Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2) is an assessment tool that helps practitioners take a strengths-based approach to measuring the quality of care a child is receiving and supports them to identify neglect.
Previous research has already shown that the GCP2 is a reliable tool for assessing families where there are concerns about neglect.
We wanted to find out if GCP2 had further benefits and could contribute to changes for families such as changes to parents’ mental health or wellbeing.
Using a case study approach, we carried out interviews with:
Four local authorities where GCP2 was well established, participated in the research.
Authors: Rachel Margolis, Jessica Johansen, Emma Smith and Emma Belton
Published: 2021
Assessments using GCP2 can help bring about positive changes for families.
Parents’ mental health can improve, their help seeking behaviours can increase, and they can develop new skills and have improved relationships with others.
Some children experienced positive changes, such as improvements in behaviour, health and development.
Aspects of GCP2 helped practitioners to communicate with families about why there were concerns about their children. The tool’s strengths-based approach and "traffic lights" system helped families to identify what they are doing well, understand concerns and see positive changes.
Parents often found it easier to put in place improvements to their home environment than to change their parenting behaviours.
The way in which practitioners could break down improvements to the home environment – such as regular cleaning and decluttering – made change feel like a manageable task for parents.
Using GCP2 may lead practitioners to keep a case open for longer if they are concerned about the families’ need for ongoing support to keep their children safe. It can also help practitioners evidence that a case can be closed without concerns for the welfare of the children.
GCP2 is part of a range of assessments and interventions that a family may be receiving all of which may have contributed to the changes that were observed in this study.
A positive relationship between the parent and the practitioner who carried out the assessment helped families to engage with the assessment and facilitated positive changes. Parents appreciated practitioners creating time to get to know them and their families before beginning the assessment.
Please cite as: Margolis, R. et al (2021) The GCP2 assessment tool for neglect: understanding how the Graded Care Profile 2 supports families and practitioners to achieve change. London: NSPCC.
Review of how we supported organisations to use Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2), a evidence-based tool to measure the quality of care being given to a child and identify whether a child is at risk of neglect.
A strengths and evidence-based assessment tool to help professionals measure the quality of care provided by a parent or carer in meeting their child's needs.
Increase your understanding of child neglect, the potential impact it can have, how you can recognise it and prevent possible neglect from happening.
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