Jargon Buster

Access	The extent to which service users are able to receive the care they require. The issues involved in accessibility include travelling long distances, physical access (eg premises suitable for wheelchairs), communication (eg interpreters), and the availability of culturally appropriate services.
Accommodated	Term used to describe children who are looked after by their local authority but are not subject to care orders.
Accountability	Responsibility for the planning, delivery, financial management and decision making of an organisation or body.
Accounts	All operating bodies, including charities, are obliged by law to keep detailed accounts of financial expenditure and income, and to present them annually in a publicly available report. Registered charities earning less than £10,000 annually only have to present simple accounts.
Acute Services	Medical and surgical treatment provided mainly in hospitals. Acute trusts are management units in charge of hospitals providing these services.
Advocacy	Advocates support and argue the case for a service user or help them to put across their point of view. They are usually employed in social care to support disadvantaged groups such as the mentally ill and the disabled.
Affordable Housing	Affordable housing is a term which relates to housing which is either for sale or for rent – or a combination of both – at below current market values. Typically, it takes the form of social rented, shared ownership, key worker, outright below market sale or below market rent in the private sector.
Anti Social Behaviour	The term 'anti-social behaviour' covers a wide range of activities that are perceived to blight the quality of community life. Terms such as nuisance, disorder and harassment are also used. Examples include: nuisance neighbours yobbish behaviour and intimidating groups taking over public spaces vandalism, graffiti and fly-posting people dealing and buying drugs on the street people dumping rubbish and abandoned cars begging and anti-social drinking misuse of fireworks reckless driving of mini-motorbikes. A legal definition of anti-social behaviour is found in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The act describes anti-social behaviour as: "acting in an anti-social manner as a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household".
Anti Social Behaviour Order (Asbo)	An injunction made by councils, police or housing associations against any one over 10 years old causing harassment, alarm or distress to a household or a neighbourhood. Breaching the order is treated as a criminal offence and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Area Based Initiatives	Government schemes for reviving deprived communities aimed at tackling all the problems in a neighbourhood rather than one or two aspects. The idea is to address physical, economic and social decline in the round rather than in isolation.
Area Committee/Forum	Can be set up by a council to devolve decision making powers to, or promote discussion at, a more local level. Area committees/Forums can cover an electoral ward or collection of wards, and are usually made up of the councillors that represent those wards.
Backbencher	A rank and file council member, as opposed to a member of a council's decision-making executive. Backbenchers vote on their local authority's policy framework and sit on scrutiny committees, as well as representing their constituents.
Benchmarking	A method used by public sector organisations, charities and private companies for gauging their performance by comparing it to the performance of other organisations, typically of a similar size. Many organisations are now members of so called 'benchmarking clubs' in which they compare published and unpublished performance information.
Best Practice	Best practice means the practice used by organisations that is deemed exemplary and can be held up as a ‘model example’, which can be used and shared in order to learn and improve.
Big Lottery Fund	Distributes half the ‘good causes’ money raised by the national lottery, and is the main lottery funder for the voluntary sector.
Big Society	The aim of Big Society is 'to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building a big society that will take power away from politicians and give it to people'.
BME	Black & Minority Ethnic. Sometimes written as BEM (Black and Ethnic Minority).
Brownfield Site	Land that has been built on before and is usually in an urban area. The land involved is often contaminated.
Capacity	All the resources available to an organisation. Includes people, money, equipment, expertise and information.
Capacity Building	Activities that aim to increase the ability of charities and voluntary sector organisations (including residents/local people) to provide services or take action, mainly relating to the training and development of people, their skills and knowledge.
Capital (spend)	Expenditure on new buildings, land, improvements to existing property (e.g new kitchens) and the purchase of all other assets, such as computer hardware, that have an expected working life of more than one year. i.e, the things you can touch.
Civil Society	Civil society is a term used to describe a range of voluntary civic or social organisations that contribute to society. They are distinct from government and public administrations, the family or the market. These organisations can include registered charities, development non-governmental organisations, community groups, women's organisations, faith-based organisations, professional associations, trade unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions and advocacy groups.
Commissioning	The process by which the needs of the local population are identified, priorities set, then appropriate services are purchased and evaluated – e.g NHS Reforms, moving to Clinical Commissioning Groups
Community Empowerment	Community empowerment is the outcome of engagement and other community-related activities. Power, influence and responsibility is shifted away from existing centres of power and into the hands of communities and individual citizens.
Community Governance	The involvement of local people and organisations in the way that government and public services are run in their area. It can range from standing for election to parish or district councils, to providing community managed services, or just having a say in local decisions.
Community Planning	Community planning is a way of giving local residents the opportunity to create a shared vision for their area. Local groups can identify priorities for action which are agreed by a wide range of people, organisations and groups. The result of this exercise should contribute to a community plan and the area’s sustainable community strategy.
Community Strategy	Plans councils must draw up for improving the quality of life for local people. They must be completed with the help of businesses, voluntary groups and citizens.
Contracting Out	The practice of purchasing services from charities and other organisations by local authorities and other statutory bodies. For example, local authority social services departments "contract out" meals-on-wheels services to charities and commercial organisations, paying them for the service rather than carrying it out themselves.
Cooperative	Organisation or business owned wholly by its employees or stakeholders, where the emphasis is on group decision making, usually on a one member, one vote system. Credit unions are an example of banking cooperatives. Usually based in local areas, members make regular contributions to the credit union, which is then able to make very cheap, small-scale loans to other members - usually for ethically sound, or sustainable projects.
Core Funding	The money required for operational, management and day to day costs of a charity. Without core funding for these activities, the charity would not be able to do anything else. Core funding goes to fundraising, administration, property costs and staff salaries. Sometimes also relates to a charity's main source of income, for example, public donations, or grants.
Day Care	Daytime care usually provided in a centre away from a service user's home, covering a wide range of services from social and educational activities to training, therapy and personal care. Also known as day services.
Day Centre	A place for the provision of day care or day services.
Deprivation	The Indices of Deprivation 2004 (ID 2004) for England replaced ID 2000 with up-to-date data based on new, smaller geographical areas called Super Output Areas (SOAs). There are 32,482 SOAs in England. The index is comprised of 10 sets of data which are brought together and weighted to provide one index by which different Super Output Areas can be compared. These 10 data sets are: income deprivation employment deprivation health deprivation and disability education skills and training deprivation barriers to housing and services crime the living environment the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index. The index is used to rank both the 32,482 SOAs and 354 districts. The ranking impacts on the funding allocation since more funding is given to the areas which are seen to be disadvantaged.
Equal Opportunities	Means treating all people equally, and not being prejudiced or discriminating against someone because of their ethnic origin, religion, sexuality, disability, gender or age. Groups should adopt an Equal Opportunities Policy that sets out their commitment to Equal Opportunities, and states what someone can do if they feel that they have been discriminated against.
Equality Strands	There are six identified equality target groups, or equality strands, that are central to the equality agenda. These are: race gender disability sexual orientation age religion and or belief
Employee Volunteering	When employers encourage and support their staff to volunteer in the local community. The employer supports employees by, for example, giving them time off, matching their funding and allowing them to use office equipment.
Empowerment	Enabling people to take responsibility for themselves and helping them to make decisions about their own lives.
Full Council	A meeting of every councillor on a local authority to vote on council decisions. Has to ratify policy frameworks and decide on budgets.
Governance	Refers to the process by which charity management and trustees oversee and determine the direction, finance and day to day running of a charity. Governance is overseen by and accountable to the charity commission.
Grants	Sums of money given to a charity, organisation or individual, usually from some kind of grant making body such as a charitable foundation or government department. A grant is different to a donation in that it is usually applied for alongside strict criteria, drawn up by the grant maker, that the applicant must adhere to in order to receive the money.
Greenfield Site	Land where there has been no previous development. Developers prefer building on such sites because there is no cost of clearance or risk of contamination, but greenfield development is usually vehemently opposed by countryside campaigners.
Health Inequality	The gap in health status, and in access to health services, between different social classes and ethnic groups and between populations in different geographical areas. Ref: Postcode Lottery
Indices of Deprivation	An official measure based on criteria and statistics used by the government to target regeneration policies to the most deprived areas.
Joined Up Working	Joined-up working involves working in partnership with others, whether in the public, private or voluntary sector, in order to identify and solve local problems. The government increasingly regards joined-up working as a means of fostering efficiency, effectiveness and community engagement in the improvement of local government performance.
Joint Funding	Where two or more agencies, for example, health and social services, agree to share the cost of running a project or service.
Key Decision	A council decision that involves significant amounts of expenditure or saving, or which affects two or more local government wards. Council executives have to give advance warning that they are making these decisions, and must make them in public.
Legacy	Something (a building, equipment, experience, or learning) that is left behind as a consequence of a project or event.
Local Development Framework	A document setting out the overall principles for new development in an area that councils will have to produce under proposed changes to the planning system. It will also include more detailed plans for specific places that are set to change, such as regeneration areas. The framework will replace the current system of having both regional and local structure plans.
Local Strategic Partnership	A body which oversees the cooperation between public agencies, voluntary groups and businesses in the regeneration of deprived neighbourhoods.
Lottery Distributors	The public bodies that hand out the "good causes" cash raised by the national lottery. They include the Big Lottery Fund - now the main distributor for the voluntary sector - the Heritage Lottery Fund, Sport England and others. Charities apply for grants for specific projects or initiatives.
Match Funding	Some funding bodies require applications to make a contribution in cash or in kind, which will help to deliver the project that the application relates to. Sometimes match funding levels are specified, i.e 50% match funding, which means half of the resources required to deliver the activity are pledged by a third party or external source.
Multi-disciplinary Team	A team or group consisting of representatives from several different professional backgrounds who all have different areas of expertise. For example, a community mental health team.
Need	A person's requirement for a service, which has been accepted by the organisation providing it.
NIMBY	An acronym for "not in my back yard" used when discussing planning issues particularly the development of new social housing. The term is used to define the opposition of residents who are against new developments that will devalue their properties.
Outcomes	Outcomes is a term used to refer to the ultimate results of actions or service delivery by councils, VCS organisations or other bodies. These could include better health, reduced crime or happier citizens.
Outputs	This term is usually in distinction to outcomes. Outputs are the immediate result of council actions or services, such as bins emptied, benefits paid or lessons taught. Outcomes might be a cleaner and healthier environment, reduced poverty or more educated citizens.
Overview and Scrutiny	Overview and Scrutiny is a function to enable non-executive councillors to hold local authority executives to account for their performance and the performance of the authority. Local authorities are free to decide how overview and scrutiny should be organised to ensure it reflects local circumstances and priorities. However, scrutiny members are usually divided into thematic overview and scrutiny committees focusing on specific service areas. Overview and scrutiny committees are free to undertake reviews into a wide range of subjects pertinent to the authority. Members of the public are increasingly being encouraged to suggest topics for review. Reviews often attempt to engage the public as witnesses or through consultations outside the town hall.
Out of Town Development	The practice of building new retail and leisure facilities in cheap locations outside traditional community centres. Blamed by some for running down high streets and diminishing the distinctive character of towns and cities.
Palliative Care	The care of patients whose disease is no longer curable, eg cancer, HIV/Aids, and motor-neurone disease. It takes into account the physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of care of patients, with the aim of providing the best quality of life for them. Palliative care was developed by and is still largely provided by voluntary hospices.
Partnerships and Partnership Working	Partnerships and partnership working are widely used terms describing arrangements for public service delivery. Partnership bodies at local level play an increasing role in developing strategies and plans, and coordinating activity to achieve national and local priorities. Their responsibilities can range from health and social care to community safety, climate change or children’s services. Most local partnerships are non-statutory bodies without formal decision-making powers of their own. They work through the various partners involved.
Primary Care	Services provided by family doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, health visitors, pharmacists, optometrists and phthalmic medical practitioners.
Primary Care Trust (PCT)	PCTs are free-standing statutory bodies that provide primary and community services and commission secondary (hospital) care on behalf of their local population. Under new NHS reforms there are plans for PCT’s to be abolished.
Procurement	The process of buying in goods or services from an external provider. Covers everything from determining the need for new goods to buying, delivering and storing them.
Provider	Any body providing health or social care under contract arrangements with a purchasing body.
Purchaser	Any budget-holding body that buys health or social care services from a provider on behalf of its resident population or service users.
Quick Wins	A term used in the regeneration sector to refer to relatively cheap and easy initiatives that can be quickly implemented in an attempt to secure community support for a regeneration scheme. Quick wins are also designed to head off community frustration at delays to more substantial improvements that often dog major regeneration initiatives.
Registered Charity	Organisations that have charitable purposes can register with the charity commission to become a registered charity, a legal status strictly governed by charity law.
Registered Social Landlord(RSL)	The official name for housing associations, housing cooperatives and local housing companies that are registered with the housing corporation.
Reserves	The term “reserves” has a variety of technical and ordinary meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. The charity commission uses the term “reserves” to describe that part of a charity’s income funds that is freely available for its general purposes. “Reserves” are therefore the resources the charity has or can make available to spend, for any or all of the charity’s purposes, once it has met its commitments and covered its planned expenditure.
Restricted Funds	Restricted funds are those donated to a charity that are subject to specific requirements which may be declared by the donor(s), for example to a cancer charity for breast cancer research. Or they might be restricted by the charity, for example, for a specific appeal.
Revenue (Spend)	The costs for things that you can’t touch or see, such as operational costs, electricity, rent, wages, telephone costs.
Secondary Care	Specialist care, typically provided in a hospital setting or following referral from a primary or community health professional.
Service Level Agreement	Agreement between organisations and/or agencies setting out how services must be provided, what their standards will be and how monitoring will take place.
Sheltered Housing	Accommodation especially designed for older people supported by a range of communal services, such as 24-hour emergency assistance and a warden.
Silo	Term used to describe a council department that does not work effectively with other parts of the organisation and outside service providers.
Social Enterprise	Organisations which, like mainstream businesses, trade in order to build long-term sustainability, but which operate for a social purpose and use their profits for this end.
Social Exclusion	This term is used to describe people or areas that suffer from a combination of factors that include unemployment, high crime, low incomes and poor housing. Regeneration of communities is based on tackling the problems posed by social exclusion as a whole, rather than simply focusing on its individual elements.
Social Media	The use of mobile communications, the internet
Social Regeneration	Process of tackling the social problems that lead to deprivation, such as crime and drugs. The process is different from physical regeneration, which tackles run-down buildings and communal areas, and economic regeneration, which is aimed at creating jobs and wealth.
Stakeholders	A stakeholder is a person or body that is directly affected by an organisation or project and has an interest or stake in it. Who or what the stakeholders are depends on each individual organisation or undertaking.
Statutory Authority	An organisation that is required by law to provide public services and receives central or local government funding, for example health authorities and local authorities.
Statutory Services	Refers to services provided by the local authority as a matter of course. Examples of statutory services include housing benefits, refuse collection, highway maintenance, planning services, social services, hospital treatment on the NHS and schools.
Substance Abuse	The use of a mood-altering substance in such a way that it is either socially unacceptable or impairs social, medical and/or occupational functioning.
Substance Misuse	Use of substances in a manner for which they were not intended. It is often used in the same context as substance abuse.
Sustainability	Refers to moves by charities to move beyond short-term funding for their activities, to more durable and dependable funding so that work is adequately supported and expansion is possible where necessary. Strategies may include selling products or services such as publications or consultancy.
Sustainable Development	An approach to world development that aims to allow economic growth without damaging the environment or natural resources.
Third Sector	Generic collective name for charity, voluntary, non government and campaigning organisations. Now referred to as ‘Civil Society’
Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS)	The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) identifies the following distinctive characteristics of the Voluntary and Community Sector : self-governing organisations, some being registered charities, some incorporated non-profit organisations and some outside both these classifications a great range of size and structure of organisations work delivered for the public benefit, beyond the membership of individual voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) independence of both formal structures of government and the profit sector an important reliance on volunteers to carry out its work. This work includes: delivering services advocating and or lobbying on behalf of community causes facilitating international, community and economic development advancing religious faith and practice raising funds providing financial support to other VCOs.
Volunteer	Usually refers to a person who gives a portion of their time, or a period of time in a year, to an organisation as a worker or helper without payment. Charities sometimes compensate for volunteers' travel and related expenses.