Agenda item

To consider a report on the Shared Services Female Genital Mutilation Prevention Project.

8.1       Debbie Raymond (Head of Safeguarding, Review and Quality Assurance) presented the report and explained that initially the Shared Services Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Prevention Project was initially based on a model devised by the Council in 2014 which had subsequently been rolled out across the tri-borough from May 2015 to May 2016.  Evidence from 2014 estimated that around 770 girls and young women in Westminster were at potential risk of FGM, however Children’s Services had not received any referrals. The initial pilot FGM project in 2014 worked closely with ante-natal clinics, including health advocates, who had a greater understanding of the problem. This allowed women and families to discuss the implications of FMG and for many women this was the first opportunity for them to do so. Debbie Raymond advised that the project’s successes had included referrals going from zero in the tri-boroughs to 77, with most families based in Westminster and the frequency of clinics at St Mary’s Hospital had increased from monthly to weekly. The project had demonstrated a successful example of collaborative working between Children’s Services and the heath, voluntary and community sectors, with the early interventions enabling families to understand the emotional and health implications of FGM and so improving health outcomes. This included midwives, social workers and health advocates all playing their role in early intervention in addressing FGM.

8.2       Debbie Raymond advised Members that the pilot project’s success had led to it being successful in obtaining further funding from the Department for Education’s (DfE) Innovation Fund to operate the project across the tri-boroughs and become part of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). As the project developed, a further grant of £90,000 had been provided to enable the project to run until December 2016. However, alternative funding needed to be identified in order for the project to continue after this time.

8.3       During discussions, the Board welcomed the success of the project. 

            A Member commented that FGM had been raised as a concern at the Neglect Campaign launch on 24 May and the Council was working with faith leaders to tackle this issue. In noting that the project would need to identify alternative funding if it was to continue beyond December 2016, Melissa Caslake (Tri-Borough Children’s Services) advised that the Council was working collaboratively with health colleagues to consider how the project can be sustained. A Member remarked on whether the estimate of 770 girls and women in Westminster potentially being at risk of FGM was accurate and he asked whether there had been any engagement with the private sector on whether practices had been approached to undertake FGM.  He felt that the Board should indicate its’ support for the continuation of the project. Another Member felt that consideration needed to be given as to how the services the project provided could receive funding from mainstream funding as a clear need for these services had been identified. It was also remarked that consideration needed to given as to how families access psychological services support.

8.4       In reply to some of the issues raised, Debbie Raymond advised that the estimated of women and young girls potentially at risk of FGM in Westminster was at the lower end of what the actual number may be. She advised that communities practising FGM tended to have a large number of siblings that could potentially increase instances of FGM. However, the NHS had been collecting data on FGM cases over the last 18 months. Debbie Raymond advised that a number of FGM procedures were carried out overseas. She added that a few referrals had been received where families had approached GPs to request FGM.