1. Graded Care Profile 2 Awareness session Why do we need it? What is it?
Measuring Care, Helping Families
Awareness session
Why do we need it?
What is it?
How can it help in assessment of neglect ?
©NSPCC 2017 Registered charity England and Wales Scotland SC

2. Why focus on child neglect?
is the most common reason for a child to be subject to a child protection plan.
features in 60% of serious case reviews.
The aim of this slide is to emphasise just how big an issue neglect is
is the most common concern for which adults contact the NSPCC helpline.
is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment in the UK.

3. GCP2 in Wiltshire
Neglect is the most common reason why children are placed on a child protection plan. SCR Family M (SCR in to 5 siblings) identified that despite long term concerns about neglect professionals found it hard to identify and assess the impact of this on the children

4. Why do we care? Effects of neglect
Death
Delayed development
Emotional difficulties - anger, anxiety, sadness or low self-esteem
Mental health problems such as depression, eating disorders, (PTSD), suicidal thoughts, self harm
Problems with drugs or alcohol
Poor physical health
Struggles with relationships
Difficulties with learning, lower educational attainment, difficulties in communicating
Behavioural problems including anti-social behaviour, criminal behaviour

5. In summary Assessing neglect can be difficult
It can be subjective and prone to bias
There is a high threshold for recognition
It’s difficult to capture and compare
It can be complex and intergenerational

6. GCP2 Tool What is the Graded Care Profile v 2 Graded Care Profile 2
Measuring Care, Helping Families
What is the Graded Care Profile v 2
GCP2 Tool
Graded Care Profile 2 Training
Dawn Hodson
Paul Anderson
With thanks to
Patrick Neil
Peter Richards
©NSPCC 2017 Registered charity England and Wales Scotland SC
This next session covers
What the tool is
How and when to use it
How to score
How to analyse the results

7. Graded Care Profile: what is it?
An evidenced-based assessment tool for evaluating levels of parental care – what is life like for the child
Uses a graded scale (1=best 5=worst) to capture levels of physical and emotional care
Theoretically sound
Identifies strengths as well as weaknesses
This gives an overview of the tool and sets the scene for the next slides.
Targets aspects of neglectful care
Provides evidence that can inform care and intervention plans

8. What the research said Strengths of the GCP
More objective, evidence-based assessment
Improved Assessment Process
Identifies parental strengths as well as areas of concern
Unpacks parenting – improved breadth and depth of assessment
On a 5 point scale, the usefulness of GCP was rated as 4 or 5 in two thirds of cases
(N=114)
This demonstrates the evidence-based nature of the tool.
The NSPCC did the first national evaluation of the original tool – these are the findings.
Promotes a child centred approach
Participative process that promotes parental engagement

9. Graded Care Profile 2: it can
Support decision making at all levels and between levels
Support a better understanding of parents’ capacity to and ability to sustain change
Describe when sub-optimal care becomes neglectful
This gives an overview of the tool and sets the scene for the next slides.
Bring what life is like for the child to the forefront

10. Nursery Primary School Midwife Secondary School
The tool will support me when considering neglect. It is very concise and structured which will remove any emotions involved and help me to focus.
Nursery
It will enable us to proactively focus on evidencing our concerns in a structured, supportive and thorough way to ensure that we provide the right signposting and possible further action for children experiencing neglect.
Primary School
It will enable more objective assessment of the level of neglect in the families that I work with.
Midwife
GCP2 tool will allow me to identify neglect in a measurable way and make decisions on how best to proceed to ensure the needs of the young person are met appropriately.
Secondary School
These are quotes from local professionals who have undertaken the training in Wiltshire

11. Where in the system can you use GCP2 to support decision making
Can support legal decision making and as part of the court bundle
Early help – identify needs and areas of strengths
Supports social work practice and decision making – ICPC or Review
There are other uses for the GCP2 that may not be specifically associated with neglect but which can be applied anytime when there are concerns about parenting.
For example, when the child is exhibiting problems, the GCP2 could be used to see if it is about the parenting that the child is receiving. GCP2 is a tool that could potentially be used in all cases where the child is in need or in need of protection as it looks at the quality of parenting.

12. However GCP2 does not: Replace good professional practice
Assess the reason for the neglect –
Replace good engagement
Measure impact

13. GCP2
GCP2 has been found to be reliable and valid. It can be used in the knowledge that it has sound psychometric properties, and is a reliable and valid assessment tool in aiding practitioners in the assessment of child neglect.
The inter-rater reliability test ensures that when two different people undertake the GCP2 at different times their findings can confidently be compared
Research from the US and the UK tells us there are challenges with getting people to use evidence-based programmes and tools like GCP2.
We know that they help families and staff but no one can benefit if we do not use them with families.

14. Areas and sub-areas of GCP2 Grades
Graded Care Profile 2
Measuring care, Helping families
DEVELOPMENT
PHYSICAL
Nutrition
Acceptance
Housing
Disapproval
Areas and sub-areas of GCP2 Grades
(1=best)
(5=worst)
Clothing
Approval
Hygiene
Stimulation
Health
Mutual engagement
In carers’ presence
©NSPCC 2017 Registered charity England and Wales Scotland SC
Responsiveness
When carer is absent
EMOTIONAL
SAFETY

15. Purpose: where neglect is suspected
Get baseline
measurement
Assess the current quality of care
Monitor progress
Ensure interventions are targeted
This slides focuses on what the tool can be used for specifically in relation to neglect.
Different professionals can be used for different purposes ie
Prevention
At the point of referral
As a prompt for action
Can also be used if the child is exhibiting problems to see if this is linked to the quality of the parenting.
Where there are issues or parental adversity, to review the impact on the ability to parent their child.

16. What the tool actually looks like
©NSPCC 2017 Registered charity England and Wales Scotland SC
This shows an example of one of the pages of the actual tool.
Talk through the slide and explain how it should be used.

17. Who can use the tool? Social workers Family support workers
Teachers, early years, home school link workers
Health staff
Anyone involved in evaluating the quality of care (in neglect) and can get access to the home and observe care.
You do not have to be a trained social worker or health visitor, but just have an understanding of child development and the safeguarding system.
So it can be used by professionals as well as parents using it themselves, and children of around 12 have scored themselves.
Parents
Young people

18. If you have any questions please contact
The GCP2 training will give you knowledge, skills confidence and resources to undertake a GCP2 assessment
It is licensed and you will have to pass a test to show you can use the tool confidently
If you have any questions please contact
©NSPCC 2017 Registered charity England and Wales Scotland SC