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NICE's first quality standards for social care will help support people with dementia to live well, and improve the health and wellbeing of looked-after children and young people.

The standards launch as NICE becomes the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and officially takes on the work of bringing evidence-based guidance and standards to the social care sector, as outlined in the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

The dementia quality standard contains ten statements which are high-priority areas that will help people with dementia to live well.

Statements include ensuring that people with dementia, with the involvement of their carers, have choice and control in decisions affecting their care and support, and that they can participate in a review of their needs and preferences when their circumstances change.

Professor Gillian Leng, Director of Health and Social Care at NICE said: “Followed in its entirety, it will enable individual care practitioners, care homes, agencies and other social services to ensure that people with dementia have an enhanced quality of life, a positive experience of their care and are protected from avoidable harm.”

NICE's second quality standard for social care contains eight statements that will improve the health and social, educational and emotional wellbeing of looked after children and young people in care.

Nine other social care topics are currently in the pipeline with the Department of Health consulting on a further 15 topics.

As well as NICE's increased remit, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 puts the Institute on a stronger statutory footing, changing NICE from a Strategic Health Authority to a Non-Departmental Government Body.

NICE also welcomes its new Chair, Professor David Haslam who takes over the helm from Professor Sir Michael Rawlins following his 14 years in the role.

Sir Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive of NICE, said: “April sees many changes to the way healthcare services are commissioned and how public health responsibilities are coordinated, but one of the constants throughout this period of transition is NICE.

“We will continue to deliver evidence-based guidance, standards and information as before but are pleased to officially begin doing so for social care. We hope this will encourage better integration of health and social care services to deliver the best possible standard of care for people.

“We are delighted to welcome our new Chair, David Haslam, whose extensive experience as a GP and in the national leadership roles he has undertaken, and his awareness of the challenges facing social care, together with his knowledge of the Institute, make him ideally placed to lead NICE into the next exciting phase of its development.”

Professor David Haslam said: "I am extremely honoured to begin work as the Chair of NICE. It is an organisation which, under the exemplary leadership of Professor Sir Michael Rawlins since its inception, has deservedly assumed a position as world-leader in the field of evidence-based guidance and standards.

“Sir Michael will be a tough act to follow but I look forward to the challenge of ensuring that NICE maintains and develops its hard-earned global reputation and continues to ensure better outcomes for patients in a rapidly changing health and social care environment."