V4P Jargon Buster
V4P have created this Jargon Buster.
Below is a list of words, terms or acronyms you may have heard from time to time at appointments and meetings for your child or young person. It is not an exhausted list
and if there is anything you wish to be added please e-mail admin@voice4parents.co.uk
Academy
A state funded school in England which receives its funding from and is owned and controlled by central government, not a local authority
ADD
Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Annual Review
A review that takes place at least once a year and will include the family, looking at the progress that the child or young person has made against the outcomes that are recorded in their Education, Health and Care Plan
ASD
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
CAF
Common Assessment Framework - the process for gathering and recording information about a child
CAMHS
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services - offers assessment and help to children and young people
CCG
Clinical Commissioning Group - This is an NHS organisation which brings together local GP's and health practitioners to take on commissioning responsibilities for local health services. A CCG plans and arranges the delivery of the health care provision for people in its area.
Co-production
Equal partnership working between service providers, those in receipt of the service and their families.
CP
Cerebral Palsy - a physical impairment that affects movement. Mobility problems may vary from barely noticeable to extremely severe. Those with CP may also have sight, hearing speech, perception and learning difficulties. Between a quarter and a third of children and adolescents with CP are also affected by epilepsy.
CYP
Children and Young People
DfE
Department for Education
Direct Payments
Payments that allow you to choose and buy the services you need yourself, instead of getting them from the council. Direct Payments may be available for health care, social care and for the special educational provision in an EHCP
DLA
Disability Living Allowance
Early Years
Birth to 5 years
EHC Assessment
An assessment of the education, health care and social care needs of a child or young person conducted by a local authority under the Children and Families Act 2014
EHCP
Education, Health and Care Plan
EP
Educational Psychologist - a professional employed by the local authority to assess a child's special educational needs and to give advice to school settings on how these needs can be met.
GDD
Global Developmental Delay
Graduated Response
Where a pupil is identified as having SEN, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective provision in place. This SEN support should take the form of a four-part cycle (assess, plan, do, review) to help gain a better understanding of the pupil's needs and tailor support accordingly. Schools must show evidence of a graduated response whereby they have sought advice, put appropriate interventions in place and evaluated progress before requesting additional or alternative provision through an EHC assessment.
Healthwatch England
Healthwatch England is an independent consumer champion, gathering and representing the views of the public about health and social care services in England. It operates both at a national and local level.
HI
Hearing Impairment
IASS
Information, Advice and Support Service
IEP
Individual Education Plan - a plan which sets out the support a child is receiving in their school or other setting. There is no longer a specific requirement for children with SEN to have a plan called an IEP under the Code but children with SEN may still have IEPs.
Independent School
A school that tis not maintained by a local authority
Joint Commissioning
Working collaboratively across agencies to assess need, identify resources available, plan how to use resources and arrange service delivery. This also involves reviewing the services and reassessing need, with the aim of improving outcomes.
JSNA
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment - assessment of the current and future health and social care needs of the local community.
Key Worker
A trained individual who provides personalised support, co-ordination and/or advocacy for disabled children and young people and their families.
LA
Local Authority in England. The local council responsible for managing services in your area. i.e. Wolverhampton City Council
Local Area
The local area includes the local authority, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), public health, NHS England for specialist services, early years settings, schools and further education providers. Local areas in England are subject to inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Ofsted in terms of their effectiveness in identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Local Healthwatch
The local version of Healthwatch England in a particular area.
Mainstream School
A school which is for all children, not just those with special educational needs.
Maintained School
Schools in England that are maintained by a local authority - any community, foundation or voluntary school, community special or foundation special school.
MASH
Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub
MLD
Mild Learning Difficulty
MLD
Moderate learning difficulties - not a legal term but often used in relation to the description of a school, i.e. an MLD school.
MSI
Multi-sensory Impairment - impairment of both sight and hearing
NEET
Not in Education, Employment or Training
OFSTED
Office for Standards in Education - this organisation makes sure schools are meeting set standards
OT
Occupational Therapist - trained to give advice on equipment, adaptations and activities to support the learning/social development of people with physical, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Outcomes
What children and young people achieve and how their lives improve. For example, going to college, learning new skills, living on their own or getting a job.
Panel
A decision-making body who meet to match criteria for services, i.e. short breaks, EHC assessment.
PDD
Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Personal Budget
Money that is allocated to individuals to meet assessed needs in place of services that would otherwise be provided directly to the individual by statutory bodies. A personal budget is the notional amount of money which an LA has identified as necessary to secure the special educational provision in an EHCP
PfA
Preparing for Adulthood (14-25 years)
PMLD
Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty (or Disability)
Portage
Home-based educational support for pre-school children with SEN.
PRU
Pupil Referral Unit for children who need to be educated out of school, often because they have been excluded.
SALT
Speech and Language Therapy
SEMH
Social Emotional and Mental Health Needs
SEN
Special Educational Needs
SENCO
Special Educational Needs Coordinator
SEND
Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities
Short Breaks
An opportunity for parents and carers of a disabled child or young person to have a break from their caring arrangements, and for their child to have a positive and enjoyable experience.
SLD
Severe learning difficulties - not a legal term but often used in relation to the description of a school, i.e. an SLD school.
SNEYS
Special Needs Early Years’ Service - from birth to 5 years
SPD
Sensory Processing Disorder
Special School
A school which is specifically organised to make special educational provision for pupils with SEND.
TAC
Team Around the Child
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Transition
When a young person moves from class to class, a different setting or children to adult services.
Universal Services
Services provided to all children and young people in the area.
V4P
Voice4Parents Parent Carer Forum for Wolverhampton
VI
Visual Impairment.