Scotland's national action plan to prevent and eradicate FGM

The national action plan to prevent and eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) sets out the objectives, actions and responsibilities required to drive and deliver change.


Section 4 Recommended Actions

The National Action Plan initially addresses the twin aims of ' To Prevent/Protect' and ' To Provide Services/Support', with the ultimate aim of achieving the cessation of the practice of FGM in Scotland. The National Action Plan is not intended to be a stand-alone, separate plan, but sits alongside Equally Safe - Scotland's Strategy to Prevent and Eradicate Violence Against Women and Girls. The actions and activities are intended to deliver the objectives of that strategy, in recognition that this practice is an abuse of the human rights of women and girls and is a form of gender-based violence. The timescale for the actions below are indicated as short, medium and long term for agencies to take forward collaboratively and working in partnership with the affected communities.

FGM will continue to be an issue in Scotland until communities themselves choose to abandon the practice and we recognise that in order to find a solution to eradicate FGM, working with communities is vital to breaking the cycle of violence. The views of communities affected by FGM must shape and inform future policy and service provision. This National Action Plan covers all forms of FGM including type 4 definitions which may not involve removal of tissues from the genitals (such as elongation), and across all related potentially affected communities.

The National Action Plan seeks to help partner organisations and communities work together towards finding solutions to eradicate FGM so does not contain an exhaustive list of activities required of each of the different partners involved.

Where Community Planning Partnerships ( CPPs) are identified as action owners, it includes, local authorities (and within that education, housing, social work), police, NHS, third sector, and others (this list is not exhaustive). It is anticipated that each organisation within a CPP will be responsible for the actions allocated to them. All statutory agencies include NHS, police, local authorities, education, social work, (both Child Protection and Adult Protection) and others.

The timescales referred to in this plan indicate:

Short Term any period of time up to one year

Medium Term any period of time from one year to no more than three years

Long Term any period of time of three years or more

Overarching Objectives

Objectives

Action

Activities

Action Owner

Timescale

Positive gender roles are promoted to ensure that women and girls affected by FGM are empowered to achieve their full potential

FGM is identified within overarching prevention work on Violence Against Women and Girls

Review Violence Against Women and Girls strategies and action plans to explicitly include actions to prevent the practice of FGM and provide services to those affected by FGM

Individual and multi-agency response by CPPs (Community Planning Partnerships), Integrated Joint Boards ( IJBs), Police Scotland, Violence Against Women Partnerships, Child Protection Committee ( CPC) Scotland, Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Committees ( MARACs) and Multi Agency Partnerships ( MAPs)

Medium

Gender Based violence including FGM is recognised as a public health issue

Public health strategies and services involve partner agencies and community organisations to raise awareness of the right of all women and children to be free from FGM

All statutory and third sector organisations

Short/Medium

Women and men have equality of opportunity particularly with regard to access to resources

Public sector agencies understand and fulfil their general and specific duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010, and include FGM within the gender-based violence strategies

Review gender-based violence strategies and action plans to explicitly include access to resources to enable public sector organisations to understand their duties to prevent FGM and provide services to those affected by FGM

All statutory organisations

Medium/Long

Prevention

Objectives

Action

Activities

Action Owner

Timescale

Women and girls potentially affected by FGM feel safe, respected and equal in our communities

Provide clarity of legislation and policy position on FGM in Scotland

Provide FGM Statement and raise awareness around holiday times to prevent FGM and to be included in Police Scotland initiatives at airports and ports

Scottish Government, statutory and non-statutory organisations including Education, Scottish Airports and Ports, Police Scotland

Short

Implement an FGM prevention plan to prevent harm and support women and girls at risk of harm

All partners to engage with multi-agency working groups and committees, nationally and at a local authority level

Individual and multi-agency response by CPPs (Community Planning Partnerships), Integrated Joint Boards ( IJBs), Police Scotland, Violence Against Women Partnerships, Child Protection Committee Scotland, Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Committees ( MARACs) and Multi-Agency Partnerships ( MAPs)

Medium

Police Scotland, with partner agencies will coordinate local and national media campaigns to raise awareness of emerging forms of abuse

Police Scotland

Medium

Police Scotland, with partner agencies, will implement prevention strategies to influence social attitudes and reduce vulnerability

Police Scotland

Medium

Police Scotland will review national FGM training to ensure it provides its frontline staff with the skills they need, and enabling multi-agency training

Police Scotland, other statutory agencies, third sector agencies

Medium

People enjoy healthy, positive relationships and understand the damaging effects that FGM has on those relationships

Provide information about FGM and gender equality and children's rights

Raise awareness of FGM and the services available, and development of all communities, including young people, men, religious leaders and others, recently arrived migrants, asylum seekers and refugees

Scottish Government, third sector and statutory agencies

Short

Objectives

Action

Activities

Action Owner

Timescale

Education Scotland will review, update and develop learning resources that can be used in the classroom in an age appropriate manner

Education Scotland, NHS Health Scotland

Short

Make available up-to-date factual information on the impact of FGM on the health and wellbeing of the affected individuals

NHS Boards, third sector organisations

Short

Scope the impact and implications that elongation of labia and other practices has on potentially affected communities in Scotland, and develop appropriate response

Scottish Government, third sector organisations, NHS Boards

Medium

Individuals and communities recognise the implications and are able to challenge FGM

Communities potentially affected by FGM and professionals are supported to identify and analyse common issues within affected communities and develop strategies to challenge behaviour and influence change in communities, service provision and policy making

Investment made in community engagement and development to enable the recognition of the implications of FGM and are able and empowered to challenge the practise of FGM. This to include all sections of the potentially affected communities including men, women, children and young people

Scottish Government and other funders

Medium

Agencies and organisations should publish and maintain online information and resources e.g. onescotland.org and Scottish Government webpages and FGM Aware, NSPCC Helpline, Scottish Womens Aid, the Scottish Domestic Abuse Helpline, the free app called Petals

Scottish Government and all partners in statutory and third sector

Short/Medium

Individuals who support FGM change their attitudes and behaviour and are supported to do so

Statutory services work with partner agencies and community organisations to raise awareness of the right of all women and children to be free from FGM

Investment to be made in community-based engagement and development with all members of the potentially affected communities, including men, women, children and young people to change attitudes and behaviour

SG and other funders

Medium

Protection

Objectives

Action

Activities

Action Owner

Timescale

Justice and child protection responses to FGM are robust, swift, consistent and coordinated

Police to ensure that they respond sensitively to the concerns raised by professionals and others

To develop awareness of and access to the guidance for police on how to respond to FGM

Police Scotland

Short

Statutory agencies respond appropriately to children at risk of FGM

Children affected by FGM have a child's plan

CPP, IJBs and Social Work Scotland, Scottish Child Protection Committee Scotland

Short/Medium

Female genital mutilation should always be seen as a cause of significant harm and also seen in the context of GIRFEC or local inter agency child or adult protection procedures

Local procedures, guidelines and communication strategies should be in place to ensure a coordinated response from all agencies and highlight the issue for all staff that may come into contact with women and children who may be at risk from or affected by female genital mutilation in partnership with parents/carers where appropriate

CPP, IJBs and Social Work Scotland, Scottish Child Protection Committee Scotland and Adult Support and Protection Committee ( ASPC) conveners

Short

Those who seek to or carry out FGM are identified early and held to account by the criminal justice system

Ensure legislation to address FGM in Scotland is fit for purpose

Scottish Government to continue to engage with potentially affected communities and other relevant stakeholders to consider the impact of any further legislation

Scottish Government, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service ( COPFS), statutory organisations, third sector organisations, Police Scotland

Medium

Scottish Government to liaise with UK Government to ensure efficacy of existing legislation

Scottish Government, COPFS

Short/Medium

Assess the numbers being prosecuted for performing, aiding and abetting FGM following investigations by Police Scotland

COPFS, Police Scotland

Medium

Consider the existing legislation in relation to elongation and other practices and cosmetic genital piercings

Scottish Government, Police Scotland, COPFS, and other relevant statutory agencies

Long

Objectives

Action

Activities

Action Owner

Timescale

Develop policy, procedure and learning from investigations to ensure consistent police standards are applied across Scotland

Establish an effective mechanism to review investigations and ensure adherence to national standards for prevention FGM and management of FGM survivors

Police Scotland

Medium

Establish a nationally accessible platform for Police Scotland to identify good practice and learning outcomes from previous investigations

Police Scotland

Medium

Develop and implement a communication and engagement plan in order to facilitate partner engagement and support for the delivery of national Child Protection processes

Statutory and third sector organisations

Medium

Through thorough investigations and development of FGM intelligence strategy identify and detect perpetrators

Work with statutory and third sector partners to agree thresholds for exchanging personal information, initiating investigations, ownership, and deployment of Police Scotland Public Protection Unit resources

Police Scotland

Medium

Monitor impact of gender-based hate crime taking care not to stigmatise individual communities

Police Scotland

Medium

Provision

Objectives

Action

Activities

Action Owner

Timescale

Women and girls who have been affected and who are potentially affected by FGM have access to relevant, effective and integrated services

Delivery of coordinated and consistent services via a multi-agency response to those affected or who may be affected by FGM

Regular multi-agency meetings to exchange information and good practice about FGM locally and with other regions in Scotland

Multi-agency response by CPPs (Community Planning Partnerships), Integrated Joint Boards ( IJBs), Police Scotland and Violence Against Women Partnerships, Child Protection Committee Scotland, Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Committees ( MARACs) and Multi-Agency Partnerships ( MAPs) and other statutory and third sector agencies

Medium

All statutory agencies have at least one named professional with expertise on FGM in addition to the lead officer, where they are different individuals

All statutory agencies

Short

Consistent recording and reporting of FGM data to inform responsive and high quality service development and monitoring of services

Demonstrate improved data capture for FGM:
recording
reporting
risk assessment
referrals/monitoring
information sharing

All statutory agencies

Medium

Multi-agency information sharing protocol developed and publicised locally to statutory and non-statutory sectors

All statutory agencies

Medium

Each NHS Board has a clear protocol and a referral pathway to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive health and social care service, including generalist and specialist services, are available and accessible informed by the local need

Provide information to healthcare staff, including those in general practice and community clinics (paediatrics, genito urinary clinics, mental health, etc.) to enable them to access up-to-date information about the range of health and other local and national statutory and voluntary sector services that offer support to survivors of FGM

NHS Boards, IJBs

Short/Medium

Objectives

Action

Activities

Action Owner

Timescale

Healthcare workers and other professionals should provide relevant information to survivors of FGM about support services and how to access them

NHS Boards, CPPs, IJBs, third sector, university and student college welfare

Short/Medium

Individuals who experience trauma as a result of FGM should receive access to trauma informed mental health services

NHS Boards, IJB's

Short/Medium

Through partnership working improve Police Scotland's response to FGM and increase opportunities for early and effective interventions in respect of victims and perpetrators

Police Scotland to work collaboratively with partners to create national processes for the submission of intelligence on FGM

Police Scotland

Short/Medium

Improve the reporting methods by third party reporting for those affected by FGM

Police Scotland, all statutory agencies, third sector organisations

Short/Medium

Nationally collate the number of child concern referrals/Inter Agency Discussions ( IRDs) received by Police Scotland for FGM and maintain a national FGM register to provide operational coordination and an overall assessment of FGM prevalence across Scotland

Police Scotland, Child and Adult Protection Committees, CPC, ASPC Scotland, MARACs,and MAPs

Medium

Service providers competently identify FGM, and respond effectively

All statutory organisations equip their workforce with the necessary skills knowledge and understanding to effectively identify and respond to FGM, identify risk and follow local procedures for reporting child and adult protection concerns

To develop multi-agency national guidance for front line staff and their organisations, to address FGM in Scotland

NHS Health Scotland, Police Scotland, local authorities, CPPs, higher educational institutions and all relevant third sector organisations

Publication date expected early 2016

Objectives

Action

Activities

Action Owner

Timescale

All statutory agencies will develop a comprehensive suite of guidance documents to ensure all staff is confident and competent at identifying and responding appropriately

All statutory agencies and higher educational institutions

Medium

Healthcare staff in key settings should be equipped to sensitively enquire about patient experience of FGM and to respond effectively to disclosures of FGM. For example, assess risk and take appropriate action

NHS Boards, NHS Health Scotland and IJBs

Short/Medium

To develop and maintain FGM educational materials and resources for teachers to support children, parents/carers and other networks, to include annual safeguarding update

Education Scotland

Medium

Each Child Protection Committee and Adult Protection Committee should have an inter-agency learning and development strategy to reflect the training needs of the multi-agency workforce, with specific reference to the role of the Named Person and lead professional in identifying and responding to women and children at risk of or affected by FGM

Individual and multi-agency response by CPPs (Community Planning Partnerships), Integrated Joint Boards ( IJBs) and Violence Against Women Partnerships, Child Protection Committee ( CPC) forum, and Multi-Agency Partnerships ( MAPs); Social Work Scotland, Scottish Child Protection Committee Chair Forum

Medium

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