Vulnerable babies, children and young people at risk of harm: Best practice framework for acute health services, has been developed to document the vital role performed by public hospitals in identifying and protecting babies, children, and young people at risk of harm from abuse and neglect.

The framework comprises a suite of information and resources to enable hospitals as a whole, and individual health professionals who deliver acute health care to:

• identify babies, children and young people at risk of harm from abuse or neglect
• respond rapidly and effectively to ensure the child's immediate safety and to set in train a multi-agency response that ensures that safety in the long term and supports the wellbeing of the child and family.

The framework is part of a broad, multi-pronged approach by the Department of Human Services to improve responses to these vulnerable children and the coordination and consistency of responses across the service system, with the aim of providing the best and most appropriate range of services for each child at risk and their family.