Glossary of children's residential care terms

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Bank staff: Staff who work shifts as and when they are needed, rather than on fixed contracted hours. They may work directly with a provider or through an agency or platform.

Deprivation of liberty: Where a child is confined to a degree beyond what is normal for a child of their age. For a child in a children's home this generally needs a lawful authority, which is usually a court order.
DoLS: The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, a process under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 that applies to people aged 18 and over. It does not apply to children under 18.

Framework agreement: An agreement between one or more local authorities and a list of approved providers that sets terms and prices for future placements. It does not by itself guarantee that any placements will be made.

Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO): A person appointed by the local authority to chair reviews of a looked-after child's care plan and to monitor how the authority carries out its duties to that child.

Looked-after child: A child who is in the care of a local authority under a care order, or who the authority provides with accommodation for more than 24 hours, for example under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989.

Ofsted: The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. It registers and inspects children's homes in England.

Pathway plan: A plan the local authority prepares with an eligible young person who is leaving care. It sets out the support they will receive and is reviewed regularly.
Placement: The arrangement under which a looked-after child lives somewhere, such as a children's home or with foster carers.

Quality Standards: The standards set out in Part 2 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 that a children's home must meet, covering areas such as the quality and purpose of care, protection of children, and leadership and management.

Registered Manager: The person registered with Ofsted to manage a children's home day to day.
Regulation 44: A requirement in the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 for an independent person to visit the home and report on the quality of care, at least once a month.
Regulation 45: A requirement in the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 for the registered provider to review the quality of care in the home, at least once every six months.
Responsible Individual: A senior person nominated by an organisation that is registered as a children's home provider. They supervise the management of the home.

SC1 and SC2: Ofsted application forms. SC1 is used to apply to register as a provider of a children's home, and SC2 is used to apply to register as a manager of one.
Section 20: Section 20 of the Children Act 1989, under which a local authority provides accommodation for a child with the agreement of the people with parental responsibility. The child becomes looked after, and parents keep parental responsibility.
Section 31 care order: A court order made under Section 31 of the Children Act 1989 that places a child in the care of a local authority. The authority then shares parental responsibility with the parents.
Spot purchasing: Buying a placement for one particular child from a provider, usually at a price agreed for that placement and outside any framework or block arrangement.
Statement of Purpose: A document every children's home must have that sets out its aims, the children it caters for and how it operates, as required by Regulation 16 and Schedule 1 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

These definitions are a plain-English orientation for England, not legal advice. Check the legislation or statutory guidance for the exact wording.