One of the biggest challenges to effective multi-agency working / collaboration is having a shared understanding, a shared language.

Every organisation has its own internal short hand and language - perhaps referring to systems that are used, principles, workstreams, titles for different staff. More complex concepts can be quickly described and understood across an organisation that way, especially when acronyms are used.

However, when having discussions or in meetings with other organisations, it can be easy to forget that other people will not always understand what you mean.

Good practice in multi-agency working is to remember not to use abbreviations and acronyms without first using their long form, and checking that all those in the meeting or discussion understand what you mean.

NSAB is a strategic board which has a multitude of partners working together in safeguarding, and we use and come across an equally wide range of abbreviations!

So here are some of the most common you might see on our website, in our documents, or hear at our meetings.

If you think we have missed any, just let us know!

ADASS - Association of Directors of Adult Social Services

AMHP - Approved mental health professional (specialist social workers who carry out Mental Health Act assessments alongside similarly specialist doctors)

AP - Assistant practitioner (Norfolk County Council Adult Social Care)

APU - Adult Protection Unit (Norfolk police safeguarding adults officers and staff)

CADS - Child Advice and Duty Service

CHC - Continuing Health Care (where the NHS provide funding for services rather than social care)

CoP - Court of Protection

CPD - Continuing Professional Development (learning activities that professionals undertake to maintain and develop skills)

CQC - Care Quality Commission (regulator of health and social care services)

CSC - Customer Service Centre (they're the first people you will speak with when you ring Norfolk County Council, and will direct your call to the most relevant person or team)

D2A - Discharge to assess (a strategy where people are discharged from hospital without delay and then have their needs assessed more comprehensively)

DA / DV - Domestic abuse / domestic violence

DARA - Domestic abuse risk assessment (similar to DASH but used only by police at this time)

DASH - Domestic abuse, stalking and honour based abuse (police / multi-agency risk assessment tool)

DASVG - Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Group 

DBS - Disclosure and Barring Service (the service that supports safer recruitment by checking if a person has any convictions or other reasons why they should not work with children or adults at risk)

DHR - Domestic Homicide Review 

DoLS - Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

DWP - Department for Work and Pensions

ECCH - East Coast Community Healthcare

EEAS(T) - East of England Ambulance Service (NHS Trust)

EDT - Emergency Duty Team (out of hours service for Norfolk County Council)

FGM - Female genital mutilation

GDPR - General Data Protection Regulation

HBA/V - Honour based abuse / violence

ICB - Integrated Care Board (this used to be known as the CCG, or Clinical Commissioning Group)

ICBAST - ICB adult safeguarding team

IDVA - Independent Domestic Violence Advocate

IMCA - Independent Mental Capacity Advocate

ISA - Information sharing agreement

LA - Local authority (e.g. Norfolk County Council)

LGA - Local Government Association

LPA - Lasting power of attorney

LPS - Liberty Protection Safeguards (will be replacing DoLS in due course)

LSAP - Locality Safeguarding Adults Partnership

LSCG - Locality Safeguarding Children Group

MAPPA - Multi agency public protection arrangements

MASH - Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub

MCA - Mental Capacity Act - can also stand for Mental Capacity Assessment

MDT - Multi disciplinary team

MSP - Making Safeguarding Personal

NCC - Norfolk County Council or Norwich City Council

NCH&C - Norfolk Community Health & Care (NHS Trust)

NCSP - Norfolk Community Safety Partnership

NF&RS - Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service

NFS - Norfolk First Response (care service)

NIDAS - Norfolk Integrated Domestic Abuse Service

NSAB - Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board

NSCP - Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership

NSFT - Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (mental health services)

OPCCN - Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Norfolk

OPG - Office of the Public Guardian

OT - Occupational therapist

PSIRF - Patient safety incident response framework

PfAL - Preparing for adult life team (NCC)

PFAT - People from abroad team (NCC)

PIC - Police Investigation Centre

PiPoT - Person in a position of trust

S42 / Section 42 enquiry - the enquiries made by the local authority under the duties of section 42 of the Care Act 2014 which relate to safeguarding adults

SAB - Safeguarding adults board

SADS - Safeguarding adults data sharing 

SAPC - Safeguarding adults practice consultant (NCC)

SARC - Sexual Assault Referral Centre

SCCE - Social Care Community Engagement service (NCC)

SCIE - Social Care Institute for Excellence

SI - Serious incident

SLT or SaLT - Speech and language therapist

SSP - Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership

SW - Social worker