Jargon Buster

if you would like to e-mail a word to be included in the Jargon Buster please send it to info@sunderlandcommunitynetwork.org.uk

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Active Community Unit (ACU)
Government body located in the Active Communities Directorate of the Home Office tasked to create a "change in culture, in which being active in your community is a usual and everyday thing". It works to create local infrastructures for people to become more involved, including improving opportunities for volunteering, training and mentoring.

Active Communities Directorate
Government body located at the Home Office supporting "strong and active communities in which people of all races and backgrounds are valued and participate on equal terms by developing social policy to build a fair, prosperous and cohesive society in which everyone has a stake and to ensure that active citizenship contributes to the enhancement of democracy and the development of civil society." Includes the ACU, the Civil Renewal Unit and the Charities Unit.

Area Based Initiatives (ABIs)
ABIs are publicly funded initiatives targeted on areas of social or economic disadvantage, which aim to improve the quality of life of residents and/or their future life chances and those of their children.

Area Based Regeneration
Government initiatives for reviving communities aimed at tackling all the problems in a neighbourhood rather than one or two aspects. The idea is to address physical, economic and social decline in the round rather than in isolation.

Back to top

BANANA
Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone

Baseline
A measurement of the starting conditions, for example numbers unemployed, before a programme is undertaken. The benefits of a programme can be assessed over time by comparing the baseline with more up to date figures.

Beacon Councils
Award scheme that aims to highlight good practice in delivering local government services. Other councils are then encouraged to learn from the beacons.

Benchmarking
A method used by public sector organisations, charities and private companies for gauging their performance by comparing it to the performance of other organisations, typically of a similar size.

Best Value
Regime that aims to continuously improve local government performance through a programme of reviews and inspections. Councils must examine their services according to four guiding principles. They must challenge how, why and by whom a service is provided; compare its performance with that of other authorities; consult service users; and use competition to get the best service available.

Brownfield Site
Land that has been built on before and is usually in an urban area. The land involved is often contaminated. Under a government target, 60% of all new development should be on brownfield sites.

Business Improvement District (BID)
Government regeneration initiative that allows councils to raise extra money from local businesses, but only if firms vote in favour of the move. The money is likely to be used for a specific project, such as cleaning up litter and graffiti in an inner city area, rather than general local authority spending.

Business In The Community (BITC)
Business-led initiative to encourage private sector involvement in supporting their local communities financially and practically. The organisation attempts to standardise reporting about business impact on communities and gives awards for best practice.

Back to top

Capacity
All the resources available to an organisation. Includes people, money, equipment, expertise and information.

Capacity Building
Capacity Building in Sunderland is a process that enables individuals, communities and organisations to work together to create the conditions in which members can participate and be accountable in social, economic and political decision-making processes. The process addresses issues of inequality and encourages organisations and individuals to think
differently and act differently.

Charities Unit
Government body located at the Active Communities Directorate of the Home Office to "develop and maintain a legal and regulatory framework which enables the charitable sector to realise its potential whilst ensuring that public confidence in the sector is maintained." Manages implementation of 'Private Action, Public Benefit: a Review of Charities and the Wider Not-for-Profit Sector' and ministerial oversight of the Charities Commission. Ensures that legislation does not discriminate against the charitable sector or place charities at a disadvantage.

Citizenship
The government wants to encourage individuals, especially young people, to become "good citizens", characterised by volunteering or community service. The government believes citizenship involves being "informed, thoughtful and responsible citizens who are aware of their duties and rights". Citizenship programmes are now compulsory in secondary schools.

Civil Renewal
According to Government, it is "about negotiating a new relationship between citizen and state, seeking to empower people to be active in furthering not only their own interests but those of other people in their community (whether a community of place or interest)."

Civil Renewal Unit
Government body located at the Active Communities Directorate of the Home Office. Promotes "awareness and practices that will help to increase citizens' active and democratic engagement in decisions or activities which affect their lives." Responsible for taking forward the Community Capacity Building Review.

Community Chest
A £50m initiative aimed at helping community groups get started in deprived areas by funding small purchases such as computers, or the hire of meeting space. The programme, which started in 2001, will run over three years. Bids are limited to £5,000. For the 88 most deprived areas, an additional £10 million is being provided by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit's Skills and Knowledge Programme to fund Community Learning Chests (CLCs).

Community Cohesion
There is currently no universally accepted definition of this. However, at the moment, ideas include it being about the relationships between and within communities. It is also suggested that a cohesive community might be one in which there is a common vision and a sense of belonging for everyone in it. Also, that the diversity of people's different backgrounds and circumstances are appreciated and positively valued, and that people from different backgrounds have similar life opportunities.

Community Empowerment Fund (CEF)
A £36m programme to help community and voluntary sector groups get involved in decisions about how public services are delivered in their area through Local Strategic Partnerships.

Community Empowerment Network (CEN)
Gathering of the full range of community and voluntary sector groups in one of the 88 most deprived areas (borough or district) which also has Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. CENs should provide a link between themselves and Local Strategic Partnerships, representing their members on LSPs.

Community Forum
A sounding board of 20 community activists set up in 2002 to inform ministers and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit about the impact of policies to tackle problems in the most deprived areas.

Community Fund
Operating name of the national lottery charities board, which distributes national lottery money for specific projects to charities and voluntary organisations. It awards grants for initiatives that help meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society and improve the quality of life in the community.

Community Learning Chest (CLC)
CLCs offer small grants of between £50 and £5,000 to help residents (both individuals and groups) play an active role in Neighbourhood Renewal through learning. The funds are targeted at the 88 most deprived areas.

Community Network
Same as Community Empowerment Network (CEN) but not in one of the 88 most deprived areas.

Community Strategy
Plans councils must draw up for improving the quality of life for local people. They must be completed with the help of businesses, voluntary groups and residents.

Compact
An agreement made by voluntary sector representatives and the government in 1998 covering the relationship between the two. Under the compact the government is committed to giving three months' notice of both funding decisions and 3 months' consultation, better feedback and statements on how proposed legislation will impact on the voluntary sector. The scheme has led to local compacts, and compacts on specific issues.

Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR)
Treasury review of public sector spending across all Whitehall departments to examine productivity and plan expenditure over the medium term. Reviews take place every three years.

Connexions
A Department for Education and Skills (DfES) initiative for young people aged 13-19 that offers access to information and advice on a wide range of topics including learning and careers.

Core Funding
The money required for operational, management and day to day costs of a voluntary organisation, including administration, property costs and staff salaries.

Council for Voluntary Service (CVS)
Local umbrella body for voluntary organisations, charities and campaign groups in a particular area. Provides a local forum for discussion and often training, pooled resources and recruitment.

Back to top

Density
Regeneration experts claim that one of the keys to improving the quality of Britain's towns and cities is to increase the number of homes on one patch of land. That's increasing the density.

Development Trusts
A network of independent, not-for-profit organisations engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area or community. Trusts are community based and owned. Activities are diverse and include provision of childcare centres and support for small businesses.

Directly Elected Mayor
Powerful council leader chosen by the public rather than other councillors. Has wide ranging powers over the day to day running of a council, but still needs to pass his or her policies through full council.

Back to top

Education Action Zones (EAZ)
Local clusters of schools in deprived areas receiving special Government grants to work together to raise and maintain education standards

E-Government (Electronic Government)
Government information available via the internet and other new technologies such as digital television, mobile phones and call centres. The government has set up a project that aims to make government -central and local - more accessible to communities, particularly deprived communities. The government wants as many services as possible available electronically by 2007.

Employment Zones (EZ)
Government scheme to help long-term unemployed who are over 25 years old. The initiative, which is confined to selected deprived areas, involves pooling funds for training, employment service support and money that would otherwise be spent on benefit.

Empowerment
Enabling people to take responsibility for themselves and helping them to make decisions about their own lives.

Enabling State
The phrase used to describe the process whereby responsibility for delivering public services traditionally provided by the state is passed to private or voluntary organisations (or 'arms length' government agencies). Underpinning this is the idea that smaller, local and specialist providers are more effective and efficient at delivering publicly-funded services than large centralised bureaucracies (such as the NHS).

English Cities Fund
A private company created by the government's regeneration agency, English Partnerships, that invests in new mixed-use developments on the edges of towns and city centres. Initially worth around £100m it was set up to help meet government targets to secure more developments on brownfield sites by attracting private finance into neglected areas.

English Heritage
Government agency that promotes and conserves England's historic environment, including buildings, monuments and landscapes. It awards grants for conservation, keeps a register of historic buildings and has to be consulted on planning decisions that affect the historic environment.

English Partnerships
The government's land and regeneration agency. It was set up to encourage the development of derelict and contaminated land.

Enterprise Zones
Designated areas in deprived towns and cities where businesses can get exemptions from certain taxes, planning rules and other bureaucratic burdens in an effort to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.

European Social Fund (ESF)
Government fund established under the EU employment strategy that contributes up to 45% of money needed to establish projects that will improve employability and human resources in a given area, as a strategy for tackling social exclusion.

Evaluation
An assessment, after a project or programme has started, of the extent to which aims have been achieved, how efficiently they have been achieved, and whether there are any lessons to be gained for the future.

Back to top

Floor Targets
Minimum standards set by the government for improvements in deprived areas, intended as a test for its neighbourhood renewal policy. The targets cover five areas: unemployment, crime, education, health and the environment.

Back to top

Government Offices In the Regions (GO)
Established in 1994 as a way of bringing together the regional outposts of various government departments. Responsible for spending some government money at the regional level, including the coordination of regeneration programmes.

Green Belt
Planning restriction that applies to the countryside around towns and cities to prevent new building taking place.

Greenfield Site
Land where there has been no previous development.

Back to top

Health Action Zone (HAZ)
Partnerships between the NHS, local authorities, community and voluntary groups and business sectors in areas of high deprivation, aimed at tackling health inequalities.

Healthy Living Centres
A network of centres across the UK set up in 1999 to promote health and healthy lifestyles and tackle social exclusion in areas of rural or urban deprivation. The centres can be in the form of a building or outreach. Services provided by healthy living centres can include: well man and well woman clinics, dietary advice, family planning services, physical exercise facilities, and English language classes.

Housing Action Trusts (HAT)
Six Government controlled organisations set up to take over poor quality council housing stock.

Housing Association
Not for profit organisations providing homes mainly to those in housing need. Many housing associations have also diversified into other areas including market rented housing, student housing, social care and shared ownership. Housing associations need to register with the Housing Corporation to qualify for grants to build new homes and are therefore often given the official title of Registered Social Landlord or RSL.

Back to top

Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA)
IDeA works with government organisations, voluntary groups, businesses and professionals to explore and develop good practice in all aspects of local government. Provides resources, workshops, consultation and expertise to support government initiatives such as local strategic partnerships and best value.

Index of Deprivation
An official measure used by the government to target regeneration policies to the most deprived areas.

Back to top

Joined up working
When organisations such as councils, hospitals and schools work together to identify and solve local problems. The government has pushed this idea as a means of closing the gaps between public services and improving overall performance.

Joint Funding
Where two or more agencies, for example, health and social services, agree to share the cost of running a project or service.

Back to top

Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
The Government agency now responsible for adult training in England.

Local agenda 21 (LA21)
Local authorities are required to produce an LA21 strategy to show how they will work with their communities to achieve sustainable, environmentally friendly development. A product of the Rio earth summit of 1992.

Local Government Act 1999
Legislation that introduced the best value service improvement and inspection system. Placed a duty on councils to continuously improve their services.

Local Government Act 2000
Legislation that introduced directly elected mayors and cabinet-style government, largely scrapping the old committee system. Also brought in a new, more flexible legal framework for local government allowing councils to take actions to increase the social, economic or environmental well being of local people.

Local Government Association (LGA)
Organisation that represents around 400 councils in England and Wales. Lobbies on behalf of its members and provides advice on policy.

Local Strategic Partnership (LSP)
Initiative to ensure cooperation between public agencies, voluntary groups and businesses in the regeneration of deprived neighbourhoods.

Back to top

National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service (NACVS)
Umbrella body of more than 280 local councils for voluntary service (CVS). NACVS provides training, services and a national voice.

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
National umbrella body for voluntary organisations and charities in England. Represents organisations in negotiations with the government over service levels, charity law and
consultation. Also provides support and services to organisations.

Neighbourhood
The Government's approach to regeneration attempts to target deprived areas as defined by local people rather than administrative boundaries.

Neighbourhood Management Programme
A way of encouraging stakeholders to work with service providers to help improve the quality of services delivered in deprived neighbourhoods.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF)
Provides 88 of the most deprived areas in the country with £900 million over three years from 2001, and a further £975 million over the following three years. Aimed at tackling deprivation.

Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy (NRS)
The government's master plan for regenerating deprived parts of the country. Published in 2001 with the aim of ensuring that within 10-20 years no one should be seriously disadvantaged by where they live.

Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU)
Government office based in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and charged with implementing the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy.

Neighbourhood Wardens
Civilian staff who patrol suburban areas in an attempt to control low-level crime such as vandalism.

New Deal for Communities (NDC)
Community-led initiative to tackle deprivation by providing intensive financial and other support to 39 deprived areas across England over a ten-year period. Aimed at tackling poor job prospects, crime, education, health and housing and physical environment.

New Opportunities Fund (NOF)
The body responsible for distributing national lottery money to health, education and environment projects in the UK.

NIMBY
An acronym for "not in my back yard" used when discussing planning issues particularly the development of new social housing. The term is used to define the opposition of residents who are against new developments that will devalue their properties.

Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)
Mainly used in the UK to refer to campaigning organisations that have an interest in making clear their integrity from government.

Back to top

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)
The Government department responsible for neighbourhood renewal, housing and urban policy. The ODPM includes the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Regional Coordination Unit and the Social Exclusion Unit.

Out of town development
The practice of building new retail and leisure facilities in locations outside traditional community centres.

Back to top

Primary Care Trust (PCT)
Evolved from Primary Care Groups (PCG), PCT's are free-standing statutory bodies that provide primary and community services and commission secondary (hospital) care on behalf of their local population. By April 2004, all PCG's are expected to be PCT's, which will commission 75% of the NHS budget.

Private Finance Initiative (PFI)
A method of providing new public buildings and projects such as schools, hospitals, roads and homes by using private sector money up front that is later repaid with interest by the state.

Public Interest Company (PIC)
Organisations usually set up to deliver a public service with public money, but run along the lines of a business with operational independence from Whitehall.

Public-Private Partnerships
Where an organisation, such as a council or government department, strikes a deal that allows the private sector to deliver a public service.

Back to top

Quango
Acronym for 'Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation' sometimes referred to as a non-departmental public body. Quango's are part of national government but operate at arm's length from government departments. Examples include the Housing Corporation, the Audit Commission, the Health and Safety Executive, and English Partnerships.

Quick Wins
A term used in the regeneration sector to refer to relatively cheap and easy initiatives that can be quickly implemented in an attempt to secure community support for a regeneration scheme.Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
Attempts to deal with racism in the public sector by forcing bodies such as councils, hospitals and schools to take steps to promote good race relations.

Back to top

Regions
England has nine official government administrative regions: North-East, North-West, Yorkshire and Humberside, East and West Midlands, East of England, South-West, South-East and London.

Regional Assembly/Chamber
Made of councillors and representatives from the private and voluntary sectors, England's Regional Chambers and Assemblies were set up in 1999 to scrutinise the work of the country's Regional Development Agencies.

Regional Coordination Unit (RCU)
National headquarters for the Government Offices in the Regions, the RCU was formed to ensure that a range of government programmes are delivered coherently at a local and regional level. RCU is within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Regional Development Agency (RDA)
The government has set up development agencies in the nine English regions to promote economic growth and regeneration. RDA's have progressively gained more funding and freedom from ministers.

Regional Voluntary Sector Networks (RVSN's)
RVSN's provide advice and support at a regional level to the voluntary and community sector. General and Black Minority Ethnic (BME) networks exist in each region.

Regions White Paper
Government proposals to decentralise power in English regions. Published in May 2002. Includes directly elected Regional Assemblies in parts of the country that vote for it in a referendum.

Registered Social Landlord (RSL)
The official name for housing associations, housing cooperatives and local housing companies that are registered with the Housing Corporation.

Ring Fencing
The Government's practice of earmarking for national priorities parts of the funding it gives organisations such as councils and hospitals - effectively telling those organisations how to spend some of the money.

Back to top

Silo
Term used to describe a government (local, regional or national) department that does not work effectively with other parts of the organisation and outside service providers. Thought to reduce organisational effectiveness and is the enemy of "joined-up" government.

Single Pot
The regeneration funds available for distribution by the Regional Development Agencies. Replaces Single Regeneration Budget

Single Regeneration Budget (SRB)
Now discontinued as a national scheme, the SRB was created in 1994 to narrow the gap between deprived and wealthy areas by funding local regeneration initiatives. Local partnerships of community, voluntary and business groups received money for schemes that aimed to improve employment prospects, address social exclusion and crime, and support economic growth.

Small Business Service (SBS)
The SBS is an agency of the UK's Department of Trade and Industry. It champions the interests of small businesses, including representation to Government

Social Capital
An idea most associated with sociologist Robert Putnam. It is used to represent the value people get out of relationships between them. Exchanging ideas, sharing resources and supporting each other's concerns are some of the ways in which social capital is produced. It is thought that social capital increases and becomes more sophisticated when networks have communication with each other

Social Enterprise
A business that trades primarily to achieve social aims, while making a profit. Social aims might include job creation, training and provision of local services. They are organised along democratic lines, with service users having full say in the direction of the business. Credit unions are examples of banking social enterprises

Social Enterprise Unit (SEnU)
Government body located at the Department of Trade and Industry. Acts as a focal point and co-ordinator for policy making affecting social enterprise and promotes and champions social enterprise. Addresses barriers to growth of social enterprises, and identifies and spreads good practice

Social Entrepreneurs
Individuals who are prime movers in improving or promoting social enterprises.

Social Exclusion
This term is used to describe people or areas that suffer from a combination of factors that are likely to include unemployment, high crime, low incomes and poor housing.

Social Exclusion Unit (SEU)
Set up in 1997 to help reduce social exclusion by producing "joined up solutions to joined up problems". The SEU works with government departments to research, implement and promote policies that tackle social exclusion and poverty.

Social Regeneration
Process of tackling the social problems that lead to deprivation, such as crime and drugs. The process is different from physical regeneration, which tackles run-down buildings and communal areas, and economic regeneration, which is aimed at creating jobs and wealth.

Stakeholders
People who have an interest in an organisation or process, its activities and its achievements, including customers, partners, employees, shareholders, owners, government and regulators.

Statutory Authority
An organisation that is required by law to provide public services and receives central or local government funding, for example health authorities and local authorities.

Statutory Services
Refers to services provided by the local authority as a matter of course. Examples of statutory services include social services.

Sure Start
The programme aims to improve children's life opportunities by working with parents and parents-to-be in deprived areas and providing better access to family support, advice on nurturing, health services and early learning.

Sustainability
Refers to moves by organisations to move beyond short-term funding for their activities, to more dependable funding so that work is adequately supported. Strategies may include selling products or services such as publications or consultancy.

Sustainable Development
An approach to world development that aims to allow economic growth without damaging the environment or natural resources. The Government has produced a strategy for ensuring sustainable development in the UK.

Back to top

Third Sector
Collective name for charity, voluntary, non government and campaigning organisations.

Two-tier Local Government
A system under which county and district councils work together to deliver the full range of local government services. Generally, the smaller district councils tackle issues such as housing and tourism, while their larger county council delivers in areas such as education and social services.

Back to top

Unitary Council
A local authority that delivers the full range of local government services itself, rather than splitting them between county and district councils. Usually covers urban or other built up areas.

Back to top

White Paper

Statement of policy issued by the government. White papers often form the basis of new legislation, and are usually preceded by a consultative green paper.

Back to top 

   Sunderland Community Network, Riverview House, West Wear Street, Sunderland, SR1 1XD.  Click here for map.