Glossary

The words you'll hear from social workers, Cafcass and the court, in plain English.

Absolute privilegeFamily court: The legal protection for what's said in court proceedings. Nobody can be sued over what they say or write in the case, so people, including victims of abuse, can tell the court the truth without fear.
AdvocateSocial services: An advocate is someone who helps parents, children or other family members get their views across when dealing with children's services and other official agencies.
Bail / pre-charge bailSocial services: Conditions you must follow while a police investigation continues, governed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 as amended by the Policing and Crime Act 2017 and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Breach can lead to further action.
Balance of probabilitiesFamily court: The test the family court uses to decide disputed facts: whether something is more likely than not to have happened. It's a lower bar than the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt.
BIFF responseParenting apart: A way of replying to difficult messages: Brief, Informative, Friendly, Firm.
BoundaryParenting apart: A clear decision about what you will and will not accept, and what you will do if it is crossed.
BundleFamily court: The indexed, page-numbered set of documents the court works from at a hearing.
C100Family court: The application form for a child arrangements, prohibited steps or specific issue order, or to vary one.
C1AFamily court: The supplementary form for setting out allegations of harm or domestic abuse.
C79Family court: The application form relating to enforcement of a child arrangements order.
C8Family court: The form used to keep an address or contact details confidential.
CafcassFamily court Social services Parenting apart: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, which advises the family court on children's welfare in England. Cafcass Cymru does the same in Wales.
Care orderSocial services: A court order that gives the local authority parental responsibility for a child. A parent can retain parental responsibility too.
CB1Family court: The court service guide to making an application involving children, including who can apply and the orders you can ask for.
CB5Family court: The court service guide to applying to enforce a child arrangements order. The application form is C79.
CB7Family court: The court service guide for separated parents on child arrangements and what to expect at family court.
Child arrangements orderFamily court Parenting apart: An order deciding who a child lives with and who they spend time with, and when.
Child contact centreParenting apart: A safe, neutral place for children to spend time with a parent or for handovers to take place.
Child Focused ModelFamily court: The reformed way of running private law children cases, formerly the Private Law Pathfinder, being rolled out across England and Wales.
Child Impact ReportFamily court: A report prepared early in the case in Child Focused Courts, informed by speaking with the child and both parents.
Child in Need (CIN) / section 17Social services: A child who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without services; whose health or development is likely to be significantly or further impaired without services; or who is disabled. Defined by section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
Child Maintenance Service (CMS)Parenting apart: The government service that calculates and, if needed, collects child maintenance.
Child Protection PlanSocial services: A formal multi-agency plan to reduce the risk of significant harm.
Children’s GuardianSocial services: A Cafcass or Cafcass Cymru practitioner appointed to represent the child’s interests in court. The child also has a solicitor in care proceedings.
Co-parentingParenting apart: Separated parents working together closely, with frequent communication and shared rules.
Collect and PayParenting apart: A Child Maintenance Service arrangement where the service collects child maintenance and passes it to the receiving parent. Collection fees apply.
Consent orderFamily court Parenting apart: An order the court makes approving an agreement, for example about child arrangements or finances after divorce.
Controlling or coercive behaviourParenting apart: A pattern of behaviour used to control, frighten or isolate a partner or family member. It is a criminal offence.
Core GroupSocial services: The smaller group (including parents and key professionals) that turns the conference outline into detailed action and reviews progress.
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)Social services: Prosecutes criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.
Direct access barristerFamily court: A barrister you can instruct directly, without going through a solicitor.
Direct PayParenting apart: A Child Maintenance Service arrangement where it works out the amount and the paying parent pays the receiving parent directly.
Dispute Resolution Appointment (DRA)Family court: A hearing, usually after a report, to try to narrow or resolve the issues.
Emergency protection order (EPO)Social services: A court order, usually applied for by the local authority, allowing a child to be removed or kept in a safe place for up to eight days, extendable once to 15 days. Section 44 of the Children Act 1989.
Enforcement orderFamily court: An order requiring unpaid work where a child arrangements order has been breached without reasonable excuse.
EX160Family court: The form to apply for Help with Fees, if you're on a low income or certain benefits.
EX50Family court: The guidance that lists the current civil and family court fees.
Fact-finding hearingFamily court: A hearing where the court decides whether disputed allegations are proved on the balance of probabilities.
Family group conference / family group decision-makingSocial services: A voluntary, family-led way to bring relatives and other trusted people together to make a plan for a child alongside skilled practitioners. A Family Group Conference is one model of family group decision-making.
Family HelpSocial services: The coordinated approach described in Working Together 2026, bringing targeted early help and section 17 support into a more seamless offer through a family help plan and named lead practitioner. Local arrangements and names vary.
Family Law Accreditation SchemeSocial services: A Law Society scheme recognising solicitors with proven specialist expertise in family law cases.
Family-based arrangementParenting apart: A child maintenance arrangement agreed between parents without using the CMS.
FHDRAFamily court: First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment, the first hearing in most private children cases.
Help with FeesFamily court: A scheme that can reduce or cover eligible court fees. EX160 is the paper application form.
Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC)Social services: Multi-agency meeting that decides whether a Child Protection Plan is needed.
Lead practitionerSocial services: The named professional who coordinates support and keeps the family’s plan under review.
Letter Before ProceedingsSocial services: A formal letter telling a parent or other person with parental responsibility that the local authority is considering applying for a care or supervision order.
Litigant in personFamily court: Someone who represents themselves in court.
Local Government and Social Care OmbudsmanSocial services: An independent body that can consider complaints about local authority services. It usually expects the relevant local authority complaints procedure to be completed first, although it may accept a complaint early in limited circumstances such as serious delay.
McKenzie friendFamily court: Someone who supports a litigant in person in court, taking notes and quietly helping, but who does not normally speak for them.
MIAMFamily court Parenting apart: Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting. A meeting to find out whether mediation or another way of resolving a dispute could help. It is usually required before certain family court applications, unless an exemption applies.
Multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH)Social services: A team where children’s services, police, health and other agencies share information about safeguarding concerns and decide what action may be needed. Local names vary.
National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC)Parenting apart: The organisation that accredits child contact services and helps families find a suitable centre or service.
NFA (No Further Action)Social services: Police/CPS decide not to proceed with a criminal case at that time. Not a formal finding of innocence.
Non-molestation orderParenting apart: A court order protecting a person, or their children, from harassment or abuse.
Parallel parentingParenting apart: An approach where each parent runs their own home, with brief written communication focused on the children.
Parental responsibility (PR)Family court Social services Parenting apart: The legal rights, duties and authority a parent has in relation to a child. It does not on its own guarantee a set amount of time with the child.
Parenting planFamily court Parenting apart: A written, non-binding agreement between parents about arrangements for their child.
Penal noticeFamily court: A warning on an order that breaching it may be a contempt of court punishable by a fine or imprisonment.
People-pleasingParenting apart: Regularly putting other people's wishes ahead of your own needs to avoid conflict or disapproval.
PLO / Public Law Outline / pre-proceedingsSocial services: Formal process when the local authority is considering an application for a care or supervision order.
Police protectionSocial services: Power for a police officer to take a child to safety for up to 72 hours without a court order, where the child would otherwise be likely to suffer significant harm. Section 46 of the Children Act 1989.
Position statementFamily court: A short document setting out a parent's position and proposals before a hearing.
Practice Direction 12JFamily court Parenting apart: The rules the court must follow where domestic abuse is alleged or admitted.
Prohibited steps orderFamily court: An order stopping a parent from taking a particular step without the court's permission.
Qualified legal representativeFamily court: A lawyer appointed by the court to cross-examine a witness where a party is prevented from doing so in person.
Reasonable excuseFamily court: A good reason for not complying with an order, which can prevent an enforcement order being made.
Safeguarding letterFamily court: A Cafcass letter that summarises early safeguarding checks, concerns about the child and advice to the court on what should happen next.
Section 20Social services: Local-authority accommodation of a child without a care order. The child becomes looked after, but the local authority does not gain parental responsibility. Agreement must be informed and genuinely voluntary. Rights to object, seek the child's return and the position of a 16- or 17-year-old can be complex; obtain family-law advice.
Section 21Social services: The local authority's duty to provide accommodation for a child removed from home under police protection or an emergency protection order. It doesn't depend on parental agreement, unlike section 20.
Section 37 investigation / section 37 reportFamily court: An investigation the family court can ask the local authority to carry out when a care or supervision order might be appropriate.
Section 47Social services: Local authority duty to make enquiries where there is reasonable cause to suspect significant harm.
Section 7 reportFamily court: A welfare report ordered by the court and prepared by Cafcass or the local authority.
Section 91(14) orderFamily court: An order preventing a party from making further applications without the court's permission.
Single assessmentSocial services: The social worker's assessment of what help or protection a child needs, carried out under Working Together to Safeguard Children. Local authorities call it different things, including a single assessment, a child and family assessment or a Family Help assessment. It's the same thing. It should reach a decision within 45 working days of the referral.
Special measuresFamily court: Practical arrangements to help someone take part in court, such as a screen or video link when giving evidence.
Specific issue orderFamily court: An order deciding a particular question about a child's upbringing, such as schooling.
Strategy discussionSocial services: Multi-agency discussion (usually without parents) to plan section 47 enquiries and immediate safety.
Subject access request (SAR)Social services: A request to an organisation for a copy of your own personal information. Some information can be withheld where an exemption applies.
Supervision orderSocial services: A court order requiring a named supervisor, usually the local authority, to advise, assist and support the child.
ThresholdSocial services: The level of need used to decide which service or process is appropriate. In court proceedings, ‘the threshold' can also mean the separate legal test that must be met before certain orders are made.
Warning noticeFamily court: A notice attached to a child arrangements order setting out the consequences of not complying with it.
Welfare checklistFamily court: The list of factors in section 1(3) of the Children Act 1989 the court considers when deciding what is best for a child.