Former-police officer recognised for ‘going above and beyond’ to prevent child neglect

David Hunt, who is the learning and development officer for the Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Children’s partnership, received an NSPCC Best Practice award during a ceremony in London on Thursday (January 23).

The awards recognise professionals across the country for their work rolling out a new method to identify child neglect known as Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2).

Adapted by the NSPCC, the tool helps professionals to rate the severity of neglect in a traffic light colour system.

Mr Hunt was instrumental in his organisation’s adoption of the tool and has also promoted it to partner agencies like Sussex Police.

He said: “As neglect is one of the local authority’s priorities, we knew we needed to be proactive and do something about it.

“After various research, we decided that the NSPCC GCP2 tool would be best for us.

“I was tasked with ensuring our partner agencies knew about the important tool and would be able to utilise it.”

Having spent most of his career as a police officer carrying out child protection work, David is now helping other officers to respond effectively.

“Response officers are quite often the first people to arrive at an address,” he said.

“I have designed a check-list card to fit into officer’s pocket books which would encourage police officers to look at signs of child neglect within a household.”

In Sussex, there were 139 child cruelty and neglect crimes recorded by police between 2018 and 2019; an almost 75 per cent increase from 2013-14 when 80 such offences were recorded.

Sam Kyriacou, the NSPCC manager in charge of implementing GCP2 said: “David has successfully won a ‘best practice award’ as recognition of his outstanding enthusiasm and motivation in demonstrating the effectiveness of the Graded Care Profile 2 tool in Brighton and Hove.

“He has gone above and beyond to bring together key agencies to better recognise and respond to neglect locally.

“We wish him the best of luck in continuing his work to implement GCP2 successfully.”

Other professionals from across the UK were also recognised at the event and were presented with awards by TV actress and author Jane Asher.

Jane Asher said: “The Graded Care Profile is an extremely important tool, not just when used for unearthing possible child deprivation and/or abuse, but also in sensitively guiding parents and carers, whenever possible, into the changes necessary to avoid the affected child being taken into care.

“But any tool, however wonderful, can only be as effective as those who use it, and I’m so pleased and honoured to be presenting awards that recognise some of the people who have successfully employed the tool and helped to make some children’s lives far better than they would otherwise have been.”

Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline seven days a week on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk