What is the Norfolk Graded Care Profile (NGCP)

The Norfolk Graded Care Profile (NGCP) is an evidence-based assessment tool designed to support practitioners in evaluating the quality of care provided to a child or young person. It helps professionals identify where a child or young person may be experiencing neglect, and supports informed decision-making and intervention planning.

The NGCP has been implemented across Norfolk’s children’s workforce over the past two years, strengthening a shared and consistent approach to assessing neglect.

What does the tool assess?

The NGCP assesses care across six key areas:

1. Physical care
2. Health
3. Safety and supervision
4. Love and care
5. Stimulation and education
6. Parental Motivation for Change

Each area includes descriptors to guide practitioners in identifying the level and quality of care being provided.

How is the NGCP used?

The NGCP is used to:

• Assess the level of care provided to children and young people
• Identify potential indicators of neglect
• Support early intervention and safeguarding planning
• Inform multi-agency working and decision-making
• Track progress over time and review improvements in care

It is used when there are concerns about possible neglect, and as part of a collaborative approach with families and professionals.

Why the NGCP Matters

The NGCP provides:

• A structured and evidence-based approach to assessing parenting capacity
• Greater consistency in identifying neglect across services
• Improved early identification of risk
• Support for targeted interventions and positive change
• Enhanced multi-agency collaboration to safeguard children

Relevance for practitioners supporting adults

Adults with care and support needs, may also be parents or carers of children. In the course of their work, practitioners supporting adults with care and support needs may notice indicators that suggest a child could be experiencing neglect.

In these situations, having an understanding of the NGCP can support practitioners to:

• Recognise potential signs of neglect in children
• Share concerns appropriately with Norfolk Children’s Services
• Contribute to a whole-family approach to safeguarding

Even where your primary role is working with adults, awareness of the NGCP is important. It supports early identification of neglect and ensures that children’s needs are recognised within wider family contexts.

Training and Development

Free training is available to support practitioners in understanding and using the NGCP effectively.

This training will help you to:

• Develop confidence in applying the tool
• Understand how to assess the six areas of care
• Use the tool to inform safeguarding decisions and plans
• Contribute to multi-agency assessments

You can find further information about accessing the free NGCP training here (select Norfolk Graded Care Profile): 

Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership - training and events