SEND Glossary
This glossary is a quick reference point for parents, carers and young people.
We have tried to make the information in our SEND Local Offer as easy to understand as possible, and this includes avoiding jargon. However, you may come across abbreviations and acronyms. These should always be included in full where used for the first time in an article.
If you have any feedback about this glossary please contact us.
AAC - Augmentative and alternative communication. This could be the use of signing, speech synthesisers, symbols or objects of reference
ACE – Adverse Childhood Experiences
ART- Access and Response Team (front door to children and young people Council Services)
AS - Autism Spectrum
ASC - Autistic Spectrum Condition
AWP - Avon Wiltshire Partnership
AWPU - Age Weighted Pupil Unit
BNSSG ICB - Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB
BSS - Behaviour Support Service
Compass (Previously known as Early Help Partnership Team)
C&I - Communication and Interaction
C&L - Cognition and Learning
CAMHS - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
CC- Children Centres
CCHP - Community Children’s Health Partnership
CIN - Children in Need
CLD - Complex Learning Difficulties
CP - Child Protection
CYP - Child/Young Person
DCO - Designated Clinical Officer
DfE - Department for Education
DHSC - Department of Health and Social Care
DLA - Disability Living Allowance
DMO - Designated Medical Officer
EHCna - Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment
EHCP - Education, Health and Care Plan
EI - Early Intervention (sometimes used in place of EH)
EIF - Early Intervention Foundation
ELS - Education, Learning and Skills team at the Local Authority
EOTAS - Education other than at school
EP - Educational Psychologist
EPS - Educational Psychology Service
EWO - Education Welfare Officer
Families Plus 0-5 (Previously known as Children’s centre teams)
Families Plus 5-18 (Previously known as FYPS)
FiF - Families in Focus (local response to the Troubled Families Initiative)
FNP - Family Nurse Partnership
HI - Hearing Impaired
HQT - High Quality Teaching
HV - Health Visitor
ICB - Integrated Care Board
IEP - Individual Education Plan
ISS - Inclusion Support Service
JSNA - Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
LAC - Looked After Child/ren
LSCB - Local Safeguarding Children Board
MDT - Multi-Disciplinary Team
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
NBT - North Bristol Trust
NEET - Not in Education Employment Training
NHSE - National Health Service England
OfSTED - Office for Standards in Education
OT - Occupational Therapy/Therapist
PCF - Parent Carer Forum
PD - Physical Disability
PECS - Picture Exchange Communication System
PEP - Personal Education Plan
PfA - Preparing/Preparation for Adulthood
PLC - Pathway Learning Centre which is the EOATOS service and PRU
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties
Protected Characteristics- Under the Equality Act 2010 the following are protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.
PRU - Pupil Referral Unit
PSP - Pastoral Support Plan
QFT - Quality First Teaching
S&P - Sensory and Physical
SAFeH - Single Assessment for Early Help
SALT - Speech and Language Therapy/Therapist
SC - Social Care
SEAL - Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning
SEMH - Social Emotional and Mental Health
SEMHD - Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
SEND - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
SAY - (SEND AND YOU) SEND Information, Advice and Support Service for parents/carers
SGC - South Gloucestershire Council
SGPC - South Gloucestershire Parents and Carers the Local Parent Carer Forum
Signs of Safety - A model for working with families which balances an exploration of danger/harm alongside indicators of strengths and safety
SSS - Sensory Support Service
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication Needs
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
STOD - Specialist Teacher of the Deaf
STVI - Specialist Teacher for Visual Impairment
TAC - Team Around the Child
TAF - Team Around the Family
TFI - Troubled Families Initiative
UHBW - University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
VCSE - Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Sector
VI - Visually Impaired
YOT - Youth Offending Team
KIDS also have a well-developed SEND glossary on their website.