KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGES• SafeCare is a structured training programme for parents, developed in America for families where there were concerns about possible neglect or abuse.• SafeCare has been implemented in six NSPCC sites. An evaluation is considering whether and how it can contribute to the prevention and amelioration of child neglect in the UK.• The service development and early implementation experiences are outlined, including the varying practitioner responses to the implementation of a structured, manualised programme.KEY WORDS: Neglect; Evaluation; Parenting programme; Prevention 'The key aim for the practitioner working with neglect is to ensure a healthy living environment and healthy relationships for children ' (Brandon et al., 2013, p. 8).T his report gives a brief account of the SafeCare parenting programme and the rationale for its transportation to the UK and implementation here by the NSPCC, as well as a progress report on implementation. Relevant challenges and gaps in the field of neglect are outlined and we describe some of the ways in which SafeCare seeks to address them. These implementation issues will be relevant to organisations in the process of introducing and
Previous research on the original Graded Care Profile, widely used in assessments of child neglect, found that it helped practitioners make more objective, evidence‐based decisions where neglect was suspected. However, the tool was also criticised for being too long and not very user‐friendly. Subsequently, the tool was revised, updated and renamed the ‘Graded Care Profile 2’ (GCP2). The NSPCC supported the implementation of this tool in 65 local authorities.
This article reports on an evaluation of the GCP2 conducted by the NSPCC, involving surveys and interviews with a range of participants trained to use the tool or involved in its implementation. The evaluation aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to using the tool, and to observe whether changes made to the original tool had helped.
Participants were positive about the GCP2, which some interviewees said was a huge improvement on the original tool. They felt that it increased their confidence to identify neglect and make referrals which were more likely to have an impact, because interviewees felt that it produced clear evidence which held weight within the child protection field. There were reservations about aspects of the tool and, although the roll‐out appeared successful overall, use of the tool was fairly limited eight to ten months following training.
Key Practitioner Messages
The GCP2 was viewed as more accessible, attractive and user‐friendly than the original tool. There were some concerns about aspects of the tool, such as its length.
Practitioners who used the tool felt that it improved their confidence to identify neglect and helped them make referrals which were more likely to have an impact.
The majority of local authorities initially involved in rolling out the GCP2 were still engaged and using the GCP2.
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