Sevenminute Safeguarding Staff Meeting Female Genital Mutilation FGM

“Seven-minute Safeguarding Staff Meeting” Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Female Genital Mutilation comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons (World Health Organisation). There are no health benefits to FGM and it is recognised internationally as a human rights

If you suspect that an act of Female Genital Mutilation appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18, what should you do?

• • • Teachers must personally report to the police cases where they discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out. Unless the teacher has a good reason not to, they should also still consider and discuss any such case with the school or college’s designated safeguarding lead and involve children’s social care as appropriate. The duty does not apply in relation to at risk or suspected cases (i. e. where the teacher does not discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out, either through disclosure by the victim or visual evidence) or in cases where the woman is 18 or over. In these cases, teachers should follow local safeguarding procedures.

2 minute discussion What signs might you look for that suggest that a pupil is at risk of FGM?

Risk factors include low level of integration into UK society mother or sister who has undergone FGM girls who are withdrawn from PSHE a visiting female elder from the country of origin being taken on a long holiday to the family’s country of origin talk about a ‘special’ event or procedure to ‘become a woman’ Post-FGM Symptoms include: difficulty walking, sitting or standing spend longer than normal in the bathroom or toilet unusual behaviour after a lengthy absence reluctance to undergo normal medical examinations asking for help, but may not be explicit about the problem due to embarrassment or fear.

Additional guidance and further reading Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2016 Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation Home Office fact sheet WHO factsheet http: //www. who. int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs 241/en/ http: //www. unfpa. org/resources/female-genital-mutilation-fgmfrequently-asked-questions https: //www. safeguardinginschools. co. uk/fgm/ Online training is provided by the Home Office https: //www. fgmelearning. co. uk/ Helpline: NSPCC FGM Helpline 0800 028 3550 or email fgmhelp@nspcc. org. uk UNICEF: http: //data. unicef. org/topic/child-protection/female-genitalmutilation-and-cutting/