Glossary

ensuring people can access care when and where they need it.

people aged 18 and over. For young people aged 16 and 17, professional judgement should be used to decide whether the adult clinical pathway or the pathway for children and young people is most appropriate.

includes a trusted (non-abusing) family member, friend, neighbour or an agreed person who can speak on the person’s behalf. A representative may have power of attorney or be a legal guardian. A representative may be formal or informal but only a representative with legal power of attorney can provide consent to healthcare treatment on behalf of the person.⁶

Family includes parents, siblings, foster carers, kinship carers and siblings, adoptive families and extended families.⁵⁰

in line with UNCRC, the term child includes young people up to the 18 years regardless of the legal definition in relation to sexual offences.⁵¹

The Sexual Offences Scotland Act 2009 states that:

There are other 'protective offences ' for children under 16 years. The term young child refers to a child who is under the age of 13 at the time the offence was committed.

The term 'older child' is used to refer to refer to a child who is aged 13, 14 or 15 at the time the offence was committed. This is in relation to specific protective offences for this age group.

Accordingly, for the purpose of these Standards, a ‘child’ or ‘children’ is used to describe a person under the age of 13.

The term ‘young person’ is used to describe a person aged between 13-18 years.

providing care based on evidence and which produces a clear benefit.

the purpose of the forensic medical examination following a recent rape or sexual assault is to collect any potential evidence which may support a future judicial process and to identify and support the healthcare needs of the person.

The healthcare needs of the individual and any treatment required following an assessment carried out by a qualified healthcare professional. 

‘Health Board’ is defined in the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. These standards apply to all 14 territorial NHS boards in Scotland. 

National health boards have a national role in supporting the delivery and continuous improvement of these services.

refers to individual(s) accessing services or receiving care or support. Where this term is used it covers adults, young people and children.

Care that ensures the people who use services are at the centre of decision making. It ensures that care is personalised and supports what matters to people. Person-centred care takes into account people’s individual needs and wider social and cultural background.

Person-centred care should be coordinated and enabling so that people can make choices, manage their own health and live independent lives, where possible.

individuals using health and care services feel safe and the care they receive does not harm them.

trauma informed practice is a way of working and delivering services that recognises that a person may have experienced trauma and understands the effects which trauma may have on the person. For services, it involves adapting processes and practices, based on that understanding of the effects of trauma and seeks to seek to avoid, or minimise the risk of, exposing the person to any recurrence of past trauma, or further trauma.

A service that states that it is trauma informed will be able to demonstrate the ways in which it has been informed by feedback from people with lived experience of trauma. A trauma informed system also supports workforce resilience and is underpinned by trauma informed leadership and systems.⁸