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Read codes
A numeric coding system, developed by Dr James Read, used to develop common terminology and protocols for the electronic communication of patient records and other clinical information. Also known as clinical terms.
Big issue: the internet and information technology
Useful link: NHS information authority

Red-lining
A practice by mortgage lenders of refusing to lend money to would-be home buyers in designated areas because of their fears that homes will be difficult to sell and that people will default on loans. Most red-lining occurs in deprived areas where there is a high proportion of social housing.
Related articles
Useful link: Debt on our Doorstep

Reference costs
The national schedule of reference costs itemises the cost of individual treatments across the NHS in areas of major hospital activity (eg hip operations), allowing trusts to compare costs with similar providers and become more efficient.
Big issue: public finances
Related articles
Useful link: Department of Health - reference costs 2001

Referral
A request for help for someone in need of an assessment, usually written down in brief notes. These are usually made on behalf of someone else by a third party, for example a social worker for a service user, or a GP for a patient.

Region
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.
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - regions

Regional assembly/chamber
Made of councillors and representatives from the private and voluntary sectors, England's eight regional chambers and assemblies were set up in 1999 to scrutinise the work of the country's eight regional development agencies.
See also: regional development agency
Big issue: regional government
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - regional chambers

Regional coordination unit
National headquarters for the government offices of the regions, the RCU was formed to ensure that a range of government programmes are delivered coherently at a local and regional level.
Big issue: regional government
Related articles
Useful link: regional coordination unit

Regional development agency (RDA)
The government has set up development agencies in the eight English regions and London to promote economic growth and regeneration. The RDAs outside the capital were established in 1999 and have progressively gained more funding and freedom from ministers.
See also: regional assembly/chamber
Big issue: regional government
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - information on RDAs

Regional government
Ministers have pledged to create elected regional parliaments in parts of the country that vote for it in a referendum. It has been reported that a test vote could be held in the north-east, the most enthusiastic region, by the end of Tony Blair's second term.
Big issue: regional government
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - regional governance

Regional venture capital fund
Provides funding of up to £500,000 to help small and medium sized enterprises develop their business. The fund was established by the government to tackle an "equity gap" at the lower end of the market that leaves smaller businesses without access to venture capital money. It relies heavily on private sector funding and is run on a commercial basis.
Related articles
Useful link: Department of Trade and Industry - regional venture capital funds

Registered charity
Organisations that have charitable purposes can register with the charity commission to become a registered charity, a legal status strictly governed by charity law.
See also: charitable purpose, charity commission for England and Wales, and charity law
Big issue: charity management
Useful link: charity commission - FAQs on charity registration

Registered social landlord (RSL)
The official name for housing associations, housing cooperatives and local housing companies that are registered with the housing corporation. The term, which is unpopular with many in the housing association sector, was introduced in the 1996 Housing Act when local housing companies were introduced. Social landlords need to register with the corporation to qualify for grants to build new homes.
See also: housing association
and local housing company
Big issue: housing regulation
Useful link: housing corporation - FAQs

Register of friendly societies
The Financial Services Authority is responsible for registering and overseeing friendly societies, and registration is similar to charity registration. The register itself can be inspected at Companies House.
See also: friendly society
Big issue: charity finance
Useful link: directory of friendly societies

Regulatory code
A new code introduced in 2002 by the housing corporation to regulate housing associations, which is based on self-assessment. It replaces a previously unpopular regime that housing associations claimed was too prescriptive. The new code is intended to focus on what housing associations achieve rather than how they achieve it.
Useful link: housing corporation - press release on regulatory code launch

Regulatory and statistical return (RSR)
A form that housing associations now have to complete electronically outlining their performance in numerous areas of their activity. Used by the housing corporation to regulate housing associations and provide annual information on the sector.
See also: desktop review
Useful link: housing corporation - annual returns

Remuneration committee
Body set up in larger charities to set pay and conditions of employees, especially chief executives and senior staff. Often includes independent members from outside the charity.
Useful link: NCVO press release on guide to setting chief executive pay

Rent guarantee
A formal promise given to tenants about future rent rises. Rent guarantees are usually offered to council tenants who are being asked to support the transfer of their homes to a housing association. They usually last no more than five years because of the uncertainty about housing finances.
Big issue: housing transfers
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - housing transfer programme, setting rents

Rent reform
Controversial 10-year plan that began in 2002 to restructure council and housing associations' rent to ensure they are roughly on the same footing. By the end of the process, all affordable rents should be based on a formula that gives a 70% weighting to regional earnings and 30% to capital values. As a result of the plans, rents in high value areas will go up - causing concerns for tenants - and rents in low value areas will go down - prompting concerns about the financial viability of some housing associations.
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - quality and choice, moving to a fair system of rents

Rent service
A team of around 900 rent officers and administrators whose main job is to determine whether housing benefit claimants are being charged too much rent by their landlords.
Related articles
Useful link: former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions - the rent service

Reserves
The term "reserves" has a variety of technical and ordinary meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. The charity commission uses the term "reserves" to describe that part of a charity's income funds that is freely available for its general purposes. "Reserves" are therefore the resources the charity has or can make available to spend, for any or all of the charity's purposes, once it has met its commitments and covered its planned expenditure.
Big issue: charity finance
Related articles
Useful link: charity commission - about reserves

Residential family centre
A centre in which a family lives for a set period. Children remain under their parents' care while living in the centre.
See also: family centre
Related articles

Residential home
A category of homes that provide personal care and other services and whose work has to be monitored by local authority registration and inspection units.
Useful link: National Care Homes Association

Respite care
Care provided by a day or residential centre or by a family as much for the benefit of the carers as for the person concerned.
Useful link: Caring Matters - what is respite?

Restraint
Control to prevent a person from harming themselves or other people. This can be applied by physical means - actual or threatened laying of hands on a person; mechanical means - for example, strapping someone into a chair; or medication - such as sedatives or tranquillisers.
Big issue: mental health

Restricted funds
Restricted funds are those donated to a charity that are subject to specific requirements which may be declared by the donor(s), for example to a cancer charity for breast cancer research. Or they might be restricted by the charity, for example, for a specific appeal.
Big issue: charity finance
Useful link: charity commission - about restricted funds

Retail price index (RPI)
Measure of inflation used by the government to set benefit and tax allowance levels and to regulate council and housing association rents.
Related articles
Useful link: national statistics - retail price index

Right to acquire
A scheme to give former council tenants whose homes have transferred to housing associations the right to buy their homes at a discount. The scheme, which was introduced in 1996, only applies to homes that were transferred after April 1997. The discounts of between £9,000 and £16,000 are paid by the housing corporation.
See also: right to buy
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - right to acquire

Right to buy (RTB)
One of the key measures introduced under Margaret Thatcher's government - it gives council tenants the right to buy their homes with generous discounts. The popular but controversial measure was introduced in 1980. Since then, the number of council homes for rent has been cut by more than a million. Discounts available were reduced by the Labour government in 1998 to up to £38,000. In 2003 discounts were cut to £16,000 in 41 property hotspots in a bid to protect the dwindling supply of affordable homes.
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deupty Prime Minister - right to buy

Right to buy abuses
Various legal ruses that exploit loopholes in the rules governing the sale of council homes. Under one type council tenants are encouraged to buy their discounted homes with the offer of additional cash incentives from property companies. In return the former tenants agree to move out as soon as the home is purchased, so that the companies can let the properties to new tenants at market rents. Under another ruse councils that earmark homes for demolition can face an influx of right to buy applications from tenants who know they will be entitled to generous compensation packages when the homes are pulled down. In 2003 the government attempted to stamp out some of abuses.
Related articles
Useful link: London housing unit - exploiting the system (pdf)

Ringfencing
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 their money. At present, money is ringfenced for spending in areas such as mental health and education.
Related articles

Risk management
A systematic approach to reducing loss of life, financial loss, loss of staff availability, safety, or loss or reputation.
See also: controls assurance
Big issue: NHS quality and performance
Related articles
Useful link: Department of Health - controls assurance

Rough sleepers unit
Group set up under the then Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in 1999 to reduce rough sleeping in England and Wales by two-thirds over three years. Claimed to have reached its target nearly six months early at Christmas 2001, though the strategy and figures have been criticised.
Big issue: homelessness
Useful link: rough sleepers unit strategy

Rural exceptions policy
A planning power available to councils in rural areas where there is a demonstrable lack of affordable housing. It gives them the right to grant planning permission to affordable homes in countryside areas where there is normally a ban on new housing.
Related articles
Useful link: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - PPG 3, providing for rural exception housing

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