Rotherham Safeguarding Children Partnership

We are always looking to gather a collection of exemplars of good practice which can be shared on the Rotherham Safeguarding Children Partnership website.

Please can you send your details to: cyps-safeguardingboard@rotherham.gov.uk

What we've learned

The Graded Care Profile (GCP) can help professionals identify risks and potential harm more effectively. Practitioners said they have made the following changes to their working practice since undertaking the training:

• Asked family support officer to be more direct in interaction with a specific family
• Incorporated new ideas
• Thinking about specific areas of care and whether needs are being met
• The training has helped me to support others who use it and to remind people of it should they be stuck when it supervision. Although it is of course not the whole answer to solve problems it is an effective tool to have when working with families.
• More understanding and different ways to reach out to families
• Monitoring and logging incidents on electronic safeguarding system in order to build a clear chronology for the child
• I feel more confident in spotting signs of neglect and feel confident about how to use the tool
• Were it necessary, I would be able to assess the level of care a young person is receiving
• Using the descriptors in MASH referrals to show neglect

Since attending the training during 2017, the majority of Practitioners said their personal awareness of evaluating levels of parental care has improved. As well, Practitioners said that the training has improved outcomes for children, young people and families as the tool promotes a child-centred approach and helps make neglect more visible.

Further comments from Practitioners:

• Parents have a more understanding of my role and what outcome is best for their family
• Other members of the team have also trained, so we can discuss issues in the light of the training
• I am more aware of what aspects of families lives to look at in more detail to support possible neglect issues
• Increased impact but due to change of leadership- not yet fully embedded increased effectiveness
• To consider evaluations and use of assessment, planning to start using the Graded Care Profile
• Understanding families better
• More awareness of thresholds and what constitutes neglect. 14. It has made me more aware of the impact of neglect and the importance of using this assessment tool to help the family to make changes
• Not had an opportunity to use with families
• It has enhanced my knowledge
• It has improved my knowledge and ways of working forward. Also helped me to advise other professionals of work that can be undertaken