Child Protection Guidance 2021

Part 4: Specific support needs and concerns 202 National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 Version 1.0 September 2021 4.419 Awareness and response. FGM or the risk of FGM may first come to the attention of education or health professionals. A child can be considered at risk if they come from an FGM-practising community or if a close female relative is a survivor of FGM regardless of whether the community of origin traditionally practises FGM. A strong indicator could be the planning of an extended family holiday. 4.420 Every situation should be considered individually, rather than making automatic assumptions about levels of risk within specific communities. 4.421 Other child protection concerns may or may not co-exist. It is relevant to know if the family is from a community in which FGM is practised; if the girl’s mother has experienced FGM; if the girl has a female sibling/cousin who has experienced FGM; and if it is known that the family is as yet not well integrated. Practitioners should be aware that attitudes within the same family may vary. Some women who have experienced FGM are opposed to their daughters undergoing it. Experience of coercive control and the size of the family/extended family/wider community may limit the protective capacity of some parents. Consideration should be given to how to give mothers safe and private space in which to talk. As with other forms of child protection work, there should be efforts to engage and seek a shared understanding in partnership with parents/carers, unless there are safety considerations. Survivors of FGM should be given the opportunity to speak with female practitioners. 4.422 Co‑ordinated response: When it is believed that FGM has been carried out upon a child or when there is cause to believe it may occur, this should trigger an IRD, as outlined in Part 3. Schools may be in a good position to pick up on signs of a girl being at risk. A strategy discussion may be advised in order to consider the whole situation and tailor the engagement, investigation and support process likely to be in the child’s best interests. The plan should take into account that other female siblings or close relatives may also be at risk. 4.423 Practice considerations: A multi-agency approach is required. National multi-agency guidance (Scottish Government, 2017, under revision 2021) provides indicators of good practice. Wherever possible, female practitioners are recommended for planned assessment. Practitioners will be sensitive to the time and privacy needed by those expressing concerns. Clear and simple language should be used. Those involved also need a clear understanding of the role of practitioners. Some children will not understand what has happened or what may happen. Care should be exercised in the use of interpreters and lay advisors from the same local community as the victim. ( The Scottish Translation, Interpretation and Communication Forum Good Practice Guidelines, 2004) . 4.424 Strengthening the law: As part of the National Action Plan to Prevent and Eradicate FGM (Scottish Government (2016), the Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Act 2020 was recently enacted. In reviewing local guidance, agencies will need to take into account the new Act’s requirements. These include FGM Protection Orders and Statutory Guidance. Resources and References – Female Genital Mutilation

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