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New child protection procedures aimed at safeguarding children have been launched in Wales.

The guidelines have been produced by the All Wales Area Child Protection Committees (ACPCs) and are designed to provide a consistent approach to safeguarding children.

They outline five stages for child protection cases:referral, assessment, strategy discussion, a strategy meeting where appropriate, and a section 47 inquiry by police or social services.

Welcoming the launch of the procedures that will be used by all ACPCs across Wales, Jane Hutt, minister for health and social services, said: "The Welsh government places children's issues among its top priorities, and a key element in promoting children's health and welfare is to have robust and effective child protection procedures.

"Although it is now two years since the Waterhouse Report was published, the messages contained in it remain as strong as ever and we continue to work towards implementing many of the recommendations." She added that the initiative for the new procedures had come from those working in the field.

"It was they who recognised and put into practice that one of the fundamental ways of improving outcomes is for agencies to work together," she said.

Hutt emphasised that the Welsh assembly would take the lead on child protection where necessary, but stressed the importance of collaborative working and innovative ideas across all sectors, and the importance of common standards in child protection across Wales.