Project Description

The National FGM Centre (NFGM) is a partnership between Barnardo’s and the Local Government Association (LGA) created with the aim to work in local authorities with a lower number of identified cases of FGM, where there may be limited experience working with those affected.

The NFGMC offers a ‘continuum of intervention’ that combines work with Children’s services, other statutory agencies and organisations with community outreach.

It provides local authorities with social workers and project workers to directly manage cases of FGM and maintains an online Knowledge hub, consultancy, practice development and training, conferences and workshops to share this learning nationally. Social workers, managed by NFGMC, are located in local authorities’ safeguarding teams with delegated authority or duties.

NFGMC is scaling the work done since its establishment in 2015, transferring the learning to high prevalence areas and new harmful practices.

Evaluation

The DfE-funded independent evaluation published in 2017 found that embedded staff from the Barnardo’s and Local Government Association National FGM Centre who provided local authorities with support in case management and engagement with families were generally highly valued by pilot site staff for their specialist knowledge, experience and confidence in engaging with families. The bespoke nature of delegation within each pilot site was found generally to work well and had a positive effect on the social care response for children.