National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2014)

FGM is a serious form of child abuse and where applicable you should always follow your child protection procedure.

The following information on FGM can be found at page 130 of the National Guidance for Child Protection. Key messages for practice:

• Female genital mutilation should always be seen as a cause of significant harm and normal child protection procedures should be invoked.

• Where a child or young person within a family has already been subjected to female genital mutilation, consideration must be given to other female siblings or close relatives who may also be at risk.
• Local guidelines should be in place to ensure a coordinated response from all agencies and highlight the issue for all staff who may come into contact with children who are at risk from female genital mutilation.
  
  

Section 516 of the National Guidelines states: ‘Female genital mutilation is usually done for strong cultural reasons and this must always be kept in mind, however, cultural considerations and sensitivities should not override the professional need to take action to protect a child. Action should be taken in close collaboration with other agencies. Care should be exercised in the use of interpreters and lay advisors from the same local community as the victim.

Where possible, workers with knowledge of the culture involved may be able to assist but the welfare of the child must always be paramount. Female genital mutilation should always be seen as a cause of significant harm and normal child protection procedures should be invoked. Some distinctive factors will need consideration:

• Female genital mutilation is usually a single event of physical abuse (albeit with very severe physical and mental consequences)
• There is a risk that a child or young person is likely to be sent abroad to have the procedure performed
• Where a child or young person within a family has been subjected to female genital mutilation, consideration needs to be given to other female siblings or close relatives who may also be at risk
• A planning meeting should be arranged if the above conditions are met, where appropriate specialist health expertise should be sought
• Where other child protection concerns are present they should be part of the risk assessment process. They may include factors such as trafficking or forced marriage
• Legal advice should be obtained where appropriate
• Appropriate interpreters who are totally independent of the family should be used