These National Guidelines are intended to assist people in identifying and reporting child abuse. They aim, in particular, to clarify and promote mutual understanding among statutory and voluntary organisations about the contributions of different disciplines and professions to child protection. They emphasise that the needs of children and families must be at the centre of child care and child protection activity and that a partnership approach must inform the delivery of services. They also highlight the importance of consistency between policies and procedures across health boards and other statutory and voluntary organisations. They emphasise in particular that the welfare of children is of paramount importance.