INTRODUCTION The Graded Care Profile (GCP) scale was developed as a practical tool to give an objective measure of the care of children across all areas of need. The GCP scale was conceived to provide a profile of care on a direct categorical grade. It is important from the point of view of objectivity because the ill effect of bad care in one area may be offset by good care in another area. In this scale there are five grades based on levels of commitment to care. Parallel with the level of commitment is the degree to which a child’s needs are met and which also can be observed. The basis of separation of different grades is outlined in table 1 below. Table 1 Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Essential needs All child’s Essential needs Some essential Most essential 1 entirely unmet/ needs met fully met needs unmet unmet hostile Child first, most Child/carer at Child not 2 first Child second of the time. par considered Everything is We are very 3 Adequate Borderline Poor working well worried 1= of care 2 = commitment to care 3 = quality of care These grades are then applied to each of the four areas of need, based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs physical, safety, love and esteem. –
INTRODUCTION The Graded Care Profile (GCP) scale was developed as a practical tool to give an objective measure of the care of children across all areas of need. The GCP scale was conceived to provide a profile of care on a direct categorical grade. It is important from the point of view of objectivity because the ill effect of bad care in one area may be offset by good care in another area. In this scale there are five grades based on levels of commitment to care. Parallel with the level of commitment is the degree to which a child’s needs are met and which also can be observed. The basis of separation of different grades is outlined in table 1 below. Table 1 Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 1 All child’s needs met Essential needs fully met Some essential needs unmet Most essential unmet Essential needs entirely unmet/ hostile 2 first Child first, most of the time. Child/carer at par Child second Child not considered 3 Everything is working well Adequate Borderline Poor We are very worried 1= of care 2 = commitment to care 3 = quality of care These grades are then applied to each of the four areas of need, based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – physical, safety, love and esteem.