Quality standard

This quality standard covers recognising, assessing and responding to abuse and neglect of children and young people under 18. It covers physical, sexual and emotional abuse. This quality standard describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

It does not cover areas of national policy, such as legislative changes and statutory requirements.

How to use NICE quality standards and how we develop them

Quality standards help you improve the quality of care you provide or commission. They apply in England and Wales (see the UK government website and Welsh government website). Decisions on how they apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland are made by ministers in the Scottish government and Northern Ireland Executive.

Find out how to use quality standards and how we develop them. We check our quality standards every August to make sure they are up to date.