Abbreviations / Glossary
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 first answer the phone 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