SCOTTISH CANOE ASSOCIATION - CHILD PROTECTION GLOSSARY

Adversity - Difficulty or misfortune (Source: Oxford Dictionary).

Agencies - Organisations in the statutory or voluntary sector where staff, paid or unpaid, work with or have access to children and/or families. This includes, but is not exclusive to, social work, health, education and the police.

Child - For the purposes of these guidelines, the words “child” and “children” will be used to refer to all those under the age of 18 years.

Child Abuse - See Separate section entitled ‘What is Abuse’ on Child Protection web pages

Child care position - One of the definitions in Schedule 2 of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 that applies to many voluntary sector roles is “a position whose normal duties include caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children”. Note - Not all Child Care positions meet the definition of "Regulated Work"

Child Protection Committee - The key local bodies for developing and implementing child protection strategies across and between agencies.

Child Protection Officer - A paid or voluntary position whose remit generally involves co-ordinating the implementation of Child Protection Policy and procedures within the organisation.

Concern - A suspicion or belief that a child might be in need of help or protection. For the purpose of these guidelines can also include a suspicion or belief that the conduct of an adult or another child is actually or potentially harmful towards another child.

Consent - Permission or agreement.

CRBS - Central Registered Body in Scotland registers voluntary organisations and processes their requests for Enhanced Disclosures to Disclosure Scotland. Also provides training and advice. See www.crbs.org.uk

Disclosure - In this context, the act of a child (or adult) making information about abusive or harmful experiences known to others. In many cases the child will have been keeping the information secret.

Disclosure Certificate - A document which details conviction and/or other relevant information held by the police and government departments.

Disability - A person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. (Source: Disability Rights Commission Scottish Code of Practice).

Disclosure Scotland - The organisation with responsibility for issuing Disclosure Certificates. See www.disclosurescotland.org.uk

Disqualified from Working with Children List (DWCL) - Created by the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act, this is a list of persons who are considered to be unsuitable to work with children because they have harmed a child or considered to have placed a child at risk of harm and have had their positions terminated, or could have had their positions terminated because of this had they not resigned or left the organisation. Individuals who are fully listed will be disqualified from working with children and young people under the age of 18 years. Scottish Ministers maintain the List. The only way to determine if an individual is named on the List is through a Disclosure Scotland check for a child care position.

Exempted Position - Exempted positions are detailed in the Exclusions and Exceptions (Scotland) Order 2003. Individuals appointed to an exempted position can legally be asked to disclose both spent and unspent conviction information. Child care positions are exempted positions.

Fully Listed (relates to DWCL) - In terms of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003, a person will be ‘fully listed’ when Scottish Ministers place their name on the Disqualified from Working with Children List and it is considered that they are unsuitable to work with children. Those who have been fully listed by Scottish Ministers will commit a criminal offence if they apply to or work with children.

Grooming - The term given to the process of forming a relationship with a child and significant people in the child’s life with the ultimate aim of exploiting the relationships by sexually abusing the child.

Harassment - The act of causing worries or torment to another person.

Harm - Includes but it not restricted to physical harm. Actions or behaviours by others which have a detrimental effect on a child’s physical and emotional health and well being. This means that “harm” would not only cover the deliberate infliction of physical or emotional harm but also where harm resulted, or might have resulted, from a degree of carelessness or neglect which amounted to misconduct.

Institutional racism - “The collective failure by an organisation to provide appropriate and professional service to people on account of their race, culture and/or religion”, MacPherson Inquiry Report on Stephen Lawrence.

Inter- agency - Where more than one agency is working together.

Neglect - Failing to provide for, or to secure for a child the basic needs of food, warmth, clothing, emotional security, physical safety and well being. Also includes exposing a child to risk where it could have been avoided.

Misconduct - Unacceptable or improper behaviour (Source: Oxford Dictionary).

Parents - Those who have parental rights and responsibilities in relation to the child. For the purpose of these guidelines it also covers carers, guardians, co-habitees and others who have the primary responsibility for the care of the child.

Partnership - In this context where more than one person, agency, professional or community are working together towards shared and agreed aims and share responsibility for decisions and actions.

POCSA - Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 see www.hmso.org.uk This act applies to all organisations who appoint workers and/or volunteers in to child care positions.

Policy - A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organisation.

Poor Practice - In this context can be described, as but is not confined to:

• Behaviour or practices which are contrary to the behaviours or practices set out in the Code of Conduct;
• Behaviour which is not in keeping with professional standards or leadership as defined by the sport;
• Practices which, if not challenged, result in risks to the safety, development and welfare of children or a group of children;
• Behaviour which fails to meet the required standard of performance or conduct where the shortfall is of a minor nature.

Prevention - To stop something from happening/arising.

Professionals - In this context, staff who work directly or indirectly with children and/or families. Can include, but is not exclusive to, police officers, doctors, nursery staff, teachers, social workers, therapists, dentists, youth leaders, leisure and recreational workers, housing staff and staff who work in criminal justice, mental health or drug/alcohol services and the voluntary sector.

Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) - Legislation being introducted by the Scottish Government in 2010. The 'PVG scheme' introduces the term Regulated Work and requires organisations to request individuals in regulated work to join the PVG scheme.

Provisionally Listed (relates to DWCL) - Where an individual who is the subject of a referral to Scottish Ministers in terms of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 is temporarily named on the Disqualified from Working with Children List, pending a full inquiry in to and consideration of the circumstances of the referral by Scottish Ministers.

Provisional listing does not disqualify the individual from working with children and young people in a child care position for the period of time they are provisionally listed. Disclosure Certificates for child care positions will show that the person is provisionally on the List. Both the person who is the subject of the referral and any organisation known to be “employing” that person in a child care position (either as a paid or volunteer worker) will be notified of the provisional listing and the outcome of the decision process. Provisional listing will not normally last longer than 6 months (though there are some circumstances where this time period can be extended).

Racism - Conduct, words or practices which disadvantage or advantage people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. It can be subtle or overt, intentional or unwitting and occur at different levels: individual, cultural or institutional (Source: Scottish Executive).

Regulated Work - A term used to describe work (paid or unpaid) involving children/young people (or protected adults) which is part of normal duties and includes caring, teaching, instructing, training or supervising children/young people or being in sole charge of children/young people or having unsupervised access to children/young people. This is not the official definition but is an outline. Please refer to the full guidance and the Disclosure Scotland Self Assessment tool.

Resilience - Ability to cope with adverse circumstances.

Rights - Entitlements enshrined in treaties, legislation or regulation.

Risk - Exposure to harm or hazards.

Risk Assessment - The process of identifying hazards and who might be affected by them and determining what action needs to be taken to reduce and manage the hazard.

Scottish Canoe Association - Scottish Governing Body of paddlesport.

Safeguarded - Measures taken to protect or prevent something (Source: Oxford Dictionary).

Sectarianism - A form of religious bigotry that manifests itself in the form of prejudice, discrimination or harassment of an individual or a group of people on the grounds of their religious beliefs (Source: Scottish Executive).

Statutory Responsibilities - A responsibility enshrined in treaty legislation and/or regulation.
Sub Judice Under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion elsewhere.

UNCRC - United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). The UK is a signatory to this international document that states the rights of all children under the age of 18. see www.unicef.org/crc/

Welfare - The health, happiness and fortunes of a person or group. Action or procedure designed to promote the basic physical and material well- being of people in need.

Volunteers - Someone offering services in an unpaid capacity for an organisation. For more information on volunteering see www.vds.org.uk

Vulnerable - Exposed to being attacked or harmed (Source: Oxford Dictionary).