Use of Language

When talking about children and exploitation, language matters. It can be the difference between a child being properly safeguarded or put at further risk of exploitation.

Learning from local reviews has highlighted the need for partners to use clear, consistent and unambiguous language when recording and sharing information across systems. Some terms can have different clinical, legal or safeguarding interpretations, e.g. “severe learning difficulties” “mild learning disability”, so partners should avoid internal shorthand or descriptors that may be unfamiliar to other practitioners or agencies.

Where specialist terminology is required, its intended meaning should be clearly explained to support a shared understanding across the partnership.

We hope this guidance will influence the direct practice of professionals as well as the wider culture of safeguarding children.