An evidence-informed assessment tool to help professionals understand potential risks and support parents
The antenatal period and early years of a child’s life can have a profound impact on their future physical and emotional safety and wellbeing. It’s important that parents are given support to provide the best care for their developing baby and newborn infant1.
Graded Care Antenatal (GCP2A) helps a range of professionals working with expectant parents to identify areas of strength and areas where they may benefit from support.
How it works
The tool is split into three sections. Each section uses a graded scale of 1 to 5 where 1 indicates no concerns and 5 indicates high concerns.
Sections one and two focus on the antenatal period. Section one is designed to be used at the earliest point in the pregnancy when expectant parents comes into contact with services - or can be completed when concerns arise. Section two is completed when there are areas of vulnerability or concern identified in section one.
These sections cover physical safety and the emotional and developmental consideration the expectant parents give to the unborn baby. Section three covers the early postnatal period (birth to three months) and looks at the quality of care given to the baby.
The tool includes areas of known risks that are linked to safeguarding concerns in babies. It will help professionals build a picture to identify where concerns emerge in relation to the impact on the developing baby. It can also be used as an indicator for potential safeguarding issues after birth.
Graded Care Antenatal is a reflective tool which highlights areas for professionals to explore when making decisions. It grades what is currently happening but doesn’t look at the reasons or causes for what is happening. This tool should be used to inform a wider assessment of need.
References
Gerhardt, S. (2004) Why love matters: how affection shapes a baby's brain. New York: Routledge.