Glossary

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  • 1

  • An exam you can take before leaving primary school in order to get into a grammar secondary school

  • a

  • When a person takes or sends you outside of England or Wales without the permission of those with Parental Responsibility for you
  • Out of the country
  • Being away from where you are meant to be - for example, being away from school
  • To cause someone harm
  • The school year from September to July
  • A type of school which gives free education, and which has more independence than most secondary schools
  • This is when you are looked after by the Local Authority under section 20 of the Children Act 1989
  • Housing
  • When people think you have done something, for example you can be accused of a crime
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is a condition that makes it very hard for people to concentrate
  • Legally become the parent of and adult responsible for a child
  • A legal process where you become a permanent and full member of a new family. Your birth parents lose Parental Responsibility and your new parents get Parental Responsibility for you
  • A register you can use to either find your birth family or ask for no contact with your birth family
  • Help deciding what to do
  • A professional who can help you express your wishes and feelings to Children's Services and make sure you are fairly treated. They can go to meetings on your behalf, give you information and help you make a complaint
  • When people have the same opinion
  • The part of drinks like wine, beer or spirits which is a legal drug but can be dangerous
  • Without anyone knowing who you are
  • Behaviour that is unacceptable
  • Appealing a decision means asking for it to be looked at again. You can appeal if you think that the decision has been made incorrectly
  • A way of learning through work - for example, you can do an apprenticeship to be a plumber or hairdresser, where you work and study at the same time. You will be paid a small amount for your work
  • A person over 18 who will support you if you are at the police station or are being interviewed by the police. They must be there by law if you are interviewed, searched, fingerprinted, photographed, giving DNA or being tested for drugs
  • Plan or agreement
  • Where a police officer uses the law to take you into custody, usually to a police station because they believe you have been involved in crime or were about to be involved in a crime. A police officer may use force to put you under arrest
  • Looking at someone or something and deciding what happens to them and what they need
  • Help or support
  • Someone whose job it is to help or assist
  • Safe place
  • Someone who needs protection from bad treatment
  • A list of names at school so the teacher knows who's there and who isn't
  • An agreement has been made for this to happen
  • A mental health condition where the person can struggle to communicate and form relationships with others

  • b

  • If you are arrested or charged with a crime you may be allowed to leave the police station on bail. You will have to return to court on a particular day and may have certain things you can and cannot do. If you do not stick to the bail conditions you may be arrested again
  • A legal professional who represents you in court
  • What is decided is the best thing for you
  • Birth parents
  • An official document giving you permission to stay in the UK
  • An official document giving details of your birth
  • Behaviour intended to upset someone else, it can be violence, teasing, threats and sending nasty messages online
  • Stealing
  • When someone else pays for your education fees and you do not have to pay them back

  • c

  • CAFCASS is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service who might talk to you if there is a case in the Family court about you. They have to check that you are safe and can write a report to the court about what they believe is in your best interests
  • A drug contained in tea or coffee which can keep you awake
  • CAMHS is the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which is part of the NHS. CAMHS can support you if, for example, you feel anxious, have trouble talking or sleeping, have problems eating, find it hard to concentrate and many other things
  • An illegal drug, also known as hash, skunk, weed, pot, marijuana, grass, dope and ganja
  • If you are at risk of significant harm and your parents cannot meet your needs, Children's Services can apply for a Care Order to get Parental Responsibility for you and place you somewhere safe
  • A person who looks after you who is not your parent or guardian
  • If you are looked after by Children's Services, with the agreement of your parents or under a care order, then you will be in the care system
  • To be charged is to be formally accused of a crime by the police
  • This tells you exactly what crime you have been charged with
  • An order from the court which says who you will live with, and who you have contact with. For example, this could tell you which parent you live with and when you spend time with your other parent
  • An order from the court allowing a social worker to have you medically assessed. You can refuse if you fully understand the situation
  • If you are disabled or need support for your health or development the Local Authority can provide services and support to you and your family as a child in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989
  • Money to help with your living costs paid by the parent you do not live with
  • If Children's Services think you are at risk they might put a Child Protection Plan in place which says things your parents or carers need to do to keep you safe
  • A professional from CAFCASS who might talk to you if your parents go to court to find out what you want to happen. The Guardian will speak to the court on your behalf
  • A department of the Local Authority who must identify and protect children at risk of harm, provide support to children in need and are responsible for children in care. Used to be known as Social Services
  • An order from the court if you have committed a crime under the age of 10. It places you under the supervision of a social worker or member of the Youth Offending Team
  • A relationship between same sex couples which is recognised in law. It is very similar to marriage
  • A person who works for the court to make sure it runs smoothly
  • A very addictive class A illegal drug which is usually in the form of a white powder
  • The rules that the police must follow when you are arrested and taken to the police station. You will be allowed to see this
  • To carry out
  • A legal professional who specialises in matters involving Children's Services. They can help you if you are homeless and under 18, in care or leaving care
  • A form of punishment instead of going to prison. Community service usually means doing things for your community like picking up litter
  • Something given when someone has done something wrong to make up for it; this could be money
  • Telling the people involved that you think they did something wrong
  • Kept private or secret
  • Take away, for example a teacher can confiscate your phone until the end of the lesson
  • Disagreement, different opinions, a clash
  • A connected person may be your relative or friend or someone else you know, such as a teacher, a babysitter or a neighbour
  • Giving permission
  • An official place where you can spend time with one or both parents and sometimes other family members. It may be supervised
  • An order from the court which says who you have contact with, for example when you spend time with the parent you do not live with
  • Something which prevents the risk of getting pregnant. This is usually either a condom, a pill, an implant, injection or a coil
  • Found guilty of a crime
  • Going to see a counsellor to talk about any problems you are having
  • A professional who listens to you and talks through any problems you might have
  • Legally binding decision made by the court
  • Something which is against the law
  • Something which is against the law
  • If you have a criminal record it means you have committed a crime. Some things will not go on your criminal record as a young person
  • When you can be arrested or charged with a crime, the age of criminal responsibility is 10
  • The court that deals with the most serious criminal cases
  • Being held in a place, for example if the police take you to the station you are being taken into custody
  • The person in charge of your care and welfare if you have been arrested and taken to the police station

  • d

  • A legal document that changes your name
  • If you've been accused of a crime the person who is arguing for your side is the defence, and they are defending you.
  • The person accused of a crime in a criminal case
  • Something causing a loss of self respect or humiliation
  • The teacher who is in charge of the school when the head teacher is not there, the second in command
  • A senior teacher in your school whose job is to take care of all looked after children in the school
  • Being held in a place which limits your freedom for example in a police station or secure accommodation
  • How you grow or change
  • Respect for who you are and protection from humiliation and embarrassment
  • Having a physical or mental condition which makes it difficult to do day to day things
  • Being treated differently because of a disability
  • A status allowing you to stay in the country because no one in you country can look after you. Since April 2013 this is known as Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child leave
  • Being treated differently because of your race, gender, sex, age, religion or disability
  • Worried, scared, nervous, very uneasy
  • Abuse in the home between partners or family members. This can be physical violence, sexual abuse or being very controlling over someone's life and their money
  • If someone has a duty to do something it means they have to do it
  • A legal professional at court who will advise you on the law for free if you do not have your own solicitor
  • A learning difficulty which makes it hard for you to spell, write or read

  • e

  • An illegal class A drug
  • A professional who will work with you if you have learning difficulties to check what help you might need in school. They might write a report to the local authority and your school to make sure you get the help you need
  • Information your school holds about you, including school reports and your grades. You or your parents can ask for a copy of these to be given to you
  • If you have learning difficulties, you might need extra help at school. Your Local Authority can do an assessment to find out what help you need. If you are aged 16-25 you can ask for an assessment yourself, if you are under 16 your school and/or your parents can ask for an assessment
  • If you have learning difficulties, you might need extra help at school. Your Local Authority can write a plan which sets out your Special Educational Needs and outlines what help you need at school. Your school must follow this by law
  • A person who works for the local authority to help children who have low attendance and other problems at school
  • If you have committed a crime you might be required to wear a tag which will check that you stick to your curfew
  • An embassy is a point of government for one country that is located inside another, for example if you are abroad you can go to the British Embassy to get help from the government. You can also find many other embassies in England, if you are not from the UK you can go to these for help
  • If you are at immediate risk of harm the court can give permission for your Local Authority to investigate. The Local Authority will get Parental Responsibility for you while this order is active
  • A job or work that you are paid to do
  • A right to have something
  • If you give evidence in court, you give your account of what happened. Evidence can also mean proof that something happened
  • Too much
  • To be excluded is a form of punishment that the school can use for bad behaviour. You can be excluded for a set number of days or permanently. Also known as being expelled
  • Exclusion is a form of punishment that the school can use for bad behaviour. You can be excluded for a set number of days or permanently. Also known as expulsion
  • Taking advantage of someone or treating them unfairly to benefit from their work. For example, if you are forced to do jobs without pay or act in a sexual way, this could be exploitation
  • Outside the organisation

  • f

  • If there is a court case about you in the Family Court you might meet a Family Court Adviser. This is a professional from CAFCASS (The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service). They must tell the Family Court the best course of action for you
  • The person who will make a decision in a court case in the Family Court about you. For example, they might decide which parent you live with, when you spend time with another parent or whether you should live with someone else. They must always make a decision that is in your best interests
  • A court where all family matters are dealt with
  • To do with money
  • If you have Special Educational Needs and/or a disability, the First Tier Tribunal can hear appeals about your statement or plan
  • You have not been convicted or found guilty of a crime before
  • If you are made to marry against your will
  • If you are a child in need and living with a family that is not your own, the people who look after you are your foster family
  • A person who will look after you if you cannot live with your parents. It could be someone you know or someone who works for the local authority. You might live with them for a short period or long-term
  • Temporarily stop from happening

  • g

  • A government body which holds all records of births, deaths and marriages
  • Your private parts
  • A group of people in charge of setting the direction of the school. They can look at school exclusions, decisions about admissions and complaints about the school
  • Grammar schools can select pupils by their ability. Usually you will have to do the 11+ exam to go to a Grammar school
  • Making friends with a child to later abuse them
  • If there is a court case about you in the Family Court, you may have a Guardian who must find out your views and to go to court and speak on your behalf

  • h

  • To purposely pester someone
  • The teacher who is in charge of your year
  • The teacher who is in charge of your whole school
  • A document listing details of your physical and mental health - you can ask for a copy of this from your GP
  • A court hearing is where a judge will sit and listen to the arguments of both sides to make a decision
  • Killing someone
  • Tell the truth
  • You will get humanitarian protection if the UK Government decides you are not a refugee but it wouldn't be safe for you to return to your country

  • i

  • The kind of permission you have to be here
  • Not right for the situation
  • You can stay in the UK forever and there is no time restriction
  • A person who works for Children's Services and if you are in care must make sure your care plan meets your needs and your wishes are heard
  • An independent review panel can look at a permanent exclusion and agree with it, ask for it to be looked at again or disagree with the decision and order that it is looked at again
  • An independent adult who is not in the care system who can befriend you and provide support
  • A plan agreed with the school setting out support for your health or medical needs
  • Cruel
  • You are found not guilty, the court decides that you did not do the crime
  • You left housing that you could have stayed in. The Local Authority may refuse to provide you with housing in this situation
  • Inside the organisation
  • Get involved

  • j

  • A person in charge of a court who will make the decisions
  • A group of people who will make a decision on whether someone is guilty or not guilty of a crime based on the evidence they see and hear in court

  • k

  • If Children's Services are involved with you and your family, you may have a key worker who is in charge of making sure all the services you need are working together
  • When you go to live with a relative or a family friend because your parents cannot look after you
  • A relative or friend who will look after you if you cannot live with your parents

  • l

  • A professional who practises law, who could be a barrister or a solicitor
  • A plan that sets out how you will learn
  • A person who helps the teacher in the classroom but is not a qualified teacher
  • When a legal professional provides you with your rights and actions that you can take
  • Money from the government that will help to pay for a lawyer in your case
  • If something is legally binding it means you have to stick to it and the law will back it up if you don't
  • A legal professional who will speak on your behalf
  • To do with language
  • If you are party to a case in the Family court you will be given a litigation friend who will handle the court case on your behalf. The litigation friend must not have their own interest in the case and must always act in your best interests
  • A government body which makes the rules in the area you live
  • The body responsible for your education within a certain area
  • An independent organisation who can look into complaints about the local authority
  • You are a 'looked-after' child if you have been provided with care and accommodation by children service's for a period longer than 24 hours under a care order or with the agreement of your parents

  • m

  • A volunteer who sits in a panel of two or three people to decide a case in court
  • Treating someone badly
  • When your school agrees for you to move to a different school for a fresh start
  • Something that must be done, it is not optional
  • When someone is controlled or tricked into doing something
  • Killing someone without meaning to
  • The longest or largest amount
  • A professional who helps families talk about their differences to try and reach a solution. For example, if your parents disagree who you should live with they might see a mediator to reach agreement
  • Illness, allergy, disability or learning difficulty
  • The smallest possible amount
  • A group of people who are small in number
  • Killing someone and meaning to do it

  • n

  • A number given to you by the government which you need in order to work and pay tax and national insurance

  • o

  • A condition which can make the person feel the need to keep checking things and do certain routines
  • Doing something which is against the law
  • Someone else doing something for you
  • Chance
  • To do with the mouth
  • Where there are more people in a place then allowed

  • p

  • Someone who has Parental Responsibility for you can make decisions on your care and upbringing
  • A written or online agreement between your parents saying how they will share the care of you
  • A Pathway Plan will set out the support that you will be given once you have left care. This must be based on the needs assessment carried out. The plan should be prepared before you leave care
  • Something that is not intended to change
  • If you are a care leaver you may have a Personal Advisor who will give you advice and support and organise the services that you need when you leave care. You should have a choice of Personal Advisor
  • A shop which sells medicine
  • To do with the body
  • If you are looked after the court can make a placement order allowing the local authority to place you with people who may later adopt you. The local authority and your birth parents will share parental responsibility for you with the people you are living with
  • A person who has the power to ensure law and order usually wearing uniform
  • Information held by the police about you
  • The building where members of the police force work
  • A set of ideas or rules of what to do in a particular situation for example an anti-bullying policy will set out how a school deals with bullying
  • A dangerous drug usually found as a liquid in a small bottle
  • A text, image or video that could include pictures of naked people or could show people doing sexual acts
  • Medicine as suggested by the doctor
  • If you are under the age of 16, (or under 18 if you have a disability) and you live for more than 28 days with someone who is not your guardian or a close relative this will be a private foster arrangement
  • The way something is done
  • Not allowed, banned
  • A lawyer who will bring a criminal case against someone. They usually work for the Crown Prosecution Service
  • Look after, defend, protect from harm
  • Give help
  • The use of psychological methods to treat emotional and mental disorders
  • The penalty given for committing an offence
  • A centre which provides education for children who cannot go to a school

  • q

  • Officially recognised, finished training

  • r

  • Forcing someone to have sex when they do not want to
  • Agree in writing
  • Within reason, something that make sense to most people
  • A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape very bad treatment
  • A person whose claim for asylum has been accepted by the Home Office
  • A person who is qualified to give medical advice
  • A strong warning from the police
  • Where and who you live with
  • An order from the court saying who you live with
  • Looked at again to see if it needs changing
  • Stealing from someone using force

  • s

  • Protecting from harm
  • Person responsible for protecting from harm
  • A small part
  • A person trained to give you medical care in school
  • The period you go to school between September and July
  • Look for
  • The person in Government who is responsible for child protection and education matters in England
  • Children's Services can house you somewhere where your freedom is limited
  • If you have a learning difficulty and need extra help with school work you may have special educational needs
  • Special Needs Coordinator. The person in your school who will work with you if you have learning difficulties to make sure you are getting the right help in school
  • This tells you how long you will spend in prison or doing community service
  • Where you live with more than one parent or carer. You do not need to be spending equal time with each person
  • Now called Children's Services
  • A person who works for Children's Services who may come to see and talk to you to check that you are safe and healthy and see if you need any support. If you are in care you will have a named Social Worker
  • A professional who advises you on the law and can take action on your behalf. They can go to court for you
  • Where you live permanently with someone other than your birth parents as ordered by the court. This person is your Special Guardian and will have responsibility for your care and upbringing until the age of 18
  • A type of school designed to meet the needs of children who have special educational needs
  • A professional who will work with you if you have difficulties speaking and communicating
  • If you have learning difficulties you might need extra help at school. Your Local Authority can write a statement which sets out your Special Educational Needs and outlines what help you need at school. Your school must follow this by law. These have now been replaced with EHCP's
  • State school education is free and funded by the government
  • A lot
  • Something that is right for the situation
  • Contact that takes place between you and a parent while another person is also there
  • Overseeing something
  • If you are at risk of significant harm, a Supervision Order can be made for the Local Authority to advise, assist and befriend you. The Local Authority will not have Parental Responsibility for you
  • Help
  • Relating to a medical operation

  • t

  • The person who teaches you in school. You may have one class teacher or different teachers for different subjects
  • For a limited amount of time, not permanent
  • A contract relating to renting a property
  • Stealing something
  • Causing someone extreme pain as a punishment or way of getting information
  • Training to do something
  • A deeply distressing or scary experience it can also mean a physical injury
  • A type of court

  • u

  • Not allowed

  • v

  • Spoken
  • The decision a court makes
  • A person harmed by crime
  • A teacher who works for the local authority to promote the education of all looked after children in their area
  • Giving your time to help someone for free
  • Someone who is at risk of harm

  • w

  • Wardship is when the High Court is given legal guardianship over you. If wardship is made you will become a ward of court
  • Health and Happiness
  • Whether you are comfortable, healthy or happy
  • A person who may give evidence for the defence or prosecution because they saw heard or found something that might be important in a criminal case

  • y

  • A type of prison for people aged 15 to- 21
  • A court for young people
  • A team of people who work with children to stop them from committing a crime
  • A community sentence that can make you to do things such as unpaid work stick to curfews take part in certain activities have drug treatment and other things