Appendix 1 - Definition of terms

In this section

ABC Chart	An ABC chart is a way of information to help determine the function of a person’s behaviour. It does this by breaking down observations into three elements: Antecedents (A): what happened directly before the behaviour occurred Behaviour (B): the specific action(s) or behaviour of interest Consequences (C): what happened directly after the behaviour occurred Thinking of behaviour in these terms helps to understand why a person is behaving in a particular manner. This allows more meaningful interventions rather than just trying to prevent the behaviour itself.
Acquired Brain Injury	Acquired brain injury (ABI) refers to any type of brain damage that occurs after birth. It can include damage sustained by infection, disease, lack of oxygen or a blow to the head.
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)	Applied Behaviour Analysis is the science of humans - based on observing and understanding people’s behaviour.
Autism	Autism is a spectrum – everybody with autism is different. Being autistic does not mean you have an illness or disease. It means your brain works in a different way from other people. It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life. Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a "cure". But some people need support to help them with certain things.
Behaviour Intervention Plans (BIP)	The goal of a Behaviour Intervention Plan is to understand a person’s behaviours and teach them replacement behaviours that serve the same function (escape, attention, tactile, or sensory) but that are not disruptive.
Best Interests	Section 4 of the Mental Capacity Act has a best interests checklist. This outlines what someone needs to consider before taking an action or making a decision for you while you lack capacity. They should: Consider the person’s wishes and feelings. This means current wishes and those expressed before losing capacity to make the decision. It also includes any beliefs and values that are important to them Consider all the circumstances relevant to the person. This includes the type of mental health problem or physical illness someone has, and how long it’s going to last. It also includes: Your age Whether they would normally take this decision yourself Whether they’re likely to recover capacity in the near future Who's caring for them now or has cared for them in the past Consider whether they’ll have capacity to make the decision in the future. This may include assessing whether the decision can be put off in the short-term Support involvement in acts done for the person and decisions affecting them Consider the views of carers, family or other people who may have an interest in the person’s welfare. Or anyone you’ve appointed to act for them Consider if there are other questions relevant to their situation
Capable environments	Capable environments are those that support a person effectively and provide the optimal setting to support positive interactions and opportunities. It is a holistic approach to align the multiple factors that form part of a person's environment and encourage a person to engage in meaningful activities and develop independent skills and promote personal preference and aspirations.
Capacity	Having mental capacity means having the ability to successfully make and communicate your own decisions. People are presumed to have capacity to do so, unless there is reason to doubt this due to an impairment in the functioning of the mind or brain – the impairment might arise from a mental health condition, learning disability, brain injury or illness. Where there is reason to doubt, a Mental Capacity Assessment (MCA) will be carried out relevant to the specific decision needing to be made at that time. In order to be deemed to have capacity to make the specific decision required, you need to be able to understand the relevant information given, retain it long enough in order to use or weigh the information to reach your decision, and then be able to communicate your decision clearly – whether that be verbally or non-verbally. Where the MCA concludes you lack capacity to make the required decision, a decision maker will make the required decision in your best interests.
Care Plan	A care plan is created following an assessment and lists what support and/or health needs are being met and how they will be met for a person.
Carer	A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid. When we refer to carers in this document, this is inclusive of both adult and young carers.
BILD ACT	Bild Association of Certified Training is a charitable organisation and is a certification body accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service [UKAS] as complying with the ISO 17065:2012 certification standards and licensed by the Restrictive Reaction Network (RRN) to use the RRN Training Standards and deliver the RRN Certification Scheme.
Dementia	Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal aging.
Discrimination	Discrimination is treating someone different due to their: age gender reassignment being married or in a civil partnership being pregnant or on maternity leave disability race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin religion or belief sex sexual orientation Discrimination is illegal.
Duty of Care	A duty of care is a legal and professional obligation to safeguard others while they are in your care, using our services. This means always acting in their best interests, not acting – or failing to act – in a way that causes harm, and acting within your abilities without taking on anything that lies outside of your competence.
Environmental changes	Environmental changes (manipulation) are methods of changing a person’s environment to create optimal setting to support positive interactions and opportunities. This is not restricted to the physical material in the environment, but the culture and social aspects too.
Learning Disability	A learning disability is different for everyone. No two people are the same. A person with a learning disability might have some difficulty: understanding complicated information learning some skills looking after themselves or living alone The Department of Health in the UK defines a learning disability as 'a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence), with a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning), which started before adulthood'.
Mental Capacity Act (2005)	The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) is designed to protect and empower people who may lack the mental capacity to make their own decisions about their care and treatment. It applies to people aged 16 and over. It covers decisions about day-to-day things like what to wear or what to buy for the weekly shop, or serious life-changing decisions like whether to move into a care home or have major surgery.
PRN	Medication that is not required by a resident on a regular basis is sometimes referred to as a ‘when required’ or PRN medication. PRN medicines can be used to treat many different conditions. A PRN medication is most often prescribed for acute or intermittent conditions and is not intended to be given as a regular dose.
PRN Protocol	To ensure the medication is given as intended a specific plan for administration of PRN medication must be made – the PRN protocol. Information on why the medication has been prescribed and how to give it should be sought from the prescriber, the supplying pharmacist or other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of the person.
Regulated services	Services which are monitored and audited by The Care Quality Commission (CQC) in the UK must be registered and follow the standards set to ensure quality and safety of the support they provide.
Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards	The Restraint Reduction Network Standards are designed to protect people’s fundamental human rights and to promote person centred best interest and therapeutic approaches to supporting people when they are distressed. They aim to facilitate culture change and exist to: Improve the quality of life of those being restrained and those supporting them Reduce reliance on restrictive practices by promoting positive culture and practice that focuses on prevention, de-escalation and reflective practice Increase understanding of the root causes of behaviour and recognition that many behaviours are the result of distress due to unmet needs Where required, the RRN Standards focus on the safest and most dignified use of restrictive interventions, including physical restraint (see more: Training standards - Bild - Association of Certified Training (bildact.org.uk))
Restricted Intervention	These are deliberate acts that control a person’s movement or limit their freedom to act independently to take immediate control of a situation where there is a real possibility of harm to the person or others, so to significantly reduce the danger.
Trauma Informed Approach	A trauma-informed approach was defined by Hopper, Bassuk and Olivet (2010) as: “A strengths-based framework that is grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma, that emphasises physical, psychological and emotional safety for both providers and survivors, and that creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.”

Last reviewed: 23/06/2025

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