Abuse – The Care Act 2014 defines ten categories of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional/ psychological, financial/material, neglect/acts of omission, discriminatory, organisational, domestic abuse, modern slavery and self-neglect. Examples and potential indicators of each type of abuse can be found within Chapter 14 of the Care and Statutory Guidance and on the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Board website What is abuse?
Accident & Emergency (A&E) - a common name in the UK and Ireland for the emergency department of a hospital.
Adult Safeguarding – the term used to cover all work undertaken to support adults with care and support needs to maintain their own safety and well-being. It describes the preventative and responsive actions undertaken to support adults who are experiencing, or at risk of, experiencing abuse or neglect.
Adult with care and support needs (ACSN) - a person who is over 18 years old and who has needs for care and support.
Advocacy – Support for people who have substantial difficulties in to participate in the safeguarding process to say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain the support they need.
Appropriate Adult – Police and Criminal Evidence Act, 1984 (PACE) – The role of the appropriate adult is to safeguard the rights, entitlements and welfare of children and vulnerable adults who are detained and interviewed by the Police.
Assessment – Completed by any professional/organisation to find out what help and support the person needs.
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) - the national leadership association for directors of Local Authority adult social care services.
Attorney – In law, an attorney is someone who is chosen to act on behalf of someone else. When someone makes a Lasting Power of Attorney, they choose someone to make decision for them if they no longer have the mental capacity to make certain decisions. Attorneys can be appointed for Health & Welfare Decisions and /or Property and Financial Affairs.
Best Interests - Any act done, or decision made on behalf of a person who lacks mental capacity must be done in his or her best interests and regard must always be had as to whether the acts or decisions could be achieved in a less restrictive way. Refer to the Best Interest Checklist in Section 4 of the Mental Capacity Act.
Care Act 2014 & Care and support statutory guidance - the legal framework for adult social care in England.
Care and Support needs: The mixture of practical, financial and emotional support for adults who need extra help to manage their lives and be independent – including older people, people with a disability or long-term illness, people with mental health needs, and carers.
Care setting/services - includes health care, nursing care, social care, domiciliary care, social activities, support setting, emotional support, housing support, emergency housing, befriending and advice services and services provided in someone’s own home by an organisation or paid employee for a person by means of a personal budget (PB), direct payment or funded by the person themselves.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) - responsible for the registration and regulation of health and social care in England.
Carer - refers to unpaid carers for example, relatives or friends of the adult at risk. Paid workers, including personal assistants, whose job title may be ‘carer’, are called ‘staff’.
Clinical governance - the framework through which the National Health Service (NHS) improves the quality of its services and ensures high standards of care.
Coercion and control – Coercive control if a form of domestic abuse. It is an act, or a pattern of acts, of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation that are used to harm, punish or frighten.
Consent - the voluntary and continuing permission of the person to the intervention based on an adequate knowledge of the purpose, nature, likely effects and risks of that intervention, including the likelihood of its success and any alternatives to it.
Coroner – Coroners are independent judicial officers who investigate deaths where there is reason to suspect that: the death was violent or unnatural, the cause of death is unknown or the person died whilst in state detention.
Court of Protection – The Court can make decisions on financial or welfare matters for people who do not have mental capacity to make a particular decision. In many situations it will not be necessary for the decision to be made by the Court – for example, if the adult lacks capacity and all parties are in agreement that the proposed action is in the adults best interests.
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) - the government department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.
Data Protection Act 2018 – The Data Protection Act controls how personal information is used by organisations, businesses or the government.
Department of Health (DH previously DoH) - the government strategic leadership for public health, the NHS and social care in England.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) – the procedure prescribed in law to protect an individuals rights if they are deprived of their liberty in a care home or hospital and they lack capacity to consent to the arrangements for their care within that setting.
Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager (DASM) – Responsible for the management and oversight of individual complex cases and co-ordination where allegations are made or concerns raised about a person, whether an employee, volunteer or student, paid or unpaid.
Deputy – A Deputy is someone appointed by the Court of Protection to manage the property and financial affairs of a person who lacks the mental capacity to do so themselves. In exceptional circumstances, the Court may appoint a Personal Welfare deputy to make decisions about a adults medical treatment and how they are supported.
Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) - a review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by (a) a person to whom she or he was related or with whom she or he was or had been in an intimate personal relationship, or (b) a member of the same household as herself or himself. A DHR is held with a view to identifying the lessons to be learned from the death.
Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) – The statutory organisation responsible for barring unsuitable staff from the children’s and adult’s workforce. Referrals are normally made by employers following investigation into misconduct, but other statutory agencies can also refer in certain circumstances. Staff who are to be employed in regulated activity must be checked against the barred list prior to taking up employment.
Domestic Abuse - An incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. Domestic Abuse includes any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass but is not limited to: psychological; physical; sexual; financial; emotional.
Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (DVCVA) - is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is concerned with criminal justice and concentrates upon legal protection and assistance to victims of crime, particularly domestic violence. It also expands the provision for trials without a jury, brings in new rules for trials for causing the death of a child or vulnerable adult, and permits bailiffs to use force to enter homes.
Domestic Violence Protection Notice (DVPN) – A DVPN is served by Police on perpetrators of domestic abuse and provides emergency protection to the person they might harm. It must be presented to a Magistrates Court within 48 hours of it being served. If the Magistrates Court agrees, the restrictions stated in the DPN can continue for between 14-28 days in the form of a Domestic Violence Protection order.
Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) - is an order applied for by the police and made by the Magistrates' Court for up to 28 days to control access by a perpetrator of domestic abuse to a person they might harm.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - government department responsible for welfare and employment issues.
Emergency Duty Officer - the social worker on duty in the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) or out of hour’s service.
Emergency Duty Team (EDT) - a social services team that responds to out-of-hours referrals where intervention from the council is required to protect a child or adult at risk, and where it would not be safe, appropriate or lawful to delay that intervention to the next working day.
Enquiry – The process undertaken in accordance with the duty under Section 42 of the Care Act 2014 to establish the facts of the case; ascertain the adult’s views and wishes; assess the needs of the adult for protection, support and redress and how they might be met ; protect the adult from the abuse and neglect, in accordance with the wishes of the adult; make decisions as to what follow-up action should be taken with regard to the person or organisation responsible for the abuse or neglect; and enable the adult to achieve resolution and recovery. The duty to make Enquiry lies with the Local Authority but it can ‘cause Enquiry to be made’ by other agencies and consideration will be made on a case by case basis as to who the appropriate person would be to undertake the Enquiry.
Enquiry Review Meeting (ERM) – A formal meeting to bring together all relevant agencies to review the progress of an enquiry and consider further action. An Enquiry Review Meeting will normally (but not exclusively) be necessary for cases where there is a high level of risk to the adult or where the issues are especially complex. The views of the adult must be shared and considered at the meeting; this may be through their attendance, but, if this is not possible, through an advocate or a written account of their wishes and views.
Evidence - Any information in the form of statements from the adult, source of risk(s) or other witnesses; also documents, pictures, visual or records which enable a conclusion to be made regarding the concerns raised. In the case of a criminal investigation the evidence presented to a court would need to establish ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that the crime has been committed before a conviction could be made. Where there are disciplinary or civil proceedings the evidence needs to demonstrate that the allegation is demonstrated ‘on the balance of probability’. For enquiries completed by Social Care or Health professionals, conclusions will also be made on the basis of the balance of probability.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as ‘all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.’
Forensic Medical Examiner (FME) - Any doctor used by the Police in the United Kingdom.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - an Act to make provision for the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information.
General Medical Council (GMC) – Independent Regulator of doctors in the United Kingdom.
General Practitioner (GP) - a general practitioner is a doctor who is responsible for diagnosing and treating a variety of injuries and diseases that fall under the general practice category.
General practitioners (GPs) work in primary care. They are usually commissioned by primary care organisations, such as primary care trusts or clinical commissioning groups to deliver services.
Harm - Not only ill-treatment (including sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment that are not physical) but also the impairment of, or an avoidable deterioration in physical or mental health and the impairment of physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) – Regulator of 15 health and care professions.
Healthwatch – government funded organisation that acts as an independent consumer champion for health and social care in a local area. Healthwatch argues for the consumer interests of those using health and social care services across its area and gives local people an opportunity to speak out about their concerns and health care priorities.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) - An independent inspectorate which reports on conditions for and treatment of those in prison, young offender institutions and immigration detention facilities.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - a national independent regulator that aims to reduce workrelated death and serious injury across workplaces in the UK.
Human Rights Act 1998 - legislation introduced into domestic law for the whole of the UK in October 2000, in order to comply with the obligations, set out in European Convention of Human Rights.
Ill treatment - Section 44 of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 introduced a new offence of ill treatment of a person who lacks capacity by someone who is caring for them or acting as a deputy or attorney for them. That person can be guilty of ill treatment if they have deliberately ill-treated a person who lacks capacity or been reckless as to whether they were ill-treating the person or not. It does not matter whether the behaviour was likely to cause, or actually caused, harm or damage to the victim’s health.
Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) - a trained support worker who provides assistance and advice to victims of domestic violence.
Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) - established by the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 IMCAs are mainly instructed to represent people where there is no one independent of services, such as family or friend, who is able to represent them. IMCAs are a legal safeguard for people who lack the capacity to make specific important decisions about where they live, serious medical treatment options, care reviews or adult safeguarding concerns.
Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) – Provides specialist support to people who have experienced rape or sexual assault, irrespective of whether they have reported it to the Police.
Inherent jurisdiction of the High Court – The High Court can make orders to protect people who may be intimidated, coerced or otherwise unable to act on a decision to protect themselves against harm.
Integrated Care Board (ICB) – Statutory NHS organisation which is responsible for developing a plan for meeting the health needs of the population, Managing the NHS budget and arranging for the provision of health service in a defined geographical area. ICB’s replaced Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG’s) in July 2022.
Intermediary - someone appointed by the courts to help a vulnerable witness give their evidence either in a police interview or in court.
Large Scale Enquiry – A multi-agency approach to address significant safeguarding, quality and safety concerns within a care setting.
Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) – a legal documents that enables someone “the donor” to appoint one of more people (known as Attorney’s) to help you make decisions to make decisions on your behalf.
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) – will provide advice, guidance and help to anyone who has concerns about someone who works with children, to determine what action needs to be taken. The LADO will not complete the any enquiry/investigation themselves but will co-ordinate information sharing and ensure an appropriate investigation is carried out.
Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) - is a shift in culture and practice in response to what we now know about what makes safeguarding more or less effective from the perspective of the person being safeguarded. It is about having conversations with people about how we might respond in safeguarding situations in a way that enhances involvement, choice and control as well as improving quality of life, wellbeing and safety. It is a shift from a process supported by conversations to a series of conversations supported by a process.
Managing officer - a professional or manager (usually in a social work or mental health team) who will be involved in the decision-making about whether to undertake a safeguarding Enquiry under Section 42, planning an Enquiry, reviewing enquiries, initiating a Safeguarding Plan and closing enquiries.
Medication Administration Record (MAR) - the record to show which medications have been administered to a person.
Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) - statutory arrangements for managing sexual and violent offenders.
Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) - the multi-agency forum of organisations that manage high-risk cases of domestic abuse, stalking and ‘honour’- based violence.
Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) - The MASH is a building hosted by Staffordshire Police, where a number of statutory agencies have co-located their staff to facilitate information-sharing and shared risk assessment and planning in connection with the abuse of vulnerable people. The MASH serves children as well as adults.
Mental capacity - The ability to understand, retain, use and weigh information to make a decision and to communicate that decision. Where it is believed that a person may not be able to make the specific decision an assessment of their capacity will be required, and this must demonstrate that this is caused by an impairment or disturbance in the functioning of the mind or brain.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) & Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice - The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides a statutory framework to empower and protect people aged 16 and over who lack, or may lack, capacity to make certain decisions for themselves because of illness, a learning disability, or mental health problems. The act was fully implemented in October 2007 and applies in England and Wales
Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA 1983 ) - the main piece of legislation that covers the assessment, treatment and rights of people with a mental health disorder.
Mental Health Act 2007 (MHA 2007) - amends the Mental Health Act 1983 (the 1983 Act), the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. This includes changing the way the 1983 Act defines mental disorder, so that a single definition applies throughout the Act, and abolishes references to categories of disorder.
MIDOS for Care – an online information hub for care homes in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Multi-Agency Planning Meeting (MAPM) – Frequently used in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the context of self-neglect concerns. The MAPM enables the sharing of information from relevant agencies and will include consideration of the options for intervention.
National Health Service (NHS) - the publicly funded health care system in the UK.
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) – Independent regulator for nurses, midwives, and nursing associates.
Offender Assessment System (OASys) - a standardised process for the assessment of offenders, developed jointly by the Probation and the Prison Services.
Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) - established in October 2007, the OPG supports the Public Guardian in registering enduring powers of attorney, lasting powers of attorney and in supervising Court of Protection appointed deputies.
Ordinary residence - broadly means the Local Authority a person is normally resident in - determines which local authority is responsible for meeting a person’s care and support needs (under the Care Act 2014)
Patient Safety Incident Response Framework – Sets out the NHS’s approach to developing and maintaining effective systems and processes for responding to patient safety incidents for the purpose of learning and improving patient safety.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) - a body created to provide advice and support to National Health Service (NHS) patients and their relatives and carers.
Person in a Position of Trust (PiPoT) - someone in a Position of Trust who works with or cares for adults with care and support needs in a paid or voluntary capacity.
Planning Discussion – The initial discussion(s) between the investigating and other relevant agencies to clarify concerns, identify the harm and the current risk, agree an interim Protection Plan and plan the Enquiry.
Police - the generic term used in this document will normally refer to Staffordshire Police but on occasion other local and national Police forces will be involved.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) - provide the core framework of police powers and safeguards around stop and search, arrest, detention, investigation, identification and interviewing detainees.
Potential Source of Risk - Any individual who is believed to be responsible for, or implicated in, the abuse of an adult. This may include relatives and family members, professional staff, paid care workers, volunteers, other service users, neighbours, friends and associates, people who deliberately exploit vulnerable people and strangers. In these procedures this term will apply equally to people who are believed to have abused an adult irrespective of whether the abuse was done intentionally or unintentionally.
Professional Curiosity – asking sensitive and respectful questions to understand what is happening within an individuals life rather than making assumptions or accepting things at face value.
Public Interest – a decision about what is in the public interest needs to be made by balancing the rights of the individual to privacy with the rights of others or society as a whole to protection.
Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA) - An Act to protect individuals who make certain disclosures of information in the public interest; to allow such individuals to bring action in respect of victimisation; and for connected purposes.
Professional Body - a registering body that has oversight of the practice and standards of a profession or a group of professionals. Examples include the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Quality and Safeguarding Information Sharing Meeting (QSISM) – A multi-agency information sharing meeting to consider services identified as high risk. This may be due to the provider being supported under Enhanced Provider Monitoring Processes, CQC enforcement action or an inadequate rating or business continuity risks/provider failure processes.
Quality Improvement Process (QIP) – The Local Authority Quality Improvement Process is used to address significant quality concerns within a service.
Safeguarding Adults - the term used to describe all work to help adults with care and support needs stay safe from significant harm. It replaces ‘adult protection’.
Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) - the SAB represents various organisations in a Local Authority who are involved in Safeguarding Adults.
Safeguarding Adults Co-ordinator/Lead/Manager - these titles or similar are used to describe an individual who has Safeguarding Lead responsibilities across an authority. For example, supporting the work of the Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) and/or advising on Safeguarding Adults cases in the Local Authority. The role varies from council to council and carries different titles.
Safeguarding Concern – Any concern raised with the Local Authority by any person that a person with care and support needs is experiencing abuse or is at risk of abuse.
Safeguarding Enquiry – see Enquiry.
Safeguarding Officer - will describe an officer of the Local Authority to whom an Enquiry under Section 42 has been directly assigned. This term is also used to refer to any worker who will be completing the safeguarding enquiry.
Safeguarding Plan - The planned actions that will be taken to assist the adult to protect themselves from the risk of abuse and to achieve the desired objectives. This will be a written plan that clearly outlines the protective measures that will be put into place to ensure that the person with care and support needs is protected from abuse in future. This will include clearly ascribed outcomes as well as the roles and responsibilities for those involved and will include arrangements to address contingencies.
Safeguarding Plan Review Meeting – The meeting should be held within 3 months of the implementation of the safeguarding plan. The meeting will review the arrangements against the adults desired outcomes and consider the ongoing risk of harm.
Safeguarding Principles – The Care Act outlines 6 key principles that underpin all adult safeguarding work: Empowerment, Prevention, Protection, Proportionality, Partnership & Accountability.
Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) - a review of the practice of agencies involved in a safeguarding matter. An SAR is commissioned by the Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) when a serious incident(s) of adult abuse takes place or is suspected. The aim is for agencies and individuals to learn lessons to improve the way they work. The protocol can be found here.
Section 42 Enquiry – See Enquiry
Shared Lives (carer) - sometimes known as adult placement schemes - a scheme that supports adults whose needs make it harder for them to live on their own. Shared lives schemes are registered with CQC and employ trained carers who support the adults in sharing a home and community life.
Social Care - The directorate or section within the Local Authority with social services responsibility that is responsible for assessment, care and support provision for adults under the Care Act 2014. Local Authority responsibilities have been delegated in some cases to NHS Trusts or to other providers. The commissioning of these services is often based on an agreement under section 75 of the Care Act 2014. In relation to safeguarding enquiries the responsibility of the Local Authority cannot be delegated but other agencies can undertake enquiries when caused to do so by the Local Authority. Otherwise, wherever this delegated authority and function exists these agencies will carry the same social care responsibilities.
Special Measures - Adherence to the guidance on the treatment of vulnerable witnesses in accordance with the guidance set out in Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance on interviewing victims and witnesses and using special measures.
Examples of special measures include the use of video recorded interviews, involvement of trained intermediaries, giving evidence by video link and adaptations to courtroom processes to accommodate issues of disability and intimidation and improve the quality of evidence given by the witness.
Staff - paid workers, including personal assistants, whose job title may be ‘carer’, are called ‘staff’. Volunteers are also classed as staff. See also carer.
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board (SSASPB) – a broad partnership of local organisations that work together to help protect adults in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Social Work England (SWE) – Regulatory body for Social Workers in England.
Vital interest - a term used in the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 to permit sharing of information where it is critical to prevent serious harm or distress, or in life-threatening situations.
Volunteer - a person who works unpaid in a care setting/service.
Wellbeing – is a broad concept to which the following contribute: personal dignity; physical and mental health; protection from abuse and neglect; control over day-to-day life; participation in work, education, or recreation; social and economic factors; domestic, family and personal life; suitable accommodation and making a contribution to society. The Care Act 2014 sees Wellbeing as a key concept in identifying the success of care and support outcomes.
West Midlands Adult Safeguarding Policy and Procedures – Regional Policy that sets out the approach taken to adult safeguarding in the West Midlands.
West Midlands Self-Neglect Guidance – Regional Guidance for responding to self-neglect concerns for adults with care and support needs in the West Midlands.
Whistleblowing – the process whereby an employee raises a concern about malpractice, wrong-doing, risk of illegal proceedings which harms, or creates a risk of harm, to the people who use the service, employees, or the wider community.
Wilful neglect - an intentional or deliberate omission or failure to carry out an act of care by someone who has care of a person who lacks capacity to care for themselves. Section 44 of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) makes it a specific criminal offence to wilfully ill-treat or neglect a person who lacks capacity.
Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 (YJCEA) - an Act to provide for the referral of offenders under 18 to youth offender panels; to make provision in connection with the giving of evidence or information for the purposes of criminal proceedings; to amend section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; to make pre-consolidation amendments relating to youth justice; and for connected purposes. This includes special measures directions in case of vulnerable and intimidated witnesses.