Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Accessible format
- Information presented in a way a person can read or understand, such as large print, easy-read, audio or another language.
- ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
- A condition affecting the brain's development that causes ongoing difficulties with attention, activity levels and acting on impulse, which affect everyday life.
- Autism
- A lifelong condition that affects how a person communicates, relates to others and experiences the world around them.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Coexisting condition
- A separate health condition that a person has at the same time as, or instead of, the one being assessed.
- Contemporaneously
- Written down at the time something happens, or as soon as possible afterwards, so the record is accurate.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sets the rules for handling people's personal information, alongside the UK General Data Protection Regulation.
- Diagnostic criteria
- The set of recognised signs and symptoms a person must have before a particular condition can be diagnosed.
- DNA (did not attend)
- A record that a patient did not come to a booked appointment and did not cancel it beforehand.
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
- The government body that issues driving licences and must be told about medical conditions that may affect safe driving.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Equality Act 2010
- The law protecting people from discrimination based on characteristics such as age, disability, sex or race.
- Feedback appointment
- A dedicated meeting, separate from the assessment, where the result of an assessment and what it means are explained to the patient.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who provides everyday medical care and can refer patients to other services.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of care must meet, enforced by the Care Quality Commission.
- Informed decision
- A choice a person makes after the options, benefits and risks have been clearly explained to them.
- Learning disability
- A reduced ability to learn new skills and understand complex information that affects a person throughout life.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The national body that produces evidence-based guidance on best practice in health and care.
- Neurodevelopmental condition
- A condition arising from differences in how the brain develops, which affects behaviour, learning or attention.
- NICE guideline NG87
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on diagnosing and managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
- Non-pharmacological support
- Help that does not involve medicine, such as psychological support, coaching, skills strategies or changes to a person's surroundings.
- Parental responsibility
- The legal rights and duties a parent or guardian has to make decisions about a child's care and upbringing.
- Person-centred care
- Care planned around an individual's own needs, wishes and preferences rather than a fixed routine.
- Psychoeducation
- Plain-language information that helps a patient and their family understand a condition, its effects and the support available.
- Reasonable adjustments
- Changes an employer or education provider must make under the Equality Act 2010 so a person with a disability is not put at a substantial disadvantage.
- Registered manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulation 10 (Dignity and respect)
- The rule requiring that people receiving care are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
- Regulation 9 (Person-centred care)
- The rule requiring that care and treatment are tailored to each person's needs and preferences.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Shared care
- An arrangement where responsibility for a patient's treatment, such as prescribing and monitoring, is divided between two services by agreement.
- Shared decision-making
- Clinician and patient weighing up the options, benefits and risks together and agreeing a decision that reflects the patient's informed wishes.
- Signposting
- Directing a person to another service, organisation or source of information that can help them.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction setting out how a particular task is to be carried out consistently.
- Titration
- Gradually adjusting the dose of a medicine to find the amount that works best with the fewest side effects.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.