Fabricated or induced illness: staff factsheet
FII is a rare form of abuse involving a parent or carer inventing, exaggerating or deliberately causing symptoms of illness in a child. Make sure your staff understand what it is and are equipped to spot it.
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Although rare, cases of fabricated or induced illness (FII) can lead to children undergoing unnecessary operations and invasive medical procedures.
Use our factsheet to make sure staff are aware of this type of abuse, and what the potential indicators are. You could use it as a basis for giving an update at a staff meeting, or send it around for staff to read themselves.
Want to make it more interactive? Ask staff if they know what FII is before you tell them, or ask them to suggest potential indicators.
If you want to have more of a discussion at a staff meeting, try using these questions:
- How can attendance and punctuality procedures help identify pupils at risk of or experiencing FII?
- What should you bear in mind as you ask colleagues for further information about the pupil or their sibling(s)?
- How can we support pupils’ understanding of their physical wellness and the role of medicines?
- What challenges might you face in relation to a suspected case of FII? What steps could you take to overcome these?
Next ...
... use our safeguarding scenario on FII to get staff to put the learning into practice.
