There is often uncertainty about perplexing presentations and fabricated or induced illness and the threshold at which safeguarding procedures should be invoked. In the UK, there has been a shift towards earlier recognition of possible fabricated or induced illness.
Fabricated or induced illness can cause significant harm to the child either because of being made to be ill, or through the treatment that they are given for an illness that they do not have. Harm to the child may take several forms and differ in terms of severity, with children often very confused and anxious about their health and wellbeing.
If you have concerns that a child is victim of fabricated or induced illness, then a referral should be made to the local authority. You should not seek the consent of the parents prior to a strategy meeting, as research tells us this can heighten the risk to the child.
It is important that this is not just considered an issue of health. As with all safeguarding matters, everyone should be alert to the potential signs of fabricated or induced illness. As professionals working with children and young people daily, staff in schools are in a prime position to identify inconsistencies in what they are being told about the needs of the child versus how the child is presenting. Initial alerting signs are commonly identified within school and educational settings.
