15th February 2017
The Department of Health has updated some materials for the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Prevention programme:
FGM Safeguarding and Risk Assessment – Quick guide for health professionals
This guide has been created to help health professionals identify and assess the risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) for patients in their care and to support the discussion with patients and family members.
The guide will help you to:
- Start the conversation and confidently discuss FGM with patients and their families.
- Use the risk assessment tool to assess whether your patient is either at risk, or has had, FGM. Also to identify whether your patient has children or whether there are other children in the family / close friends who are potentially at risk of FGM.
- Safeguard your patients appropriately, including understanding when to refer to social care and the police.
- Learn more about FGM, including the different types, the health impacts, a world map of where FGM is practised and the different names and local terms used to describe FGM.
FGM Risk Assessment Tool
This FGM Risk Assessment Tool comprises 3 sections:
- Part One (a): PREGNANT WOMEN (OR HAS RECENTLY GIVEN BIRTH)
This is to help you make a decision as to whether the unborn child (or other female children in the family) are at risk of FGM or whether the woman herself is at risk of further harm in relation to her FGM.
- Part One (b): NON-PREGNANT ADULT WOMAN (over 18)
This is to help decide whether any female children are at risk of FGM, whether there are other children in the family for whom a risk assessment may be required or whether the woman herself is at risk of further harm in relation to her FGM.
- Part 2: CHILD/YOUNG ADULT (under 18 years old)
This is to help when considering whether a child is AT RISK of FGM, or whether there are other children in the family for whom a risk assessment may be required.
- Part 3: CHILD/YOUNG ADULT (under 18 years old)
This is to help when considering whether a child HAS HAD FGM.
Service standards for commissioning Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) care
This guidance describes service standards expected to be commissioned for the confirmation of FGM in children under the age of 18.
If you have any queries relating to the above documents, please contact [email protected]
