Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adult at risk
- An adult aged 18 or over with care and support needs who is being abused or neglected, or is at risk of it, and cannot protect themselves.
- Aesthetic / cosmetic procedure
- A non-essential treatment carried out to change a person's appearance rather than to treat an illness.
- Best interests
- A decision made for someone who cannot decide for themselves, choosing the option that is best for them.
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
- A mental health condition in which a person is preoccupied with perceived flaws in their appearance that others often cannot see.
- Botulinum toxin
- A prescription-only medicine, often known by brand names, injected to relax muscles and smooth wrinkles.
- Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021
- The law that makes it an offence to give botulinum toxin or cosmetic fillers to a person under 18 for cosmetic reasons in England.
- Care Act 2014
- The main law setting out councils' duties to protect adults at risk and to meet people's care and support needs.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Chaperone
- A trained person present during an intimate examination to support and protect the patient and the clinician.
- Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004
- The main laws setting out how children's welfare is protected and the duty on organisations to safeguard children.
- Coercion
- Pressuring or forcing someone to do something, such as undergoing or paying for a procedure, against their free will.
- Contemporaneous record
- A written note made at the time of an event, or as soon as possible afterwards, so it is accurate and reliable.
- Cooling-off period
- A set waiting time between agreeing to a procedure and having it, giving the person time to reconsider.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that controls how organisations collect, store and use people's personal information.
- Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)
- Legal protections that make sure any restriction of a person's freedom in their own best interests is lawful and necessary.
- Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
- The named senior person in a service who is responsible for handling and referring safeguarding concerns.
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
- A criminal-records check showing whether a person is suitable to work with patients or vulnerable people.
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021
- The law that defines domestic abuse and strengthens protection and support for those affected by it.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Female genital mutilation (FGM)
- The illegal practice of cutting or injuring a girl's or woman's genitals for non-medical reasons; suspected cases in under-18s must be reported to the police.
- Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
- The law that makes female genital mutilation a criminal offence and creates a duty to report it in girls under 18.
- Fit and proper persons
- The legal requirement that directors and staff are suitable, of good character and properly qualified for their roles.
- General Dental Council (GDC)
- The body that registers and regulates dental professionals in the United Kingdom.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and regulates doctors in the United Kingdom.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The body that registers and regulates pharmacists and pharmacies in Great Britain.
- Health and Care Act 2022
- Recent health legislation that, among other things, created a power to introduce a licensing scheme for cosmetic procedures.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet, enforced by the Care Quality Commission.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Intravenous (IV) therapy
- Treatment in which fluids, vitamins or medicines are given directly into a vein through a drip.
- Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
- The council officer who oversees allegations of harm made against people who work with children.
- Mental capacity
- Whether a person can understand and make a particular decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law that protects and supports people who may be unable to make particular decisions for themselves.
- Modern Slavery Act 2015
- The law that tackles slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking and protects victims.
- Nominated Individual
- The senior person responsible to the regulator for supervising how a service is provided.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The body that registers and regulates nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Remote prescribing
- Prescribing a medicine without seeing the patient face to face, for example by phone or video; restricted for cosmetic injectables.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Safeguarding adults review
- A formal review carried out when an adult at risk dies or is seriously harmed, to learn lessons and improve practice.
- Self-neglect
- When a person neglects to care for their own health, hygiene or surroundings to a degree that risks their safety.
- Serious case review
- A formal review held after a child dies or is seriously harmed through abuse or neglect, to identify learning.
- Sexual Offences Act 2003
- The main law defining sexual offences and protecting people, including children, from sexual abuse and exploitation.
- Single assessment framework
- The structure the regulator uses to judge a service, built around quality statements and five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led).
- Trafficking
- Recruiting, moving or holding a person through force, deception or coercion in order to exploit them.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- Working Together to Safeguard Children
- The statutory government guidance setting out how organisations should work together to keep children safe.