Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adult at risk
- An adult with care and support needs who is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect and cannot protect themselves because of those needs.
- Care Act 2014
- The law that sets out councils' duties to protect adults at risk and to make safeguarding enquiries.
- Care and Support Statutory Guidance
- The official government guidance explaining how councils and partners must carry out their duties under the Care Act 2014.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004
- The main laws protecting children's welfare and setting out how agencies must work together to keep children safe.
- Coercive control / coercion
- A pattern of behaviour used to harm, frighten, isolate or control another person.
- Contemporaneously
- Written down at the time of the event or as soon as possible afterwards, so the record is accurate.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that governs how personal information must be handled, kept secure and shared.
- Domestic abuse
- Abusive behaviour between people who are personally connected, which may be physical, emotional, sexual, financial or controlling.
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021
- The law that defines domestic abuse and strengthens protection and support for people who experience 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.
- Exploitation
- Taking advantage of a person for someone else's benefit, for example through forced work, sexual abuse or being made to commit crimes.
- 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 and sets the standards in 'Good medical practice'.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The body that registers and regulates pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain.
- Good medical practice (2024)
- The General Medical Council's core guidance setting out the professional standards expected of doctors.
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- The body that registers and regulates a range of health and care professionals, such as psychologists and many allied health professionals.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet.
- Information sharing in the public interest
- Passing on confidential information without consent when it is needed to protect someone from serious harm.
- Lawful basis
- The specific legal reason, required by data protection law, that allows an organisation to use or share personal information.
- Local authority
- The council responsible for adult safeguarding enquiries and child protection in the area where the patient is located.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law that protects and supports people who may be unable to make particular decisions for themselves.
- Modern slavery
- The illegal exploitation of people through forced labour, servitude or human trafficking.
- Multi-agency safeguarding hub
- A single team bringing together services such as social care, the police and health to assess and respond to safeguarding referrals about children.
- Named safeguarding lead
- The designated senior person responsible for safeguarding, to whom concerns are reported and who advises on and oversees referrals.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Non-medical prescriber
- A trained healthcare professional, such as a nurse or pharmacist, who is qualified to prescribe medicines without being a doctor.
- Notifiable event
- An incident a provider is legally required to report to the regulator, such as a death or serious injury.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The body that registers and regulates nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom.
- 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.
- Regulation 13 (Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment)
- The specific regulation requiring care providers to protect people from abuse and improper treatment.
- Remote consultation
- A consultation conducted by video or telephone where the clinician and patient are not in the same place.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Safeguarding referral
- Formally alerting the local authority or police to a concern that a child or adult at risk may be being harmed.
- Self-neglect
- When a person is unable or unwilling to care for their own basic needs, health or surroundings, putting their safety at risk.
- Speaking freely
- Whether the patient is able to talk openly and safely, without another person controlling, listening to or influencing what they say.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A step-by-step written instruction setting out how a particular task or process must be carried out.
- Telehealth
- The delivery of health care at a distance using technology such as video or telephone.
- Triage
- The process of quickly assessing patients to decide how urgent their need is and what should happen next.
- 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 (2023)
- The government's statutory guidance on how organisations and agencies must work together to keep children safe.