Glossary of Terms

This is a group of traumatic and adverse experiences in childhood which significant research has suggested can lead to increased risk of long-term impacts on physical and mental health as well as social consequences for some, particularly when several of these experiences are part of someone’s early life.

ACEs include physical, emotional and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect; parental/key caregivers’ substance misuse, mental health difficulties or incarceration; witnessing domestic abuse or violence in the household and divorce. They include experiences traditionally understood as traumatic but extend to include these additional experiences of adversity.

Attunement usually refers to a parent’s ability to notice and appropriately respond to a child or young person’s emotional state.

Following the views expressed in The Promise: Independent Care Review, this framework uses the term care experienced in preference to ‘looked after’ to describe “the environment that a child or young person is growing up in and as an identity definition, and to denote access to specific rights and entitlements.”

This is “expansive and holistic understanding of ‘care experience’ that includes all the various settings and experiences of care.(pg 10)” The balance of using the term care experienced to identify rights and entitlements, whilst ensuring that the experience of being cared for is not stigmatising is further explored within the Care Review.

Containment involves supporting someone to process their emotions, including anxiety and distress, to help restore an individual’s capacity to think clearly. In children, this is a core part of emotion regulation, but it is also key for adults, particularly during times of high stress.

Mental health conditions in children are diagnosed and treated based on signs and symptoms and how the condition affects a child’s daily life. To make a diagnosis a child or young person would be assessed by a mental health professional(s) who would draw on their knowledge of mental health conditions and reference the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnostic guidelines.

These guidelines provide criteria for making a diagnosis based on the nature, duration and impact of signs and symptoms.

Every child is different, however, common indicators of emotional distress in children may include physical symptoms, such as tummy aches, lack of concentration, withdrawing from social interactions, mood swings and/or changes in behaviour. Emotional distress can vary across time and intensity.

Work that involves strong emotional content and an empathic response from the worker.

Evidence-based practice is the integration of individual practitioner expertise with the best available external evidence from systematic research in order to reach decisions about client care.

A theory-based explanation or conceptualisation of the information obtained from a clinical assessment that informs the psychological intervention.

A Scottish Government approach based on children’s rights. Its principles reflect the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and provide a framework of practice for those supporting children and their families so that children and young people can grow up feeling loved, safe and respected and can realise their full potential.

Intellectual Disability/Intellectual Developmental Disorder (commonly known as Learning Disability) are heterogeneous conditions, but are defined by 3 core criteria: lower intellectual ability (usually defined as an IQ of less than 70), significant impairment of social or adaptive functioning and onset in childhood. Learning disabilities are pervasive and are different from specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, which do not affect intellectual ability.

The Mental Health Act (1983) is the main piece of legislation that covers the assessment, treatment and rights of people with a mental health disorder.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) definition states that mental disorders comprise a broad range of problems with different symptoms. They are generally characterised by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others. Examples include schizophrenia, depression, intellectual disabilities and disorders due to drug abuse.

Most disorders can be successfully treated. The terms mental illness and mental disorder are used almost interchangeably.

A core component of GIRFEC is a named person who is a clear point of contact for children, young people and parents to go to for initial support and advice. A child, young person or family may be offered direct support from their named person, and the named person can also help to connect families to relevant services offered by the NHS, local authorities and third sector or community groups. The named person role is fulfilled by different professions, depending on the age of the child or young person.

This contact will be someone whose existing role already involves providing advice and support to families, and will usually be a:

• health visitor from birth to school age


• head teacher or deputy during primary school years


• head teacher, deputy or guidance teacher during secondary school years

A relatively new term that draws from the Essence Model (Gilbert), the autistic community and clinician experience that neuro-divergent individuals tend to present with a range of conditions such as autism, ADHD and/or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia. Discussion around accepted terminology for this diversity is ongoing. All neurodiverse children and young people have a distinct neurodevelopmental profile and may have related mental health and wellbeing support needs.

‘One Good Adult’ refers to the importance of having a dependable adult who can support and protect the mental health and wellbeing of a child and/or a young person.

The presence of One Good Adult has been found to be a key indicator of how well a young person copes with their struggles.

Reflecting the views captured in the Promise: Independent Care review, this framework takes a holistic view of parents and family. The term parent is used to describe adults with parenting responsibilities, and family refers to biological, kinship, adoptive, foster and others.

This is usually taken to mean a psychological intervention that is very clearly described to make it easy for a range of professionals to deliver in a standardised manner.

The process of providing education and information about mental health and wellbeing and healthy coping to users of mental health services.

Routine Outcome Measures are questionnaires completed by a young person/family/therapist and are used to routinely evaluate change in an individual’s presenting difficulties, functioning and progress towards goals over the course of treatment.

Self-care refers to activities and practices that we can engage in on a regular basis to reduce stress and maintain and enhance our shortand longer-term health and wellbeing. Self-care is necessary for your effectiveness and success in both professional and personal commitments.

Self-harm is ‘[…] any act of non-fatal self-poisoning or self-injury carried out by a person, irrespective of their motivation. This commonly involves selfpoisoning with medication or self-injury by cutting. Self-harm is not used to refer to harm arising from overeating, body piercing, body tattooing, excessive consumption of alcohol or recreational drugs, starvation arising from anorexia nervosa or accidental harm to oneself.’ (NICE)

Suicides are defined as ‘deaths by intentional self-harm and deaths of undetermined intent by individuals aged 10 and over’, following the 2017 report from the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH).

Strengths-based approaches focus on individuals’ strengths (including personal strengths and social and community networks) and not on deficits. Strengths-based practice is holistic and multidisciplinary and works with the individual to promote their wellbeing.

Supervision is an activity that gives professionals the opportunity to review and reflect on their clinical work. This includes talking about areas or events that might have been experienced as difficult or distressing for the professional. The person who provides supervision (the ‘supervisor’) will be a more senior and/or experienced professional, but some organisations also use peer supervision effectively. Supervision is distinct from line management or case management.

Reflective practice is the process by which professionals reflect on their own actions, learn from their experience and consider how to make improvements in their practice. This is part of continuous self-learning by professionals and it requires them to be self-aware and appropriately self-critical. There is evidence that this stance can improve the way care
is delivered.

The Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach uses 8 wellbeing indicators which help make it easier for children and families and the people working with them to discuss how a child or young person is doing at a point in time and if there is a need for support. These are: Safe; Healthy; Achieving; Nurtured; Active; Respected; Responsible; and Included.