Universities Council.

Professional responsible for coordination of support from several different sources for a particular child or young person.

Key Stage. A child's progress through school is measured in Key Stages. Each Key Stage covers a number of school years. Starting at Key Stage 1 and finishing at Key Stage 4. Key Stage 1 Infant School (3-7 years). Key Stage 2 Junior School (7-11 years). Key Stage 3 Lower Secondary School (12-13 years). Key Stage 4 Upper Secondary School (14-16 years).

KS1 Key Stage 1 for pupils aged 5-7, Years 1 & 2

KS2 Key Stage 2 for pupils aged 7-11, Years 3 to 6

KS3 Key Stage 3 for pupils aged 11-14, Years 7 to 9

KS4 Key Stage 4 for pupils aged 14-16, Years 10 & 11

Local Authority.

Looked After Children.

Local Authority Social Services (refers to England & Wales).

Every school inspection team must have one. Lay inspectors must have no paid experience of teaching or managing a school, but are fully trained to take part in inspections. A governor can be a lay inspector.

A member appointed to a panel hearing appeals against non-admission or exclusion, being a person without personal experience in managing or providing education in any school (other than as a governor or on a voluntary basis). He or she must not have, or have had, any connection with the school, or any person who is a member of, or employed by, the governing body if that might raise doubts about his or her ability to act fairly.

Lead Case Manager.

Learning Disabilities/Learning Difficulties.

Learning Disability Awards Framework.

Learning Disability Qualification.

Local Education Authority. Council department responsible for providing primary and secondary education.  England’s 149 LEAs have a duty to improve school performance and tackle failure, delegate funding to schools, ensure excluded children are educated and provide enough school places for local children.

A person appointed as a school governor by the LEA.

Refers to either the person who signs & manages the contract or the organisation that owns the contract with Skills for Care.

Professional responsible for an overview of the whole situation when two or more services are involved with a child or young person.

See Performance Tables.

A relatively permanent change in a person’s behaviour as a result of experience.

A card issued to all children over the age of 16 to remind them of their continued access to careers guidance and information.

A free advice telephone line which offers information on adult education and courses wherever you live and wherever you want to study (0800 100 900).

A term describing people who have barriers to learning and who therefore may find activities that involve thinking and understanding difficult. They may need help and support with their everyday lives and education.  Some people with a learning disability may also have an additional impairment such as sensory impairment or a physical disability.

The attitudes and behaviours of an individual that determine the way they prefer to learn, also referred to as cognitive style.

Local Government Association.

Local Government Reorganisation.

Employment based training leading to qualified teacher status.

The notion of continually learning throughout adult life. A government initiative helping to create a society that has learning as a central focus.

Local Improvement Finance Trust scheme (funding for Primary Health Care).

Local Implementation Groups. A requirement of the National Services Framework for Children.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in South East Northumberland Locality.

Independent organisation based in Hexham that provides support and accommodation to young people. 

An hour of learning to read and write in school, broken down into various activities.

Local Management Committee.

Local Management of Schools. The system by which schools manage their finances via a governing body.

Legislation that introduced Best Value.  Placed a duty on councils to continuously improve services and replaced the compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) regime.

Legislation that introduced directly elected mayors and cabinet-style government.

A more permanent store in our memory system that stores information over long periods of time.

Local Preventative Strategy. Local plan required by government to refocus services towards earlier recognition of children, young people and their parents experiencing difficulties, and services to support them.

Local Public Service Agreements.

Leadership Programme for Serving Heads.

Learning Resource Networks.

Learning Support Assistant. Someone paid to help a particular child in school.

Language Sports and Arts Colleges.

Learning and Skills Council.

Local Strategic Partnership. Initiative to ensure cooperation between public agencies, voluntary groups and businesses in the regeneration of deprived neighbourhoods.

Monitoring and Review.

Modern Apprenticeship or Master of Arts degree.

Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements. Police and probation have statutory responsibility under the Criminal Justice Act to establish in consultation with partner agencies, ‘multi-agency public protection arrangements’.

Splitting the total cost of a unit between two different funding sources.

Milestone Claim Form.

Management Charter Initiative.

Process of reaching reconciliation between parents, children and parents or neighbours.

A ‘watchdog’, involving a variety of professionals, that reviews the operation of the Mental Health Act 1983.

The Mental Health Review Tribunal safeguards the rights of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.  The draft Mental Health Bill will reform the Tribunal System if implemented.

One to one encouragement/advice/befriending for an individual.

A Police database.

Mental Health Officer.

Final date by which the milestone targets must be achieved.

Targets for achievement outlined within the contract.

Major Incident Room.

Moderate (or mild) learning difficulties.

A trigger to aid memory, involving prompts such as visual imagery or sounds.

Learning behaviour through observing the behaviour of others.

Meals on Wheels.

Modernising the Social Care Workforce.

Manufacturing Science & Finance Union (now Amicus MSF).

Medium Term Financial Plan.

More than one agency working with a young person, family or project. Concurrent or sequential.

A team of professionals from different agency backgrounds with different expertise .

The working together of staff with different professional backgrounds and training.

More than one concurrent presentation medium, for example on CD-Rom or website. Combination of text, sounds and/or motion video.

Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust. Provides regional services for people with learning disabilities and community services in Northumberland for children with learning disabilities and their families.

National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications.

National Association of Advisers for Computers in Education.

National Association of Adult Placements.

National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education.

National Advisory Council for Careers and Educational Guidance.

National Association for Able Children in Education.

National Association of Chief Education Social Workers.

National Advisory Council on Education and Training Targets.

National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service. Umbrella body of over 280 councils for voluntary service (CVS). CVS’s provide support to local voluntary organisations.

National Association for Gifted Children.

National Advisory Group on Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning.

National Association of Head Teachers.

National Audit Learning Survey.

Every NHS Trust has a named doctor for child protection who is responsible for child protection advise, training, liaison within and between trusts and all agencies. They also have to ensure that arrangements are in place for child protection training of all staff providing services to children and families.

Every NHS Trust providing maternity services has a named midwife for child protection who is responsible for child protection advise, training, liaison within and between trusts and all agencies. They also have to ensure that arrangements are in place for child protection training and supervision of all staff providing services to children and families.

Every NHS Trust has a named nurse for child protection who is responsible for child protection advice, training, and liaison within and between trusts and all agencies. They also have to ensure that arrangements are in place for child protection training and supervision of all staff providing services to children and families.

National Audit Office.

National Association of Probation Officers.

National Association for Special Educational Needs.

National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers.

National Association of Social Workers in Education.

National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education.

Covers what pupils should be taught in state maintained schools. The National Curriculum provides a balanced education for a child covering 11 subjects overall, and is divided into four Key Stages according to age.

All pupils undergo national tests and teacher assessments at ages 7, 11 and 14 (the end of each Key Stage). The school reports to parents telling them what National Curriculum Levels their child has reached in both tests and assessments.

A government initiative which aims to raise standards of numeracy for all children in infant, primary and junior schools. It tries to involve parents as much as possible.

National Association of Training Officers in Personal Social Services.

National Board of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland.

National Curriculum.

National Children’s Bureau.

National Community Care Alliance.

National Council for Educational Technology.

Children’s charity. Offers support to vulnerable children, young people and their families.

National Care Homes Association.

National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations.

National Childcare Strategy.

National Care Standards Commission. Registers and inspects child care (and other) facilities.

National Curriculum Test.

National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations (now Child Care).

National Council for Voluntary Organisation. National umbrella body for voluntary organisations and charities in England.

National Council for Vocational Qualifications.

National Development Officer.

Non-Departmental Public Body.

New Deal for Schools.

National Education Business Partnership.

Not in Education, Employment or Training.

North East Foster Care Associates. Independent Fostering agency.

Plans councils develop for the improvement of the quality of life in a local area.

National Employers' Organisation for School Teachers.

North East Regional Research and Information System. Aggregates information from a range of sources to identify “hotspots” of need within the north east region.

National Foundation for Educational Research.

National Family and Parenting Institute.

National Grid for Learning. Government body responsible for information and communications technology in schools.

Website and 24 hour telephone health advice an information from NHS nurses.

NHS University.

National Institute of Adult Continuing Education.

Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Decides which treatments should be available on the NHS in England and Wales.

National Institute of Careers and Education Counselling.

National Institute for Mental Health in England. Institute set up to co-ordinate and disseminate research and good practice in mental health services from spring 2003.

Northern Ireland Post Qualifying Education and Training Partnership.

Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Northern Ireland Social Care Partnership.

National Information System for Vocational Qualifications.

National Institute of Social Work.

National Minimum Data Set for Social Care.

A unique reference number that is issued once the NMDS-SC questionnaire has been completed and submitted. This is required before TSI Funding can be released.

The National Minimum Data Set for Social Care questionnaire, obtained from http://www.nmds-sc.org.uk/nmds.asp.

National Minimum Standards.

New Opportunities Fund. Lottery distributor created to award grants to education, health and environment projects throughout the UK.

Members of school staff employed by the governors to provide services in a school other than teaching, such as classroom assistants, cleaners and school secretaries.

National Organisation of Practice Teachers.

A policy that enables someone with a physical or mental disability to live as full as life as possible and to have access to all public services.

National Occupational Standards.

How the LEA explains why it has decided not to issue a statement for a child.

National Primary Head Teachers' Association.

National Professional Qualification for Headship.

Newly Qualified Teacher.

National Record of Achievement.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Government grant to a particularly deprived area.

National Service Framework. The establishment of a set of minimum national standards of clinical quality and access to services in major care groups. Includes mental health, diabetes and heart disease).

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

National Training Organisation (now replaced by Sector Skills Council (SSC)).

National Training Strategy Grant.

New Types of Worker.

These take children from the age of three or four and are open during school term time. They usually offer five half-day sessions a week. There must be one adult for every 13 children and staff are qualified teachers and assistants.

National Union of Teachers.

National Vocational Qualification.

A short series of letters and numbers allocated to each NVQ unit, e.g. HSC31.

National Youth Advocacy Service.

Learning to adapt one’s own behaviour as a result of watching someone else carry out a certain behaviour.

OFSTED Complaints Adjudicator.

Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations Board.

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Office for Standards in Education.

Overhead Projector.

Occupational Health Practitioner.

Office of the Information Commissioner.

Police Operational Information System.

Out of hours service.

Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.

All schools must admit pupils up to their standard number (see below) which is calculated according to the physical capacity of the school to accommodate pupils.

Learning through an association between behaviour and the consequences of that behaviour.

An organisation that has formed a partnership with the Contractor.

The borough/authority where the child /family previously lived.

Occupational Standards Committee.

Out of School Childcare Initiative.

Occupational Standards and Qualifications Group.

Occupational Therapist.

Open University.

PART – Participative Action Research Team. Children and Young People Participation project managed by Wansbeck CVS and based at Pegswood Community Project.

A result. For example a young person who used to frequently abscond from school but as a consequence of action taken now attends school regularly.

A patient who attends hospital for treatment, consultation and advice, but does not require a stay in hospital.

A product. For example creation and distribution of a leaflet about sexual health.

Statement of what the school actually spent by the end of the financial year.

Often referred to as those rules applied by admission authorities when a school has more applications than places. They must by law be fair and objective and must be published annually in prospectuses and by local authorities in a prospectus explaining admissions at all schools in an area.

Police and Criminal Evidence Act. “PACE interview” is a police interview of a vulnerable person or child accompanied by an adult.

Children’s doctor, may be based in a hospital or work in the community.

Performance Assessment Framework. Performance indicators are published for the 150 council-run services departments in England.

Giving temporary or partial relief from pain and discomfort.

Patient Advice and Liaison Services. Offering help and guidance to NHS patients, base in Acute and Primary Care trusts.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service.

Published Admission Number. The fixed number of children (which may not be less than the standard number) which a school must admit if sufficient applications are received, as published in the annual prospectus.

Published Admission Number. The fixed number of children (which may not be less than the standard number) which a school must admit if sufficient applications are received, as published in the annual prospectus.

Performance and Assessment Reports produced by the Office For Standards in Education (OFSTED) and issued annually to schools.

Includes any person having all the rights, duties, powers, responsibility and authority (see Parental Responsibility) which a parent of a child has by law, or who has care of him or her. Depending on the circumstances, therefore, a ‘parent’ may include not only the child’s natural parents but also others such as step-parents, relatives, co-habitees of either natural parent and foster parents.

A parent elected by other parents of children at a school to serve on the governing body.

Service independent of the Local Education Authority that can advise and support parents of children who have special educational needs.

All the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which a parent of a child has by law. More than one person may have parental responsibility for the same child at the same time, and a person does not cease to have such responsibility solely because some other person subsequently also acquires it. Both parents have parental responsibility if they were married to each other at the time of the child's birth and they have since separated or divorced. If the child’s parents were not married at the time of the birth, the mother always has parental responsibility and the father may have by agreement or by order of the Court. Parental responsibility passes to the adopter when an adoption order is made. Although a residence order or care order may confer parental responsibility, a local authority will not be treated as a parent for certain purposes under the Education Acts. A Care Order grants parental responsibility to a local authority but does not remove it from the child’s parents.

One or more people/services/organisations working co-operatively together for the benefit of service users.  Can also mean professional(s) keeping service users fully informed in work with them.

A non-legal agreement set up between the Contractor and the organisation.

The form completed by an organisation that wishes to form a partnership with the Contractor.

Post Adoption Support.

Professional Association of Teachers.

A project which is testing out a Government policy over a defined period prior to its full implementation.

A plan set up for Looked After Children before their 16^th birthday setting out the support for transition to independence.

Created as public representative body in Acute and Primary Care trusts to replace community health councils. Will monitor effectiveness, consult patients and oversee patients advice and liaison committee.

NTO for community-based learning and development.

Positive activities for young people.

Primary Care Group. Forerunner of Primary Care Trust.

Post Court Report.

Primary Care Trust Evolved from PCGs, PCTs are free-standing statutory bodies that provide primary and community services and commission secondary (hospital) care on behalf of their local population.  Northumberland Care Trust is the PCT for Northumberland.

Physical Disabilities.

Physical Education.

Professional Executive Committee.

Personal Education Plan. Education plan for a Looked After Child.

Performance indicators are published for all 150 council-run services departments in England.  The indicators are known collectively as the Personal Social Services Performance Assessment Framework (PAF).

The Department for Education and Skills publishes comparative secondary and 16-18 performance tables each year. The tables report achievements in public examinations and vocational qualifications in secondary schools and Further Education sector colleges. Primary school performance tables are published by local education authorities and report the achievements of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2.

One who gives specialist instruction in a number of schools, for example in music.

Banning a pupil permanently from school by the headteacher, on disciplinary grounds.

A health record (In a red book) of a child aged 0-5 years which is retained by the prime carer but is the property of the secretary of State for Health.

Relating to a living individual who can be identified from the data.

Relating to a living individual who can be identified from the data.

Pleaded Guilty.

Postgraduate Certificate of Education.

Primary Health Care Team. GP, Health Visitor, District Nurse and other staff who provide health services to a community, usually lead by a GP.

Performance Indicator.

Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Project Implementation Document. Defines what a project is for, what is is expected to achieve, how it will do it and the timescale.

Professional Interest Group.

Purchase Ledger.

Pre-school Learning Alliance.

Arrangements made by Social and Caring Services for a person to be placed in foster, residential or nursing care on a short or long-term basis.

The time at the end of a lesson in which the teacher finds out what children have learnt and re-emphasises the main points of the lesson.

Police Liaison Officer.

Practice Learning Taskforce.

Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.

Personal Medical Services.

Police National Computer.

Pleaded Not Guilty.

Protection of Children Act 1999.

Service to for pre-school age children who have special needs. Works with parent and child in the family home.

Organisation running sports and leisure activities to divert young people from anti-social behaviour.

Police Protection Order.

Post Qualifying.

Post Qualifying Child Care.

Post qualification in social work – an advanced social work qualification.

Parental Responsibility.

Policy Review.

Practical and realistic learners, keen to test ideas, theories and techniques.

These generally take children between the ages of three and five and most offer half-day sessions. Usually non-profit making and managed by volunteers and parents. There must be at least one adult for every eight children and at least half of the adults must be qualified leaders or assistants.

Pupil Retention Grant.

Services provided by family doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, health visitors, pharmacists, optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners.

These take children between the ages of two and five and offer half or full-day sessions and some stay open in the school holidays. There must be at least one adult for every 13 children and at least half of the staff must be qualified teachers.

A meeting where professionals involved with a family come together not only to share information, but to also help determine the direction of the case and the plan for a child. Parents/carers and young people are not invited to this meeting but are usually informed of the meeting.

A school's prospectus is a brochure containing useful facts and figures, which the governing body must publish each year for parents and prospective parents. Ministers set minimum requirements for content, so that parents can easily make comparisons between different schools. Copies will be available at the school for reference or free of charge to parents on request.

A police database.

The amount of physical distance that different cultures prefer.

Performance Review Team.

Pupil Referral Unit. An establishment maintained by an LEA, which is specially organised to provide education for children who are excluded, sick or otherwise unable to attend mainstream school and is not a community or special school.

Public Service Agreement.

Project and Standards Advisory Committee (of QCA).

Potential Schools Budget.

Personal and Social Education.

Personal, Social and Health Education.

Pastoral Support Plan. A plan put in place for pupils at a high risk of imminent exclusion from school.  The school brings together the pupil, parents or carers, and other agencies to develop and implement a time-specific plan to support the child’s continuing attendance.

Pastoral Support Plan.

Pre Sentence Report.

Personal Social Services.

A doctor who specialises in the treatment of people with mental health problems. They can prescribe medicines and have the power to detain people in hospital for their safety if they are mentally ill. However, child and adolescent psychiatrists work largely through talking with families, and providing consultation and advice to other professionals.

Practice Teaching.

Parent Teacher Association.

Practice Teaching Award.

Practice Teacher Programme.

Pupil Teacher Ratio.

Pupils registered at a school.

These statements describe any learning difficulties which pupils have, and specify the extra help or equipment they need. Around 3% of school pupils nationally have statements. Some pupils with special educational needs are academically able. But schools face challenges in achieving Level 4 at Key Stage 2 for many pupils with SEN. The information on the numbers of pupils with SEN in each school helps you take this into account when looking at the school's results.

These are other pupils registered as having special educational needs but whose schools meet the pupils' needs without statements.

Partnership of community groups to improve services for children and young people in Haltwhistle.

Persistent Young Offenders.

Quality Assurance.

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Qualifications Data Collection Steering Group.

Quality Protects. Launched in 1998, aims to transform children’s services by 2004.  Local Authorities must show they are meeting 11 key objectives that cover children in need, Looked After Children and children in need of protection.

Qualified teacher status The professional status you need to obtain to teach in state maintained schools in England and Wales. QTS is normally awarded after successful completion of an Initial Teacher Training course.

Quality in Education and Training Associates.

Learners who work best on their own, in a non-verbal capacity, having clearly had the task defined for them by another.

Reading Age.

Regional Advisory Council for Further Education.

Dealing with race relations in the public sector, requiring that issues such as race equality, race relations and unlawful discrimination are dealt with effectively.

Remanded on conditional bail (to be followed by bail conditions).

Residential Child Care Initiative.

Regional Development Agency.

Regional Development Officer.

The borough/authority where the child/family have moved.

These take children at four and five, some starting children off with half-day sessions. There must be at least one adult for every 13 children. Staff are qualified teachers and assistants.

Personal Child Health Record (PCHR). A health record of a child aged 0-5 years which is retained by the prime carer but is the property of the secretary of State for Health.

Race Employment and Education Forum.

A request for help for someone in need of assessment, usually written down in brief notes.  A third party usually makes these on behalf of someone else, for example a social worker for a service user, of a GP for a patient.

Cautious, thorough and methodical learners, good at listening and absorbing information.

24 hour crisis line for women who are victims of domestic violence. They also provide support and counselling as well as helping to find emergency accommodation

Skills for Care Offices based around England.

Childcare registered and inspected by OFSTED. All provision for more than two hours per day for children aged 0-8 must be registered and inspected on a regular basis.

Subordinate legislation deriving its authority from an Act of Parliament, legally binding on governing bodies and others (see also Statutory Instrument).

A ‘reward’ or ‘punishment’ process that leads to learning.

Remodelling is set out in a national agreement signed by the Secretary of State that aims to reform the school workforce. It is about giving teachers more time, extra support and renewed leadership in order to reduce teacher workload, raise standards, increase job satisfaction and improve the status of the profession.

Where a young offender carries out work for the victim of their crime or to a community, to recompense for the crime. The work should be commensurate with the seriousness of the crime. Examples include cleaning graffiti, repairing criminal damage.

A centre in which a family lives for a set period.  Children remain under their parent’s care whilst living in the centre.

A category of home that provides personal care and other services and whose work has to be monitored by Local Authority Registration and Inspection.

Provided by day or residential unit for the benefit of the subject of the care and their family.

Control to prevent a person from harming themselves or other people.  This can be applied by either physical means, mechanical means or medication.

Meeting to review professional work to support a child or young person.

Remand in Custody.

Register of Independent Schools.

Remand in local authority accommodation

Registered Manager (Adults).

Registered Manager (Child Care).

Responsible Medical Officer – a sort of psychiatrist.

Registered Nursing Homes Association.

Residence Order.

Road Traffic Accident.

Regional Training Forums, now replaced by regional committees.

Remanded on unconditional bail.

Related Vocational Qualification (defunct – see VRQ).

Scottish/ National Vocational Qualification.

Section 140 of the Leaning and Skills Act (about special needs).

Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 – Local Authority duty to safeguard and promote welfare of children in need.

Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 – Local Authority duty to make enquiries about children suspected of being ‘at risk’ and decide whether further action need be taken.

Spelling Age.

Statutory Assessment. Process by which an assessment is made of a child’s special educational needs.

Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education.

Salamanca Statement 1994 – UNESCO statement of the right of every child to an appropriate education.

Speech and Langauge Therapy.

Special Agreement School.

Self Assessment Schedule.

Standard Assessment Tests. Taken at the end of Key Stages 1, 2 & 3.

Social Care Association (previously RCA).

School Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Scottish Child and Family Alliance (replaces SAVCCO).

Special Care Baby Unit.

Scottish Council for Educational Technology.

Someone found guilty of a violent or sexual offence.

The School Improvement Support service will be a new team that includes a community-based learning strand and that will integrate the previously separate strands of work covered by the AIS (Advisory Inspection Service), School Management Support and the Behaviour Support Team in Pupil Services. It will include the Adult Learning Service, The Music Service and the Schools Library Service.

Not as bad as a failing school but found by inspectors to have problems that need help. The action plan will have to set targets to remove all causes of weakness within a year and there will be re-inspections during that time to act as a backstop or confirm recovery. Ofsted will also monitor action plans and local authority statements to ensure they are adequate.

Social Care Institute of Excellence, replaced the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) as the body to inspect social care.

School- Centred Initial Teacher Training School-based teacher training course leading to Qualified Teacher Status.

Process of examining decisions made by public services.

Group of councillors that reviews and investigates Local Authority services and other issues, monitors the work of a mayor or cabinet and holds members of the Executive to account for their decisions.  Introduced by the Local Government Act 2000.

Specialist care, typically provided in a hospital setting or following referral from a primary of community health care professional.

In Data Protection terms, where a person to whom data has been disclosed passes it to another agency or individual.

Refers to powers in the Mental Health Act 1983 that allows the detention of people who are suffering from mental disorders.  Initially, an approved social worker or close relative can apply to have a person detained for assessment based on the recommendations of two doctors, one of whom must be a qualified psychiatrist.  The grounds for the application are set out under different Sections of the act.  Under Section 2, the doctors must confirm that the person is suffering from a mental disorder to a degree that warrants medical care and attention.  They must be satisfied that the patient should be detained for their own health and safety, or to protect others.  Section 2 allows detention for up to 28 days.  Section 3 allows patients to be held for six months at first, and then for a year a time.  Under this section, the mental disorder that the patient is suffering from must be specified, as well as any treatment proposed.  Section 4 covers emergency cases and enables one doctor to order a person to ‘rest’ in hospital for 72 hours.  Patients can be compulsorily treated – including with medication – under Sections 2, 3 and 4.  Patients are free to leave hospital when it is deemed they have made a recovery, or if the Section Order comes to an end.

A means by which people set out their own estimation of their needs for support, usually on a standardised form.

Scottish schools which are equivalent to grant-maintained schools in England.

Special Educational Needs.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. All schools must have such a teacher.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2002. Brought DDA 1995 into education, and linked with Revised Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs 2001.

Special Educational Needs Literacy Team.

‘Personal Data’ that contains information regarding race, ethnicity, political views, religious beliefs, trade union membership, health or criminal record.

Society of Education Officers.

Person who uses Services. They may also be referred to as a client, patient or consumer.

Skills for Care.

Skills for Health.

Secondary Heads Association.

Strategic Health Authority.

(Or shared in-basket). Method of distributing referrals between several different services to ensure each receives the most appropriate form of support.

Sexually Harmful Behaviour.

Social & Health Care Workforce Group (see HSCWG).

Scottish Higher Educational Funding Council.

Overnight care for disabled children and young people to give them and their parent(s)/carer(s) a break from each other.

A temporary storage site in our mental consciousness, which can only hold a limited number of items.

Statutory Instrument. Subordinate legislation made under the authority of an Act of Parliament, usually authorised by the Secretary of State or one of his ministerial team, and which is normally laid before Parliament. It has the same force in law as an Act of Parliament.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Schools Information Management Systems.

Where only one agency is involved with a child, young person or family.

Social Inclusion Partnerships.

Schools Information Exchange.

Sensory Loss.

Service Level Agreement.

Student Loans Company.

Speech, Language and Communication Needs.

Severe Learning Difficulties.

Students with Learning Difficulty and/or Disability.

Specific Language Impairment.

Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, Timed.

Small to Medium Enterprises.

Senior Management Team.

School Nurse.

Scottish National Board for Nursing etc .

Supervision Order.

Schools Organisation Committee.

To describe people or areas experiencing a combination of factors including unemployment, high crime, low incomes, and poor housing. The Government looks to tackle these issues through regeneration policies dedicated to exclusion as a whole rather than its individual elements. This is a complex area of debate and there is no complete, agreed definition of a much-used term.

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 buildings and communal areas, and economic regeneration, which is aimed at creating jobs and wealth.

Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers.

Individuals who prefer to work on their own, and learn best if not distracted and are able to ‘get on with things’ in their own time.

Substance misuse service for young people under 18.

Social Services computerised client record system (being replaced by SWIFT).

Health authorities with unique national supra-regional functions that cannot be effectively undertaken by other kinds of NHS bodies (i.e. Nice).

Required where a school is judged by Ofsted to be failing, or likely to fail, to provide an acceptable standard of Education.

State schools in England and Wales which are provided by local education authorities for certain children with special educational needs.

This type of school includes technology, languages, sports and art colleges operating in England.

Additional funding enables secondary schools to develop strengths in a particular subject area, supported by local industry and in partnership with local schools and the wider community to share resources and expertise, while still delivering a National Curriculum-based education.

Specific Learning Difficulties – for example dyslexia.

Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Single Regeneration Budget.

Sex and Relationship Education.

A government initiative to make the environment safer to encourage children to walk or cycle to school, thereby avoiding school car runs. Schools and local education authorities work with local community and transport planners to facilitate safer routes to school.

Standard Spending Assessment. How central government decides how much money to give to each Local Authority.

Standard Spending Assessment.

Sector Skills Council.

Social Services Department.

Social Services Directorate.

Sector Skills Development Agency.

Social Services Inspectorate (see CSCI).

Social Services Inspectorate (no longer used see CSCI).

Scottish Social Services Council.

Secondary Subject Shortage Scheme.

People who have an interest in an organisation, its activities and its achievements, including customers, partners, employees, shareholders, owners and government regulators.

The number of places available at a maintained (other than special) school for pupils of any age group in which they are admitted. The standard number is an indicator of the school's physical capacity to accommodate pupils. The school’s admission authority may fix a different admission number which may be higher but not lower than the standard number.

These take children from the age of three or four and are open during school term time and normally offer five half-day sessions a week. There must be at least one adult for every 13 children. Staff are qualified teachers and assistants.

Otherwise known as publicly funded schools and attended by over 90 per cent of pupils. Parents do not pay any fees. Scottish state schools are maintained and controlled by the local education authority.

Legal document setting out a child’s SEN and provision required.

An organisation that is required by law to provide public services and receives central of local government funding, for example Health Authorities and Local Authorities.

Refers to service provided by the Local Authority as a matter of course.  Examples of statutory services include benefits, social services, hospital treatment on the NHS and schools.

From 2002, the strategic management support for local PCT’s and hospitals.

Meeting between professionals to plan a course of action, particularly a child protection investigation.

School Teachers Review Body. A body appointed by the Prime Minister to examine and report on such matters relating to the statutory conditions of employment of school teachers including teachers’ pay.

School Teachers Review Body.

Voluntary learning activity outside normal lessons which aims to improve children's motivation, build their self-esteem and help them to become more effective learners.

Data protection – the right of the person to whom the information relates to see the information held about them. (There is no right to see the record itself however).

Data protection - Data subject’s formal request to a data controller to access the information held about them.

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.

Service Users and Carers.

Now usually referred to as Sudden unexpected Death (Infancy SUD).

Method of professional and management accountability for social workers. Generally carried out through regular meetings between the social worker and their immediate line manager, however may also take place as a team or group activity. Operates at all levels of Social Services Department.

Accommodation for vulnerable people e.g. young people leaving care.

Accommodation for vulnerable people needing care. Includes homeless hostels and housing for those with learning disabilities.

New initiative for funding housing for vulnerable people.

Sure Start is a cornerstone of the government’s drive to eradicate child poverty in 20 years, and to halve it within 10.  It aims to improve children’s life opportunities by working with parents and parents-to-be in deprived areas and providing better access to family support, advising on nurturing, health services and early learning

A process where a member of staff is told to stop working at the school temporarily, usually while a problem involving him or her is being investigated.

Scottish Vocational Educational Council.

Scottish Vocational Qualifications.

Social Worker.

Social Worker.

Social Work Admissions System.

Social Work Department, Scotland.

Social Work Education Committee (part of JUC).

Social Services computerised client record system.

SWOT Analysis - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

Social Work Services Inspectorate, Scotland.

Teaching Assistant.

Technology College.

Technology College Trust.

A formal assessment made by a teacher when your child is aged 7, 11 and 14. Used alongside the national tests to judge a child's educational progress.

The method a teacher uses to portray/demonstrate information to ‘learners’.

Training and Enterprise Council.

Banning a pupil temporarily from school by the headteacher, on disciplinary grounds.

Times Educational Supplement.

Analytical, rational and objective learners.

Times Higher Education Supplement.

Regular time for training and professional development in some Northumberland Care Trust localities.

Team Leader.

England or Topss UK Partnership.

Teacher's Pension Scheme.

Teaching Quality Assessment.

Multi-professional plan made with a young person who has a statement of Special Educational Needs, and their parent(s) from the age of 14 years, for the young person’s future education, training and support after the age of 16 (usual school leaving age). The plan is reviewed regularly.

Training Support Fund.

Training Strategy Implementation (Fund).

Training Support Programme.

Teacher Training Agency. Responsible for raising standards in schools in England by attracting able and committed people to teaching and by improving the quality of teacher training.

Transfer of Undertakings (Protecting of Employees).

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service — central agency for processing applications for undergraduate courses including degree level initial teacher training courses (BEd, BA/BSc with qualified teacher status).

UK Home Care Association.

UK Occupational Standards Group.

UK Partnership.

A case that requires the attention of a named social workers or other key worker but has no allocated worker, most likely due to staff shortages.

Units are the building blocks of NVQ’s. Each NVQ is broken down into a series of units.

Voluntary and Community Organisations.

Voluntary and Community Sector.

Vocational and Educational Training.

Vocational Education, Training and Qualifications.

Visually Impaired.

Learning by observing the negative consequences of other people’s behaviour, which, in turn, discourages the reproduction of that particular behaviour.

Learning by observing the positive consequences of other people’s behaviour, encouraging reproduction of that behaviour by the observer.

Visual Impairment Service.

Schools in England and Wales which are maintained by the Local Education Authority, with a foundation (generally religious) which appoints most of the governing body. The governing body is the admissions authority.

Schools in England and Wales which are maintained by the Local Education Authority, with a foundation (generally religious) which appoints some — but not most — of the governing body. The LEA is the admissions authority.