Tackling Child Neglect is a key priority for Knowsley.
Child Neglect is the most common form of abuse in the UK and the effect of neglect on children & young people is devastating.
Do you know the signs of child neglect?
The above poster highlights some of the signs you may recognise, neglect does not just constitute poor home conditions, think about the other types of neglect you may see. Click on the following link to view the full size poster: Be Curious Neglect Poster
Child neglect affects children of all ages, practitioners sometimes consider young people to be resilient and able to look after themselves, adolescents can also be neglected in a number of ways as can younger children, practitioners must always be mindful of this. We also need to remember that unborn children are at risk from neglect too.
Click here to view the full size ‘Be Curious’ set of posters:
Presentations
Our KSCP Young Advisors have been working together to create a Power Point Presentation and Zoom session with a view to raising awareness of child neglect. They have met regularly via Zoom sharing ideas and the engaging ways in which they could share these important messages regarding child neglect.
Click on the following link for the Zoom session:
Zoom Young Advisors Neglect Awareness Session
Click on the image below to view the Narrated Slideshow
The following two narrated Power Point Presentations have been created to raise practitioners awareness regarding neglect and the Graded Care Profile 2.
Department for Education Neglect Resources
The DFE created numerous neglect resources in order to support multi agency professionals in how they work with families were neglect has been identified.
The following presentation was created for schools to highlight the important role they can play in identifying neglect and supporting families to improve the lived experience for children.
The DFE also created a platform of videos available on you tube highlighting practitioners perspectives of neglect and how it affects different children. Here are two examples of the stories of two children:
Shireen is 10 years old and of dual heritage. She gives an account of her life as a child who is missing out on activities and social opportunities experienced by her peers. She describes strained relationships and difference between her experience of family life and the family lives of others.
Liam is the eldest of three children, white and 15 years old, he is regularly in trouble with the police and he describes life from his perspective and the difficult relationship that he is experiencing with his family.
NSPCC Video Clip
The NSPCC develops tools and services used every day to protect children across the UK. This is the story of how nursery manager Sue Evans used the NSPCC’s GCP2 assessment tool to deal with a potentially serious case of child neglect.
7 Minute Briefings
In Knowsley, 7 Minute Briefings are used to communicate with practitioners across Knowsley, keeping them updated with the latest information and guidance relating to safeguarding children. The following 7 minute briefings were produced to raise awareness of neglect and how the GCP2 should be the primary go-to assessment tool to use when there are concerns a child is being neglected.
7 Minute Briefing – Using the GCP2
Local Case Studies
Click on the slideshows below to read a summary of real life local cases highlighting how when agencies work together effectively, using the appropriate assessment tools (the GCP2), outcomes for children can improve greatly.
For practitioners yet to undertake the GCP2 training the Neglect Screening Tool can be used to substantiate concerns when neglect is identified. It can be used to accompany a MARF (Multi Agency Referral Form) when making a referral to the MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) as evidence of the concerns identified and to highlight the different forms of neglect present.
Decision Making Flowchart
The following decision making flowchart has been created to help practitioners when making decisions about the next steps to take when identifying that a child may be experiencing neglect:
Assessing Neglect Decision Making Flowchart Mar22
Knowsley Neglect Screening Tool 2021
We have provided a wealth of information in a variety of formats in order to equip you with more knowledge and understanding regarding how to spot the signs of neglect and what to do if you have concerns.
What Services are available locally?
The following website provides information regarding local services that may support you when working with families were neglect has been identified: Our Services | Knowsley Family Information Service (knowsleyinfo.co.uk)
Neglect: Further Information
Neglect can have an adverse impact on a child’s daily lived experiences including their physical, emotional, health, education and social development. Apart from being potentially fatal, neglect causes great distress to children and leads to poor health, education and social outcomes in the short and long term.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 defines Neglect as: The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
Provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment);
Protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger;
Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care- givers);
Ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Practitioners must be clear that neglect does not just indicate that there are poor home conditions all aspects must be considered as highlighted above.
Multi Agency Neglect Strategy 2019 – 2021 and Procedure
This strategy has been developed to provide a consistent approach to reducing incidents of neglect across Knowsley.
Multi Agency Neglect Strategy 2019 – 2021
Updated Neglect Procedure 2020
Graded Care Profile 2
One of the key priorities for the Knowsley Safeguarding Children Partnership is to assist all who work with children and families in assessing child neglect. The GCP2 was introduced in 2018 as the primary multi agency tool for assessing neglect, particularly when neglect is initially identified as a concern at the early help level.
The GCP2 is a practical tool which supports practitioners in measuring the quality of care delivered to an individual child from a carer/s over a short window of time and is designed to give a representative overview of the current level of care. The grades are based on observations and good quality evidence gathered. The GCP2 reviews “what it is like” for the child not “why it’s happening”. The lived experience of the child. Parental issues are taken into account during the analysis and planning stage.
The quality of care is ‘graded’ on a scale of 1 (best) to 5 (worst). The GCP2 separates out different areas of parenting and the needs of the child: physical, such as quality of food, clothes and health, care of safety, safety in carers presence and when carer is absent, emotional care, such as the relationship between the carer and child and developmental care, such as if a child is encouraged to learn and if they a praised for doing something good. These areas are based on Maslow’s principals.
The GCP2 has been rigorously evaluated and found to be reliable and valid. It can be used where neglect is suspected, giving a baseline measurement and can be used to target interventions and to monitor progress after interventions.
It can be used for all ages of children, including adolescents.
The majority of children subject to child protection plans in Knowsley are under the category of neglect. The aim of this tool is to assist staff in undertaking a comprehensive and evidence based assessment of families when neglect is known or suspected and particular emphasis should be given when neglect is first identified at early help. If you would like more information please access the NSPCC website.
It is a requirement that practitioners who have accessed the training and will be utilising the GCP2 will do so either via the Children’s Social Care ICS system or the Early Help Module (Partner agencies will need to gain access to the EHM). Please see below if you will access the tool via EHM.
Do you require EHM training? Do you have any other queries relating to the EHM? Please contact janet.keegan@knowsley.gov.uk
If you require further information regarding Knowsley’s GCP2 Training Opportunities contact sarah.herron@knowsley.gov.uk. There will be access to Virtual GCP2 training from October 2020, this will be advertised and practitoners will be able to book via the Training Booking Portal.
For more information regarding GCP2 principles and Frequently Asked Questions click on the following document:
Principles FAQs Graded Care Profile 2
Read the latest GCP2 7 Minute Briefing here: 7 Minute Briefing – Using the GCP2
Updated Knowsley Neglect Screening Tool 2020
The tool is intended for front line practitioners within all partner agencies as a means to quickly identify areas of concern which may indicate a child/adolescent is being neglected. It is intended to complement existing tools and if concerns are identified lead on to a GCP2 being completed. The tool is designed to be applicable to all ages of children and should help you identify neglect and associated factors across all age ranges.
Purpose of the Screening Tool
Is to equip frontline practitioners to:
• Identify signs of neglect in both children and adolescents at an early stage
• Alert the need for further action
• Identify which agency/organisation/practitioner will progress further assessment/ intervention as needed
Knowsley Neglect Screening Tool 2020
Please read the following newsletter for more information about the GCP2:
GCP2 Newsletter
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