Accessibility

Designed to include disabled people e.g. ramps for wheelchair users, signers for deaf people and large print for partially sighted people. Appropriate language which is easily understood.

Accountability

Being answerable to those who have responsibility or who give authority to what is being done.

Active Communities Development Fund

A Sport England Lottery Fund revenue programme aiming to increase sporting opportunities for and participation among the following four priority groups.

• ethnic communities
• people with disabilities
• women and girls
• people on low incomes

Active Community Unit

Government body located in the Home Office tasked to create a "change in culture, in which being active in your community is a usual and everyday thing". It works to create local infrastructures for people to become more involved, including improving opportunities for volunteering, training and mentoring.

Advocacy

A range of support available to users of services to enable them to have access to a volunteer, or other designated person who will speak for them and ensure that their interests are represented.

Agenda 21

An action plan for sustainable development in the 21st century agreed by 178 heads of national governments (including the UK) at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio.

Annual General Meeting

A meeting held once a year by groups and organisations to approve any Annual Reports and Accounts and vote on any proposed motions (such as the re-election of directors, trustees or committees).

Area Child Protection Committee

A body required by law in each county or unitary authority with membership drawn from all statutory agencies working with children, but with an independent chair. Required to ensure that all children in their area are protected from significant harm including taking responsibility for establishing good local policies and practices and ensuring that these are adhered to.

Area committee

A body set up by a council to devolve decision making powers to, or promote discussion at, a more local level. Area committees can cover an electoral ward or collection of wards, and are usually made up of the councillors that represent those wards.

Association of Charitable Foundations

National organisation for grant-making trusts and foundations of all types. Offers good practice information, legal information and a public voice.

Association of Charity Shops

An organisation that helps charities running charity shops in the UK to work together. By pooling expertise and by joining forces to promote common interests, the Association helps its members to operate their charity shops as effectively as possible.

Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations

Membership body for heads of voluntary organisations and charities. Supports charity leaders, promotes standards in voluntary and charity work and enables expertise sharing in charity management. Also has a campaigning function.

Awards for All

A Lottery grants scheme aimed at local communities awarding grants of between £500 and £5,000 to fund projects that enable people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, as well as projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community.

Beacon councils
 

Award scheme that aims to highlight good practice in delivering local government services. Other councils are then encouraged to learn from the beacons.

Beacon services

A scheme set up to identify and spread knowledge of examples of best practice in the NHS, highlighting innovative approaches to service provision in a range of areas, including accident and emergency, human resources, and reducing health inequalities.

Best value

Regime that aims to continuously improve local government performance through a programme of reviews and inspections. Councils must examine their services according to four guiding principles. They must challenge how, why and by whom a service is provided; compare its performance with that of other authorities; consult service users; and use competition to get the best service available.

Board for Social Responsibility

Body in each Anglican diocese responsible for the provision of advice and support to parishes in the establishment and operation of programmes for parenting, marriage preparation and marriage support.

Bridging the Gap

Discussion paper by the Social Exclusion Unit.

Campaign Against Living Miserably

An organisation that provides counselling, advice and referrals for young men.

Capacity Building

The process of increasing the ability of individuals, organisations or communities to achieve their own needs. Includes confidence building, training, education, etc.

Capital Funding

Money spent on physical things such as buildings, improvements to existing property, vehicles and equipment (such as computer hardware) with an expected working life of more than one year.

Carer

A person who provides a substantial amount of care on a regular basis who is not employed to do so by an agency or organisation. A carer is usually a friend or relative looking after someone who is frail or ill at home.

Chairperson or chair

The person who directs and manages a meeting or committee.

Charities Aid Foundation

UK based international body that helps non-government organisations and charities raise funds and manage their finances and resources. Campaigns on charity finance issues.

Children’s Fund

Funds services to identify children and young people who are showing early signs of difficulty and provide them and their families with the support they need to get back on track.  The aim is to prevent children falling into drug abuse, truancy, exclusion, unemployment and crime, as well as raising aspirations and preventing underachievement. 

Children’s Fund (Local Network)

The local network aims to help children in poverty achieve their potential by investing directly in the work of the local community and voluntary sector groups that provide local solutions to the problems of poverty with grants of up to £7,000.

Citizens Advice Bureau

Provides information, advice and advocacy across a wide range of subjects.

Committee

A group of people appointed to perform a specified service or function, e.g. tenants or resident committees.

Community

A body of persons bound together through common interest. This may be where they live or work or a common goal (e.g. pressure groups).

Community Capacity Building

To equip the community with the skills which will enable them to participate and increasing the number of opportunities to exercise positive choice.

Community Chest (Neighbourhood Renewal Fund)

A £50m fund (over three years from 2001) to stimulate and support community activity, as a first step in enabling more people to become involved in the regeneration of their communities. Applications can be made for amounts from £50 to a maximum of £5,000 to fund small purchases such as computers, a mini bus or the hire of meeting space.

Community Connections Team

A team made up of health, social services and voluntary sector members working within the Southport and Formby area. Will involve people living and working locally in advising and influencing the primary care trust on decisions which will improve health, especially for those most in need.

Community Councils

Locally based charities or voluntary groups that consult the local community and make known to public bodies the views of local people on all matters affecting them. Local authorities have a duty to consult community councils on how local services are delivered and other issues affecting their neighbourhoods. Community councils are arranged according to issues in local areas. For example, local community health councils and rural community councils.

Community Development

Activity which arises from, and is controlled by, communities in order to increase the capacity of communities to take action

Community Empowerment Fund

A £36m programme to help community and voluntary sector groups get involved in decisions about how public services are delivered in their area.

Community fund

Operating name of the national lottery charities board, which distributes national lottery money to charities and voluntary organisations for initiatives that help meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society and improve the quality of life in the community.

Community Health Council

Statutory, independent bodies set up to give a stronger voice to the views of local people on health services in their area.  They are to stop functioning in the future and be replaced by PALS and VOICE.

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.

Community Transport Association (CTA)

National body for local organisations providing bus, minibus and other transport for voluntary, charity and public sector organisations. Provides training and information, and campaigns for minibus safety.

Compact

An agreement made by voluntary sector and statutory organisations covering the relationship between the two.

Connexions

All-encompassing youth service launched in April 2001 to replace the careers service and other statutory youth services. Aimed at giving 13 to 19 year-olds "the best transition to adulthood". Involves personal advisers going into schools, colleges and communities to steer young people towards goals and guide them to relevant services.

Consultation

Two-way communication with people through various channels in order to discuss issues and to gain opinions.

Coronary heart disease

Disease of the heart affecting adults, known to be dependent upon an individuals lifestyle.

Council for Voluntary Service

An organisation that promotes and assists voluntary activity in a particular area by providing advice, information, support, training and services to voluntary groups as well as acting as a focus for links with the private and statutory sectors.

Delivery plan

Plan setting out long, medium and short term strategies for achievement of a goal.

Disability rights commission (DRC)

Independent body set up by the government to help secure civil rights for disabled people. Advises the government as well as campaigning to encourage good practice, eliminate discrimination and promote equality.

District Health Authority

The main purchasers of health care, who have to assess the needs of their population and then agree service contracts with provider units (hospitals, community services within the DHA etc.)

Drug Action Team

A multi-agency team to oversee the development of drug services, co-ordinate local anti-drugs activity and produce a collaborative plan of action to tackle drug use and its associated problems. Usually includes police, social services, health authority and voluntary sector groups.

Education Action Zone

National Government initiative aimed a building on the roles of schools by using local partnerships and raising levels of attainment.

E-government (electronic government)

The provision of Government information, and the ability to correspond with the Government, through the internet and other new technologies such as digital television, mobile phones and call centres. The government wants as many services as possible available electronically by 2005.

European Regional Development Fund

This provides regional aid to improve economic prosperity and social inclusion in the poorer regions of the European Union by investing in projects to promote development and encourage the growth of industry.  This fund is available in objective 1 and 2 areas.

European Social Fund

Government fund established under the EU employment strategy that contributes up to 45% of money for projects that will improve employability, human resources and equal opportunities in a given area in order to tackle social exclusion. Distributed in both Objective 1 & 3 areas, and may be used to complement ERDF activities in objective 2 areas.

Evaluation

To judge or assess the success of something which has taken place.

Family Support Forum

A multi-sector forum providing information and support to agencies working on issues impacting on children and their families.

Feasibility Study

A project to identify whether a certain action should be carried out or not.

Government offices for the regions (GO)

Established in 1994 to bring together the regional outposts of various government departments. Responsible for spending government money at the regional level, including the co-ordination of regeneration programmes.

Green Paper

A consultation document that outlines a proposed Act of Parliament and invites discussion. The first step in a policy-making process that usually leads to legislation.

Brownfield site

Area which has already been developed.

Greenfield Site

A rural area which has not been previously built upon.

Health & Social Care Forum

Brings together voluntary and community sector organisations with an interest in health and social care issues.  This is to share information and best practice, gain peer support and engage in working in partnership with statutory sector organisations.

Health Action Zone

Partnerships between the NHS, local authorities, community groups and the voluntary and business sectors in areas of high deprivation, aimed at tackling health inequalities and poor health.

Health Authority

An organisation responsible for identifying the health needs of its resident population and for securing through healthcare providers the necessary hospital and community health services to reflect the needs within the resources available.

Health Development Agency

A national organisation whose aim is to improve the health of the population and reduce health inequalities. They conduct research and consultations and have links with Public Health Departments, Health Promotion Services and Health Action Zones.

Health Impact Assessment

The estimation of the effects of a specified action on the health of a defined population.  It works on the understanding that a community’s health is not only determined by its health services, but also by a wide range of economic, social, psychological and environmental influences.

Health Improvement and Modernisation Plan

A local plan of action produced yearly to improve health and modernise services. It has a broader remit than just medical services, including regeneration issues, environment etc.

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.

Healthy Living Centre

A place or range of community based services aimed at promoting health and healthy lifestyles and tackling social exclusion in areas of rural or urban deprivation and among the most disadvantaged members of those communities.

Houses in multiple occupation

Homes in which two or more households share basic facilities. They are often associated with disrepair and health hazards for their occupants. Councils are keen to have the power to licence all HMOs in their areas. Licensing is currently only voluntary.

Housing Association

Not-for-profit organisation which improves properties and builds new homes, primarily for rent in inner cities.  They also provide homes for sale through special schemes to help people on lower incomes who wish to become homeowners.

Housing Investment Programme

Mechanism by which capital resource are allocated to local authorities for investment in their own housing stock (if any), the renewal of private sector stock, and the funding of new social housing – largely through housing association.  The HIP is part of the ‘single capital pot’ for local authority expenditure.

Independent Living

A term used by disabled people to sum up their expectation of access to the opportunities enjoyed by their non-disabled peers. It describes the political aspiration for the inclusion of disabled people in society and the practical choices being looked for to enable this.

Index of deprivation

An official measure used by the government to target regeneration policies to the most deprived areas.

Intermediate Labour Market

A combination of training and employment which moves people off income support and into employment.

Invest to Save Budget

A Government initiative that funds innovative projects designed to produce savings in the end.  It has been described as “venture capital for the public sector”.

Jargon

Specialised technical language of a particular subject.

Joint funding

Where two or more agencies, for example, health and social services, agree to share the cost of running a project or service.

Joint Investment Plan

Three-year investment plans for vulnerable care groups such as older people which show how organisations such as health or social services will work together to provide services.

Joint Planning /Joint Planning Structure

Organisations within or across sectors agree objectives and meet regularly to develop and implement.

Leader

Councillor elected as the political figurehead of a local authority, usually the head of the largest party. Leaders are chosen either by fellow councillors or, in the case of a directly elected mayor, by the general public.

Learning Disabilities

A term covering people who find activities that involve thinking and understanding difficult and will need additional help and support with their everyday lives. Some people with a learning disability may also have an additional impairment such as a sensory impairment or a physical disability.

Learning Skills Council

See: National and local learning and skills councils.

Leverage

The process by which a project brings in other money, for example bringing in £1 from the business sector for every £1 given by the government.

Life event

Something significant that happens in life e.g. marriage, having a baby, retiring, going to university.  e-Services are increasingly being structured around life events.

Local Agenda 21

A strategy which local authorities are required to produce to show how they will work with their communities to achieve sustainable, environmentally friendly development.

Local Authority

An elected body for local government (e.g. town councils, county councils), responsible for provision of a range of services for local communities.

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 education authority (LEA)

Council department responsible for delivering primary and secondary education with a duty to improve school performance and tackle failure, pass on schools funding, ensure excluded children are educated and provide enough school places for local children.

Local Government Act 1999

Legislation that introduced the ‘Best Value’ service improvement and inspection regime, placing a duty on councils to continuously improve their services and replacing the compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) regime.

Local Government Act 2000

Legislation that introduced directly elected mayors and cabinet-style government and brought in a new, more permissive legal framework for local government allowing councils to take actions to increase the social, economic or environmental well-being of local people.

Local Medical Committee

Statutory representative body for all GPs in a particular area which must be consulted by the NHS on issues ranging from GP terms of service to investigations into professional conduct.

Local Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy

An agreed vision and plan for positive change in neighbourhoods in need of renewal.

Local Public Service Agreement

An agreement between an individual local authority and the Government which sets out the Local Authority’s commitment to deliver specific improvements in performance, and the Government's commitment to reward these improvements.

Local Strategic Partnership

Bodies responsible for developing plans to improve the quality of life in the local area as a whole. They must welcome and actively seek out voluntary and community sector participation as well as public sector agencies and businesses, and will offer the opportunity to rationalise the many partnerships that exist already.

Looked after children (children looked after)

Children who are either in care (subject to a care order) or accommodated by a local authority if, for example, their birth parents are temporarily unable to care for them, or they have been neglected or abused. Social services - and voluntary agencies - arrange alternative care arrangements within the children's birth family or in a foster family or a residential children's home. Seventy per cent of looked after children return to their birth families within a year.

Mapping Exercise

A technique used to record and order large quantities of complicated and interrelated pieces of information.

Modernisation agency (NHS)

National body created in the NHS plan to help local clinicians and managers redesign services to make them more patient-friendly, quicker and efficient, and to secure continuous service improvements across the NHS. It also has responsibility for the NHS leadership centre, and the NHS beacon services programme.

National and local learning and skills councils (LSC)

Established in April 2001, the national learning and skills council is a government body that coordinates and funds training, apprenticeships and education initiatives to improve opportunities for adults and make a crucial contribution to the economy in terms of productivity, competitiveness and inclusion through the updating of skills and the embracing of new technology. With a budget of £5.5bn, the council operates through 47 local learning and skills councils – multi-agency partnerships that work at a local level.

National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service

Umbrella body of more than 280 local councils for voluntary service (CVS). Local CVS provide support, advice and information for local voluntary organisations, and the NACVS provides training, services and a national voice.

National care standards commission

The NCSC is the independent regulatory body responsible for inspecting and regulating almost all forms of residential care and other voluntary and private care services in England from April 2002. It can order the withdrawal of a home's licence and the exclusion of individuals from the residential care sector.

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

National umbrella body for voluntary organisations and charities in England. Represents more than 1,000 organisations in negotiations with the government over service levels, charity law and consultation. Also provides support and services to organisations.

National Institute for clinical Excellence

Body set up in April 1999 to decide which health treatments and technologies - from drugs to artificial hips - should be available on the NHS in England and Wales (the equivalent body in Scotland is the Scottish health technology board).

National institute for mental health in England

The NIMHE was set up to provide research and expertise to help the NHS implement the national service framework on mental health. From spring 2003, the institute will coordinate and disseminate research and good practice, facilitate training and improve mental health services.

National Service Framework

Introduced in 1998 to establish a set of minimum national standards of clinical quality and access to services in a series of major care areas and disease groups (including, so far, mental health, diabetes, older people and coronary heart disease). The aim is to drive up performance and decrease geographical variations in care standards.

National volunteer managers forum

Network of more than 80 charity and voluntary organisation professionals who are responsible for overseeing volunteers. The forum, which is part of the National Centre for Volunteering, promotes best practice, shares experience and networking for more effective volunteer management.

Neighbourhood Action Group

Community based groups, run by local residents, set up in each of the thirteen areas targeted under SRB 6 to identify local needs and implement projects using SRB6 and other funding.

Neighbourhood Action Plan

Plan created by each Neighbourhood Action Group to highlight the priorities for improvement in their areas.

Neighbourhood Development

To make improvements in the streets and surrounding areas where people live.

Neighbourhood manager

Appointed by local authorities and housing associations to ensure that deprived areas get their fair share of regeneration funding, and that the cash is used properly. Also have a brief to help public service providers tailor their work to the needs of deprived communities.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

Provides 88 of the most deprived council areas in the country with a combined total of £900m over three years from 2001-02. Aimed at kick-starting regeneration initiatives.

Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy

The government's master plan for regenerating deprived parts of the country. Published in 2001 with the aim of ensuring that within 10-20 years no one should be seriously disadvantaged by where they live.

Neighbourhood Renewal Unit

Government office based in the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and charged with implementing the Neighbourhood renewal strategy.

Neighbourhood wardens

Civilian staff who patrol suburban areas in an attempt to control low-level crime such as vandalism. Generally employed by local authorities and housing associations.

New Deal

Scheme that aims to move the long-term unemployed into the job market through training, work placements and subsidised employment.

New Deal for Communities

Government initiative to tackle deprivation by providing intensive financial and other support to the poorest communities to bridge the gap between these neighbourhoods and the rest of the country. Aimed at tackling poor job prospects, crime, educational under-achievement, poor health and poor housing and physical environment in a co-ordinated way. Nearly £2bn has been committed to the scheme.

New Deal Partnership

Organisations charged with delivering the New Deal for Communities. Partnerships are made up of local communities, voluntary organisations, businesses and public services. Nearly 40 had been created by 1999, and the government has pledged almost £2bn to the scheme.

New Opportunities Fund

A non-departmental public body responsible for distributing national lottery money to health, education and environment projects in the UK including the ‘Healthy Living Centres’ initiative.

NHS Trusts

The 68 NHS Trusts provide services to Primary Care Trusts and GPs under contract.

Non-government organisation

Mainly used in the UK to refer to campaigning organisations that have an interest in making clear their integrity from government. Not generally used to refer to charities, because "charity" serves as a legally defined term, though some campaigning organisations are also charities.

Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6:

These represent the different pots of European money. Each objective has a different aim.

Objective 1

Scheme that aims to reduce deprivation in the European Union's most affected areas. Partly funded by the EU, and partly by national governments, Objective One targets the highest priority areas in the union - defined as those where per capita gross domestic product is less than 75% of the EU average. Cornwall, west Wales, South Yorkshire and Merseyside are included in the scheme's current round.

Objective 2

Programme aiming to support the economic and social conversion of areas facing structural difficulties, and areas qualify under four strands – industrial, rural, urban and fisheries.

Objective 3

Programme aiming to develop labour markets and human resources.

Objective 5b

Programme aiming to assist the economic diversification of fragile rural areas.

Objectives

The means by which you will achieve your aims. See example given under aims.

Our Healthier Nation

A comprehensive Government wide public health strategy for England published as a White Paper in July 1999 with twin goals:

• to improve health;
• to reduce the health gap (health inequalities).

The strategy aims to prevent up to 300,000 untimely and unnecessary deaths by the year 2010

Outcomes

The benefits and overall difference that the project or piece of work makes. For instance learning new skills

Outputs

The physical products, or measurable results, of individual projects (e.g. Number of jobs created; number of people trained obtaining jobs).

Outsourcing

Awarding a contract to a private, public or voluntary sector organisation to supply a service previously run by a public sector body such as a council or hospital.

Parental responsibility

"All the rights, duties, powers, responsibility and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property" - Children Act 1989 section 3 (1). A care order grants parental responsibility to a local authority but does not remove it from a child's parents.

Partnership

Drawing together of a number of separate groups or individuals.

Pathway plan

Under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, all looked after children should have a pathway plan set up by their 16th birthday. The plan should set out the support that the young person will receive in transition to independent life, and should cover the period up to the age of 18 or when they are living independently

Performance assessment framework

Performance indicators are published for all 150 council-run social services departments in England. The indicators are known collectively as the personal social services performance assessment framework (PAF). The indicators include delayed discharge, reviews of child protection cases, educational qualifications of looked after children and the employment, education and training of care leavers.

Primary Care Group

Sub-committees of the Health Authorities consisting of GP representatives and health care workers as well as lay members of the community, with a range of duties from advising the local health authority on commissioning care for their local population, to commissioning care themselves. All PCGs are expected to become PCTs by April 2004.

Primary Care Investment Plan

A costed three year rolling plan outlining the PCG/PCT's overall intentions for the development of primary care across its area.

Primary Care Trust

Free-standing statutory bodies that provide primary and community services and commission secondary (hospital) care on behalf of their local population. Evolved from primary care groups, the PCTs will no longer be sub committees of the health authority and will be able to directly employ staff. By April 2004, all PCG's are expected to be PCTs, which will commission 75% of the NHS budget

Primary Health Care

Refers to the health tier of health provision, provided in local community settings i.e. family doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, health visitors, pharmacists, opticians, social workers etc.

Public Service Agreements

Departmental Public Service Agreements (PSA’s) link the allocation of public expenditure to published targets with the aim of delivering modern, responsive public services.  Local Public Service Agreements are a package of performance targets, easing of red tape, and financial incentives designed to help local authorities deliver measurable improvements in services.

Quality adjusted life year

Assessment of the potential health benefits and cost-effectiveness of a particular healthcare intervention (eg an operation, or course of drugs) by taking into account the effect on a patient in terms of subsequent quality and length of life.

Quality of Life

An individual’s satisfaction or happiness with life in general, not simply material possessions e.g. Family and home life; Living standards; Social values; General contentment.

Quality Protects

This government programme, launched in 1998, aims to transform children's services by 2004. Local authorities must show they are meeting 11 key objectives that cover children in need, looked children after and children in need of protection. Each council must produce an annual management action plan outlining their strategy for transforming their services in order to receive a share of the children's service grant - worth £885m over five years - that supports the initiative. Councils must work in partnership with the NHS and the voluntary sector.

Quick wins

Relatively cheap and easy initiatives that can be quickly implemented in an attempt to secure community support for a regeneration scheme and head off community frustration at delays to more substantial improvements.

Regeneration

The upgrading of an area through social, physical and economic improvements.

Region

England has nine official government administrative regions: north-east, north-west, Yorkshire and Humberside, East and West Midlands, east of England, south-west, south-east and London.

Regional Development Agency

Agencies set up in the nine administrative regions to promote economic growth and regeneration. The RDAs outside the capital were established in 1999 and have progressively gained more funding and freedom from ministers.

Registered social landlord

The official name, introduced in the 1996 Housing Act, for housing associations, housing cooperatives and local housing companies that are registered with the housing corporation. Social landlords need to register with the corporation to qualify for grants to build new homes.

Revenue Funding

Money spent on less physical things – wages, rent etc.

Risk management

A systematic approach to reducing loss of life, financial loss, loss of staff availability, safety, or loss or reputation.

Scrutiny committee

Group of councillors that reviews and investigates local authority services and other issues, monitors the work of a mayor or cabinet and holds members of the executive to account for their decisions. Introduced by the Local Government Act 2000.

Secondary Care

Specialist care, typically provided in a hospital setting or following referral from a primary or community health professional. Includes accident and emergency.

Sector

A body of people who form part of society or economy (e.g. business sector, public sector, voluntary sector).

Sefton Borough Partnership

A partnership of public, business, community and voluntary sectors which acts as the Local Strategic Partnership for Sefton.

Sefton Community Development Project / Team

A borough wide community development service providing training, information, support and guidance aimed at developing new and existing groups.  The work is split over three teams which are based in the north, south and central areas of the borough.

Sefton Compact

See – Compact

Sefton Council for Voluntary Service

See – Council for Voluntary Service

Sefton Voluntary Sector Partnership

Operates the voluntary sector option of New Deal – the Government’s welfare-to-work programme for 18-24 year olds – on behalf of Employment Services.

Sensory impairment

A loss or absence of ability to hear or see, but not necessarily a complete loss.

Service and Financial Framework

Health authorities must submit service and financial frameworks to the NHS executive, committing them to meeting ministerial targets within available resources. These are underpinned by a series of agreements between commissioning bodies - including health authorities, primary care groups and primary care trusts - and hospital trusts, which set out agreed activity levels and funding.

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

Service user

An individual who uses, requests, applies for, or benefits from services (e.g. health or local authority services). They may also be referred to as a client, patient or consumer.

Shifting the Balance of Power

The programme of change brought about to empower frontline staff and patients in the NHS. It has already led to the establishment of new structures, but the main objective will be to foster a new culture in the NHS at all levels which puts the patient first.

Single Regeneration Budget

Now discontinued as a national scheme, the SRB was created in 1994 enhance quality of life and narrow the gap between deprived and wealthy areas, and between different groups, by funding local regeneration initiatives. Local partnerships of community, voluntary and business groups received money for schemes that aimed to improve employment prospects, address social exclusion and crime, and support economic growth.

Small business service

A government agency charged with promoting the interests of small businesses and making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.

Social care institute for excellence

A body charged with reviewing research and practice in social care. It will produce best practice guidelines for staff and services, setting out which methods do not work as well as effective ones.

Social enterprise

A business that trades primarily to achieve social aims (e.g. job creation, training, provision of local services), while making a profit. They are organised along democratic lines, with stakeholders having full say in the direction of the business. Credit unions are examples of banking social enterprises.

Social Exclusion

To leave out of society, or prevent from entering into it, or to alienate. 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. The government's approach to regeneration is based on tackling the problems posed by social exclusion as a whole, rather than simply focusing on its individual elements.

Social exclusion unit

Set up by the prime minister in December 1997 to help reduce social exclusion by producing "joined up solutions to joined up problems". The SEU works with government departments to research, implement and promote policies that tackle social exclusion and poverty.

Social regeneration

The process of tackling the social problems that lead to deprivation, such as crime and drugs. Different from physical regeneration, which tackles run-down buildings and communal areas, and economic regeneration, which is aimed at creating jobs and wealth.

Social services departments

These are the local authority departments in England and Wales responsible for the provision of personal social services. Established under the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, they combined the former children's, health and welfare departments. The services they provide include social work, home care and community care.

South Sefton Partnership

The partnership formed to oversee the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB6) in South Sefton.

Special health authorities

Health authorities with unique national supra-regional functions which cannot be effectively undertaken by other kinds of NHS bodies (e.g. the national institute for clinical excellence).

Stakeholder

A group or an individual with an interest, usually physical or financial, in an organisation, initiative, project or activity, and its outcomes etc.

Statutory

Something that has to be done, for example services that the local council is obliged to provide e.g. emptying bins, benefits, social services, hospital treatment on the NHS and schools.

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.

Steering Group

A group set up with the role of ‘steering’ the initial development of a new group or project.

Strategic health authority

Unveiled in the Shifting the Balance of Power reforms announced in April 2001 these 28 authorities (created from the 95-odd district health authorities) will from April 2002 provide strategic management support for primary care trusts and hospitals in improving NHS performance.

Strategy

An overall plan, which can be short, medium or long term, which clearly shows what is going to be achieved.

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.

Support for Disabled People: A New Contract for Welfare

Publication released in October 1998, setting out the government's intended reforms to services, benefits and legislation affecting disabled people

Supporting People

New regime for funding the running costs of housing for vulnerable people, such as rough sleepers, older people and those with special needs. The money will be paid directly by local authorities to housing associations and other supported housing agencies. It replaces the former system under which supported housing was funded by combination of housing benefit and grant from the housing corporation.

Sure Start

A government initiative aimed at improving the social, physical and intellectual development of children under four by working with parents and parents-to-be in deprived areas and providing better access to family support, advice on nurturing, health services and early learning. There are already more than 150 local Sure Start programmes across England and Wales, rising to at least 500 by 2004. Ministers are investing £580m in the scheme for the three years from April 2001.

Sustainability

To keep up the vitality and strength of something over a period of time, e.g. a community project, so that it becomes able to stand on its own without support. Refers to moves by charities to move beyond short-term funding for their activities, to more durable and dependable funding.

Sustainable development

Development which improves the quality of life for all (especially the most disadvantaged), without damaging the environment or the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Synergy

When people or groups produce a more successful result by working together rather than on their own, or the value of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Third sector

Voluntary organisations, worker co-operatives, social firms and community businesses.

VOICE

See Community Health Council

Voluntary Sector

Agencies that do not provide a statutory service, for example community groups.

Voluntary Sector Option  (New Deal)

The New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds who have been unemployed for at least six months includes an element called the Voluntary Sector Option. Through this option young people take part in six months work experience with a charity or community group, work towards a recognised qualification and get support with finding longer term employment.

Volunteer Bureau

Sefton Volunteer Bureau promotes, supports and develops volunteering in Sefton, providing access to advice, information and training to both the volunteers and the organisations that involve them.

Volunteer support project

Offers training, support and guidance to volunteers who are delivering youth projects on a neighbourhood basis.

Vulnerable children

Disadvantaged children who would benefit from extra help from public agencies to allow them to make the most of their opportunities in life.

Welfare to Work

A Central Government Programme which aims to deliver wide-ranging job training and local employment opportunities, with a focus on the employability of local people.  It targets specific groups of people e.g.18-24 year olds, single parents and disabled people and is called New Deal.

White Paper

Draft of an Act of Parliament issued by the government. White papers often form the basis of new legislation, and are usually preceded by a consultative green paper.

Youth Justice Board

An executive non-departmental public body, established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and charged with spearheading the reforms of the youth justice system.

Youth Offending Team

Teams who act as case managers for young people going through the youth justice system. They should assess, organise, administer and supervise interventions in support of final warnings and sentences for young offenders