Parents who are occasionally abrupt with their children and hold low-key celebrations may be guilty of ‘mild neglect’, according to NSPCC guidance.
Child protection social workers use the Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2) to score parents they suspect of neglecting their children on a scale of one to five, with one being the best and five the worst.
The guidance, seen by the Telegraph, says an overall score of three suggests ‘mild neglect’, which may warrant a ‘targeted short-term intervention’ by the local authority or agency.
Homes that need “slight repair” in some areas or are “reasonably clean most of the time, with some redecoration needed”, score three. Being less responsive to a child when they are being difficult, and celebrating personal and seasonal events ‘in a low key fashion’ also earns this grade as the child’s needs are not always being met.
Other behaviours which score three include being mostly warm and responsive to your child but “occasionally flat, brisk or abrupt, when burdened with problems”.
To score a one, events must be “celebrated with lots of enthusiasm and elaborate preparations” and the parent must usually initiate interaction with the child more than the other way around.
Parents who talk about their child with delight, “praise them spontaneously” and give them a “generous emotional reward for any achievement” score a one but those who limit praise, even if they usually agree with others’, score a three.
