Jargon Buster, Abbreviations and Glossary
Confused by all the jargon and acronyms around SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)?
Want to know the difference between a TAF and a CAF?
To find out more, scroll down this page or click on the document in the Downloads box.
For health related jargon, please click on the link in the Downloads box.
A |
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AA |
Admissions Authority |
AA |
Attendance Allowance |
AAC |
Augmentative and Alternative Communication |
ACE |
Adverse Childhood Experience |
ADD |
Attention Deficit Disorder |
ADHD |
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder |
ASB |
Anti-Social Behaviour |
ASD |
Autistic Spectrum Disorder |
ASC |
Autistic Spectrum Condition |
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B |
|
BSL |
British Sign Language |
BwD |
Blackburn with Darwen |
BSP |
Behaviour Support Plan |
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C |
|
C&YP |
Children and Young People |
CA |
Carers Allowance |
CA |
Chronological Age |
CAB |
Citizen’s Advice Bureau |
CADS |
Children's Advice and Duty Service |
CAF |
Child and Family Assessment |
CAF |
Common Application Form (admissions) |
CAMHS |
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service |
CANW |
Child Action North West |
CCG |
Clinical Commissioning Group |
CCCT |
Children’s Complex Care Team |
CDC |
Council for Disabled Children |
CETR |
Care, Education and Treatment Review |
CHC |
Continuing Health Care |
CIN |
Child In Need |
CIOC |
Child In Our Care |
CITNS |
Children’s Integrated Therapy and Nursing Service |
CLC |
City Learning Centre |
CofE |
Church of England |
CoP |
Code of Practice |
CP |
Child Protection |
CSC |
Children’s Social Care |
CSO |
Child Support Officer |
CTR |
Care and Treatment Review |
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D |
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DCO |
Designated Clinical Officer |
DDA |
Disability Discrimination Act |
DLA |
Disability Living Allowance |
DfE |
Department For Education |
DFG |
Disabled Facilities Grant |
DMO |
Designated Medical Officer |
DP |
Direct Payments |
DSA |
Disabled Students Allowance |
DWP |
Department for Work and Pensions |
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E |
|
EFA |
Education Funding Agency |
EHE |
Elective Home Education |
EHC |
Education Health and Care |
EHCP |
Education, Health and Care Plan |
ELCAS |
East Lancs Child and Adolescent Support Service |
ELHT |
East Lancashire Hospitals Trust |
EOTAS |
Education Other Than At School |
EP |
Educational Psychologist |
EWO |
Education Welfare Officer – now known as IO |
EYFS |
Early Years Foundation Stage |
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F |
|
FE |
Further Education |
FIS |
Family Information Service |
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|
H |
|
HI |
Hearing Impaired |
HNA |
Health Needs Assessment |
|
|
I |
|
IBP |
Individual Behaviour Plan |
ICPC |
Initial Child Protection Conference |
IEP |
Individual Education Plan |
IO |
Inclusion Officer (formerly known as EWO) |
IS |
Independent Supporter |
IRO |
Independent Reviewing Officer |
IPRA |
Individual Pupil Resourcing Agreement |
L |
|
LA |
Local Authority |
LAC |
Looked After Child |
LCFT |
Lancashire Care Foundation Trust |
LD |
Learning Disabilities |
LDD |
Learning Difficulties and Disabilities |
LO |
Local Offer |
LSA |
Learning Support Assistant |
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M |
|
MASH |
Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub |
MAT |
Multi Academy Trust |
MCA |
Mental Capacity Act |
MDT |
Multi-Disciplinary Team |
MLD |
Moderate Learning Difficulty |
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N |
|
NAS |
National Autistic Society |
NASEN |
National Association for Special Educational Needs |
NHS |
National Health Service |
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O |
|
OT |
Occupational Therapy/Therapist |
Ofsted |
Office for standards in education |
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|
P |
|
PEP |
Personal Education Plan |
PECS |
Picture Exchange Communication System |
PCP |
Person Centred Planning |
PCT |
Primary Care Trust |
PD |
Physical Difficulty |
PfA |
Preparation for Adulthood |
PHB |
Personal Health Budget |
PiP |
Parents in Partnership |
PIP |
Personal Independence Payments |
PIVATS |
Performance Indicators for Value Added Target Setting |
PMLD |
Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties |
PRSP |
Primary Resourced Specialist Provision |
PRU |
Pupil Referral Unit |
PX |
Permanent Exclusion |
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R |
|
RC |
Roman Catholic |
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S |
|
SDQ |
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire |
SEMH |
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties |
SEN/SEND |
Special Educational Needs/ and Disability |
SENCO |
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator |
SENDIASS |
SEND Information and Advice Support Service |
SENDIST |
Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal |
SENDSS |
Special Educational Needs and Disability Support Service |
SGO |
Special Guardianship Order |
SLCN |
Speech, Language and Communication Needs |
SLD |
Severe Learning Difficulties |
SLT |
Speech and Language Therapy |
SMART |
Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based |
SpLD |
Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) |
SSA |
Special Support Assistant |
SW |
Social Worker |
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T |
|
TA |
Teaching Assistant |
TAC |
Team Around the Child |
TAF |
Team Around the Family |
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V |
|
VCFS |
Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector |
VSH |
Virtual School Headteacher |
VI |
Visual Impairment |
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Y |
|
YOT |
Youth Offending Team |
YOI |
Young Offenders Institute |
YP |
Young Person |
Local Offer - Glossary
AAC - Augmentative and Alternative Communication
These are extra tools to help people to communicate, ranging from communication via eye pointing to the use of pictures and technology to communicate.
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADHD affects children and teens and can continue into adulthood. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder of children. Children with ADHD may be hyperactive and unable control their impulses or they may have trouble paying attention.
Advices
Another name for a report written by a parent or professional which contributes to the EHC Needs assessment or the EHC Annual Review.
Advocate
An advocate is someone who supports you to speak for yourself or speaks for you. An advocate will help a service user or carer to have their say and ensure that their choices and needs are met.
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Autistic Spectrum Disorder is the name for a range of similar conditions, including Asperger syndrome, that affect a person's social interaction, communication, interests and behaviour. It's estimated that about 1 in every 100 people in the UK has ASD. More boys are diagnosed with the condition than girls.
Assess, Plan, Do, Review
See Graduated Approach below.
Assistive Technology
Equipment that helps people to remain independent, healthy and safe in their own homes or in school and the community by helping them to manage risks and/or make day to day tasks easier.
CCG - Clinical Commissioning Group
Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) were created following the Health and Social Care Act in 2012, and replaced Primary Care Trusts on 1 April 2013. They are clinically-led statutory NHS bodies responsible for the planning and commissioning or ‘buying’ of health care and wellbeing services for their local area. NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG is made up of 27 GP practices located within the borough boundaries. The Chair of the CCG is Mr Graham Burgess. For more information, visit the NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG website.
Centile
The division of information into 100 groups. For example, a score at the 5th centile means that on average, only 5 children out of every 100 could be expected to score lower (and 95 would score higher).
CITNS - Children’s Integrated Therapy and Nursing Service
Children’s Integrated Therapy and Nursing Services bring together Children’s Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy and Special School/Complex Needs Nursing services. They also deliver support to children who have individual packages of care due to their very complex health needs. The CITNS website contains detailed glossaries about all aspects of their work.
Co-production
Co-production happens when service providers recognise the benefits of working with service users and other providers. To be successful those taking part need to be involved from the beginning, right through to the end when reviewing, planning and developing services. Children and young people with SEND, and their families, are central to SEND coproduction activities and should be fully involved in developing services and important decision making.
Designated Medical Officer (DMO) or Designated Clinical Officer (DCO)
The “Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years” statutory guidance document places a requirement on local areas to have in place a Designated Medical Officer or Designated Clinical Officer. In Blackburn with Darwen arrangements have been put in place to implement a Lancashire wide service to deliver the functions of the DMO and DCO to ensure equity of service for all children, young people aged 0-25 and families in Lancashire. The service will provide expert advice and guidance to a range of stakeholders as well as strategic oversight and coordination.
Educational Pyschology
Educational Psychologists promote child development and learning mainly with children and young people, aged 0-25 years, through the application of psychology. They work closely with parents and teachers and where appropriate, with other staff within the Education, Social and Health Services. They apply psychology to help the development and emotional health and well-being of children and young people.
EHC Plan - Education, Health and Care Plan
This details the education, health and social care support that is to be provided to a child or young person who has special educational needs and/or a disability.
It is drawn up by the Local Authority after an EHC needs assessment has been carried out which shows that the child or young person requires an EHC Plan to meet their needs. The EHC Panel makes decisions regarding EHC Plans.
Graduated approach or response
A model of action and intervention in early education settings, schools and colleges to help children and young people who have special educational needs.
The approach recognises that there is a continuum of special educational needs and that, where necessary, increasing specialist expertise should be brought to bear on the difficulties that a child or young person may be experiencing.
This is also known as Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
Local Offer
The Local Offer website is a website full of family friendly, information on education, health, social care and advice and guidance services that could be helpful for children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND and their families. The Local Offer also includes information on fun things to do and the help that’s available to children as they grow up.
Mainstream school
Any school that is not a special school or an independent school.
Maintained school
A school funded by the Local Authority.
Mediation
Mediation brings people together with an impartial third party to try and resolve disputes and disagreements. The mediator acts as facilitator but does not offer advice or solutions.
Non-maintained special school
A non-profit making special school, approved by the Secretary of State, usually run by a charity.
Person-centred planning
This approach is where the child or young person is placed at the centre of the planning or review meeting and where their views are considered the most important. The child/young person’s needs are the primary focus of the meeting ensuring that they are at the centre of any decisions made for now and the future. Person centred planning focuses on the outcomes for the child/young person and looks at how everyone can work together to help them achieve these. This involves looking at what works/doesn’t work for the child/young person and the best ways to support them.
Personal budget
A personal budget is an agreed amount of money that you can use to arrange and pay for aspects of a child/young person’s care and support, following an assessment of their needs. The Local Authority can manage the personal budget for you, or a third party can or you can receive it as a direct payment or a mixture of the two.
Portage
Portage is a home visiting educational service for pre-school children with significant complex needs or disability which works closely with families in the home.
Provision map
A way of identifying, organising and presenting information about the interventions and support provided for children with special educational needs. This can also be costed.
Respite care
Respite care provides short breaks for both the person being cared for and the carer. It can be delivered in a number of ways including a few hours to access an activity or in an overnight residential setting. However, some respite can only be accessed following a positive outcome of a social care assessment. Please refer to the Blackburn with Darwen Short Break Statement for more details.
SEND - Special Educational Needs and/or Disability
A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. They will have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or they may have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
The SEND Register
The list of children in a school who are receiving support for a special educational needs or disability because their 'learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision. Special educational provision is provision that is different from or in addition to that normally available to pupils of the same age (Code of Practice 2014).
SENCO - Special Educational Needs Coordinator
This is the person responsible for the day to day operation of the school/setting’s SEN policy and for coordinating the provision for children and young people with SEND in the school/setting.
SENDSS - Special Educational Needs and Disability Support Service
A team of specialist teachers and teaching assistants who provide advice, assessment and training to schools and settings to help them meet the needs of children with SEND.
SEN Support
Where a child/young person has been identified as having SEN, then the support that they receive is classed as SEN Support. This may involve additional provision or interventions being put in place by the school/setting and/or specialist advice being sought about the child/young person’s needs from an outside agency such as an educational psychologist or SENDSS.
Special schools
Schools that specialise in working with children with particular disabilities.
Statutory assessment
This is sometimes referred to as an Education, Health and Care needs assessment and it is carried out in order for the local authority to decide whether it is necessary for it to make provision for the child/young person through an EHC plan. Evidence about the child/young person’s needs will be requested from a range of people including education, educational psychology, health and social care, and this will form part of the assessment along with parents and the child/young person’s views.