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.