Term	Definition
Advocacy	The act of supporting and representing the interests of age-disputed young people to external agencies, to ensure they access their rights to an age assessment and child-specific support. This includes making referrals to Children’s Services, pushing for age assessments, and referring and collaborating with legal representatives.
Age assessment	The process by Children’s Services to investigate whether a person is a child when no reliable documentary evidence of age is provided, to determine whether they have a duty to provide accommodation and support. It can be a shorter brief enquiry (in “obvious” cases) or a longer, more detailed assessment (where being over or under 18 is less obvious).
Age assessments must be fair and just (see “Merton guidelines”).
Age dispute	A situation where an unaccompanied child arrives in the UK claiming to be under 18, but the Home Office or Local Authority decides they are an adult.
Appropriate adult	An independent person who supports and assists the child during the age assessment process and interview, ensuring fair treatment and that the child's rights are respected.
ARC Card (Application Registration Card)	A card the Home Office gives to asylum seekers. It is photo ID and shows the cardholder’s address.
Brief enquiry	A short age assessment conducted by two social workers, usually completed within 24 hours of referral to Children’s Services. It is meant to be used in “clear” and “obvious” cases where a lawful decision of the claimant’s age can be made on the basis of appearance and demeanour alone. Children’s Act Legislation in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern
Ireland that outlines the duties of Local Authorities to provide support to children in need, including unaccompanied children.
Children’s Services	Local Authority departments responsible for the welfare and support of children, including conducting age assessments and providing social care. Referred to as Social Work in Scotland and Health and Social Care Boards in Northern Ireland.
Community care
solicitor	A legal professional who specialises in community care law, who can legally challenge age assessments and ensure that age-disputed young people receive the appropriate care and support from Local Authorities. In Scotland, this role is normally undertaken by an immigration solicitor.
Declarator of Age	A legal process in Scotland to challenge a Local Authority age assessment, where the Court of Session is asked to determine the age of a young person based on the evidence before it.
Home Office	The UK government department responsible for immigration, security, and law and order, including making visual age decisions for unaccompanied children at the border.
Home Office age
assessment	An initial, visual age decision made by the Home Office at the UK border. Border officers decide if a person is over or under 18 because on whether their physical appearance and demeanour “very strongly suggests that they are significantly over 18” and there is little or no supporting evidence for their claimed age. It is difficult to challenge age decisions made at the border; instead, the child should seek assistance from a Local Authority.
Judicial review	A legal process in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to challenge any decision made by a public body, for example a Local Authority age assessment. (See “Declarator of Age” for the process in Scotland).
Kent Intake Unit
(KIU)	A processing centre where unaccompanied children arriving in the UK are initially supported by the Refugee Council before referral to a Local Authority.
Local Authority (LA)	Regional government bodies responsible for providing social services, including age assessments and care for unaccompanied children.
Merton guidelines/Merton compliant	Guidelines on how to conduct a fair and just age assessment, stemming from the case R (B) v London Borough of Merton and subsequent statutory guidance and case law. Merton guidelines are generally regarded as the most reliable means for assessing age, by providing a framework for disciplined, subjective assessment by experienced social workers.
National Age
Assessment Board
(NAAB)	A public body which is part of the Home Office. It primarily consists of social workers who conduct age assessments following referrals from Local Authorities or the Home Office.
Presumption of
minority	A principle recognised by the United Nations that anyone seeking asylum who is claiming to be a child should be treated as such. This ensures that unaccompanied children
are given the benefit of the doubt and can access child-specific provisions and support.
Putative child	An person who claims to be a child (under the age of 18), but whose age is uncertain or disputed, and has not yet been formally verified.
Safeguarding	Measures taken to protect the health, wellbeing, and
human rights of individuals, including children, ensuring
they are safe from harm, abuse, and neglect.
Section 95 support	Financial and housing support given by the UK Government to asylum seeking adults see here for more
Social worker	A qualified professional employed by Children’s Services to
support and care for children, including conducting age
assessments and creating care plans.
Unaccompanied
asylum-seeking
child (UASC)	A child under 18 who arrives in the UK without parents or
legal caregivers and seeks asylum.