Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children, first published in 1999 and revised in 2011, has been the national guidance for social workers, professionals, organisations and individuals to help keep children safe and protected from harm. This edition of the Guidance is intended to assist you, whether you are a member of the public, a professional, employee or volunteer, in identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect, and to deal effectively with these concerns. It also sets out the statutory responsibilities for mandated persons and organisations under the Children First Act 2015 and provides information about how the statutory agencies respond to reports of concerns made about children.