New guidance on Protecting children and young people

10 July 2012

New guidance Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of all doctors is published today.

The guidance comes into effect on 3 September 2012.

The draft guidance gives advice to doctors on:  

1. a. their duty to identify children and young people at risk of abuse and neglect, even when only treating adults
2. b. the boundary between parental freedoms and child protection concerns
3. c. good communication with children, parents and families when there are child protection concerns
4. d. respecting confidentiality and when to share information
5. e. good record keeping practice
6. f. seeking consent to examination or investigation
7. g. understanding how other professionals involved in child protection work consider and act on child protection concerns
8. h. training and skills development
9. i.  giving evidence in court as a witness of fact and as an expert witness.

View the guidance and supporting materials

Visit our child protection webpage where you can download Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of all doctors, read the guidance online, and explore some supporting materials.

Press release

Read the press release for the launch of the guidance.