News last month that the government wants to introduce legislation before May's general election to make reporting of female genital mutilation (FGM) mandatory will have far-reaching implications for the children and young people's sector.
Within a matter of months, children's social workers, teachers and health professionals face possibly losing their job if they fail to report cases.
Here, CYP Now answers some of the key questions on the matter.
Why is FGM reporting being introduced?
The government wants to secure more convictions for FGM, pointing to the disparity between prevalence data on FGM and the low number of referrals to the police.
It says the new duty will be an important step forward in tackling FGM, giving professionals the confidence to confront the issue and contact police, ultimately leading to more prosecutions. It says processes around the duty will ensure that for every case reported, there is a "robust and appropriate safeguarding response put in place".
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