National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland

Article 24 (3) of the UNCRC requires public authorities to take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children. FGM is a serious form of child abuse and where applicable you should always follow your child protection
procedure.

The below information on FGM can be found at page 207 of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2021).

4.422 Female genital mutilation (FGM) is child abuse. This traditional practice is an extreme form of gender-based abuse, causing significant and lifelong physical and emotional harm. Cultural considerations and sensitivities should not override the need of professionals to take action to protect a child at risk.

4.430 Every situation should be considered individually, rather than making automatic assumptions about levels of risk within specific communities.

4.431 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.

4.432 Coordinated 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.

4.433 Practice considerations: A multi-agency approach is required. National multi-agency guidance (Scottish Government, 2017, revision due 2023) 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).