SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
This procedure is concerned with children arriving into the UK:
This is a broad cohort of children, and it may include (but is not limited to) children who have been subject to trafficking and/or modern slavery, and/or may have been exposed to the additional risks of commercial, sexual or domestic exploitation. It may also include children who have been trafficked internally within the UK.
Part 1 of this chapter covers issues which will apply across this cohort.
Part 2 of this chapter covers the additional issues which will apply where children are identified as being potential victims of trafficking and/or modern slavery.
NOTE
This chapter will continue to be updated as UK immigration legislation continues to change following the UK's exit from the EU.
AMENDMENT
In May 2022 this chapter was refreshed throughout. Information was added on piloting devolving decision making for child victims of modern slavery and on Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTG). Links to Further Information were added and updated, and a link added to the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians Referral Form. In areas where the ICTG service has been implemented, if the first responder considers a child to be a potential victim of modern slavery, they should refer them to the ICTG service by completing the online referral form.Evidence shows that unaccompanied migrant children or those accompanied by someone who is not their parent are particularly vulnerable. Immigration legislation impacts significantly on work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people from abroad.
It is important to note that regulations and legislation in this area of work are complex and subject to constant change through legal challenge. This guidance, therefore, intends to provide an overview of the additional issues faced by families and/or children set within the framework of immigration law. All practitioners need to be aware of this context in their contact with such families and/or children. Legal advice about individual cases may be required.
Additional issues are likely to arise in relation to this cohort of children, whether or not they are found to be, or suspected of being, victims of trafficking or modern slavery. Additional considerations in all cases are likely to include issues such as immigration status, the need for interpreters and specialist legal advice. Some of these children may have been persecuted and have witnessed or been subject to horrific acts of violence. Assessing the needs of these children is only possible if their legal status, background experiences and culture are understood, including the culture shock of arrival in this country.
Unaccompanied, internally displaced children may come to the UK seeking asylum or may be here to attend school or join their family. An unaccompanied child may be the subject of a Private Fostering arrangement, and subsequently exploited or abandoned when the arrangement fails (see Children Living Away from Home Procedure).
Some children may say they are unaccompanied when claiming asylum - a trafficker may have told the child that in doing so they will be granted permission to stay in the UK and be entitled to claim welfare benefits.
A significant number of children who are referred to local authority care as trafficked children or unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), often then go missing and many go missing within one week. It is thought that they are then trafficked internally, within the UK, or out of the UK.
Whenever an unaccompanied child presents in a local authority area, all agencies dealing with the child should be alert to the possibility that the child may have been a victim of modern slavery, including the possibility that the child has been trafficked, and ensure that all relevant information about the child's circumstances is communicated to Children's Social Care. Information should be shared with consent where appropriate and where possible, but information can be shared without consent if the professional judgement is that there is good reason to do so, such as where their safety may be at risk.
If there are concerns that a child is a victim of trafficking, the practitioners will need to inform the National Referral Mechanism, which is a framework for identifying victims of human trafficking or modern slavery and ensuring that they receive the appropriate support. The child's details should be provided using the forms available on the National Referral Mechanism - Digital Referral System: Report Modern Slavery.
In England and Wales, if someone is found not to be a victim of trafficking, the Competent Authority must go on to consider whether they are the victim of another form of modern slavery, which includes slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
This chapter should be read in conjunction with the following government guidance:
Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities, November 2017 - This guidance sets out the steps local authorities should take to plan for the provision of support for looked after children who are unaccompanied asylum seeking children, unaccompanied migrant children or child victims of modern slavery including trafficking. Elements of this guidance will also be relevant for the care of looked after UK nationals who may also be child victims of modern slavery.
Safeguarding Children who May Have Been Trafficked (Home Office, 2011) - non-statutory government good practice guidance provides the detailed guidance on steps that local authorities should take, in partnership with other agencies, to identify and protect child victims of modern slavery, including trafficking, before they become looked after.
The first contact with the child and carers is crucial to the engagement with the family and the promotion of trust which underpins the future support, advice and services.
Such children should be assessed as a matter of urgency as they may be very geographically mobile and their vulnerabilities may be greater. All agencies should enable the child to be quickly linked into universal services, which can begin to address educational and health needs.
The assessment has to address not only the barriers which arise from cultural, linguistic and religious differences, but also the particular sensitivities which come from the experiences of many such children and families.
Particular sensitivities which may be present include:
Agencies should ensure that the interpreter shares a common language with the child, is professionally trained and has been screened through a DBS check. It is vital that the services of an interpreter are employed in the child's first language and that care is taken to ensure that the interpreter knows the correct dialect.
The assessment of age is a complex task, which often relies on professional judgement and discretion. Many societies do not place a high level of importance upon age and it may also be calculated in different ways. Some young people may genuinely not know their age and this can be misread as lack of co-operation. Levels of competence in some areas or tasks may exceed or fall short of our expectations of a child of the same age in this country.
Age assessments should only be carried out where there is significant reason to doubt that the claimant is a child. Age assessments should not be a routine part of a local authority's assessment of unaccompanied or trafficked children. Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery - Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities (November 2017) provides that where the age of a person is uncertain and there are reasonable grounds to believe that they are under 18, they will be treated as a child in order to receive immediate access to assistance, support and protection in accordance with section 51 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. An age assessment should only be carried out if it is appropriate to do so, and should not cause a delay in referring into the NRM. Where age assessments are conducted, they must be compliant with case law of Merton and subsequent judgments.
As the issue of age assessment in social work with asylum seeking young people remains controversial, the ADCS (Association of Directors of Children's Services) Asylum Task Force has worked with the Home Office to provide jointly agreed Age Assessment Guidance and Information Sharing Guidance for UASC.
The advice of a paediatrician with experience in considering age may be needed to assist in this, in the context of a holistic assessment. However, the High Court has ruled that, unless a paediatrician's report can add something specific to an assessment of age undertaken by an experienced social worker, it will not be necessary.
The immigration status of a child and their family has implications for the statutory responsibilities towards the family. It governs what help, if any, can be provided to the family and how help can be offered to the child.
All children, irrespective of their immigration status, are entitled to protection under the law. Local authorities need to ensure that child victims receive legal advice and support.
Where families are subject to immigration legislation which precludes support to the family, many will disappear into the community and wait until benefits can be awarded to them. During this interim period the children may suffer particular hardship - e.g. live in overcrowded and unsuitable conditions with no access to health or educational services. They are particularly vulnerable to exploitation because of their circumstances.
Children who disappear, where there are concerns about the child's welfare, should be considered to be missing and Children and Families that go Missing (Including Unborn Children) Procedure should be followed.
It may be appropriate for unaccompanied children to be informed of the availability of the Assisted Voluntary Return Scheme.
Asylum Process - Possible Outcomes
There are four main possible outcomes of the asylum process for an unaccompanied child, which will determine what the long term solution might be. These are outlined below including the impact they may have on care and pathway planning:
The Secretary of State must consult the Independent Family Returns Panel in each family returns case, on how best to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children of the family, and in each case where the Secretary of State proposes to detain a family in pre-departure accommodation, on the suitability of so doing, having particular regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children of the family.
A family returns case is a case where a child who is living in the United Kingdom is to be removed from or required to leave the United Kingdom, together with their parent/carer.
Pre-departure accommodation is a secure facility designed to be used as a last resort where families fail to co-operate with other options to leave the UK, such as the offer of assisted voluntary return.
The Panel may request information in order that any return plan for a particular family has taken into account any information held by other agencies that relates to safeguarding, welfare or child protection. In particular a social worker or manager from Children's Social Care may be invited to contribute to the Panel.
Whenever any professional comes across a child who they believe has recently moved into this country the following basic information should be sought:
This should be done in a way which is as unthreatening to the child and carer as possible.
When an unaccompanied child or child accompanied by someone who does not have Parental Responsibility comes to the attention of any practitioner, a referral should be made to Children's Social Care in accordance with the Referrals Procedure. An Assessment will be undertaken in order to determine whether they are a Child in Need of services, including the need for protection.
Whether they are unaccompanied or accompanied by someone who is not their parent they should be assumed to be a Child in Need unless assessment indicates that this is not the case. The assessment of need should include a separate discussion with the child in a setting where, as far as possible, they feel able to talk freely. This, in itself, may be a complex process where the assessor may not be able to speak the same language as the child.
Many unaccompanied and/or trafficked children are at risk of going missing from care, often within the first 72 hours, whilst others may be at risk of repeated missing episodes due to ongoing exploitation.
Assessment
The Assessment will be conducted in accordance with the Assessment Procedure. The following additional issues will also need to be taken into consideration.
Assessing the needs of these children is only possible if their legal status, background experiences and culture are understood, including the culture shock of arrival in this country.
This is a highly complex area of work and professionals will need to have available to them a solid understanding of the asylum process or colleagues or other professionals with such expertise.
Seeking information from abroad should be a routine part of assessing the situation of an unaccompanied child. Practitioners from all key agencies - Health, Education, Children's Social Care and the Police - should all be prepared to request information from their equivalent agencies in the country or countries in which a child has lived, in order to gain as full as possible a picture of the child's preceding circumstances.
The child should be offered an Independent Visitor and, if they decline, their reasons should be recorded. Any Independent Visitor appointed should have appropriate training and demonstrate an understanding of the needs faced by unaccompanied or trafficked children.
The Assessment should take account of any particular psychological or emotional impact of experiences as an unaccompanied or trafficked child, and any consequent need for psychological or mental health support to help the child deal with them.
Unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of modern slavery will need access to specialist legal advice and support. This will be in relation to immigration and asylum applications and decisions and any associated legal proceedings. If they have been a victim of modern slavery, it may also be in relation to criminal proceedings or compensation claims. The assessment should note that specialist legal support is required and how it will be provided.
Planning for the child should include planning for a variety of possible outcomes regarding the child's immigration status - see Asylum Process - Possible Outcomes.
'Modern slavery' is a form of organised crime in which individuals including children and young people are treated as commodities and exploited for criminal and financial gain. It encompasses human trafficking, slavery, servitude and forced labour.
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 provided better protection for victims and increased the sentences for committing these offences.
Grooming methods are often used to gain the trust of a child and their parents, e.g. the promise of a better life or education, which results in a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.
'Trafficking of persons' means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
'Exploitation' for modern slavery purposes is defined, as a minimum, to include: sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude and organ trafficking.
Trafficked victims are coerced or deceived by the person arranging their relocation, and are often subject to physical, sexual and mental abuse. The trafficked child or person is denied their human rights and is forced into exploitation by the trafficker or person into whose control they are delivered.
Children are not considered able to give 'informed consent' to their own exploitation (including criminal exploitation), so it is not necessary to consider the means used for the exploitation - whether they were forced, coerced or deceived, i.e. a child's consent to being trafficked is irrelevant and it is not necessary to prove coercion or any other inducement.
Children of all ages are affected and can be trafficked into, within ('internal trafficking'), and out of the UK for many reasons and all forms of exploitation.
Victims may be sexually exploited and forced into sex work. Victims have been found in brothels, saunas and lap dancing clubs. Persons subject to forced labour have been found working with little or no pay in farms, factories, nail bars, car washes, hotels and restaurants. Domestic servitude involves victims who work in a household where they are subject to long working hours with little or no pay, often in very poor working conditions. Sometimes forced marriage can lead to domestic servitude. Criminal exploitation can involve young people being forced to work in cannabis cultivation, county lines exploitation, begging and pick-pocketing. Other types of exploitation include debt bondage (being forced to work to pay off debts that realistically they will never be able to), organ harvesting, financial fraud (including benefit fraud), and illegal adoption. For further information see Typology of 17 Types of Modern Slavery Offences in the UK.
Victims often face more than one type of abuse and slavery, for example they may be sold to another trafficker and then forced into another form of exploitation.
Children and young people may be exploited by parents, carers or family members. Often the child or young person will not realise that family members are involved in the exploitation.
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 (applicable mostly in England and Wales[1]) provides two civil prevention orders - the Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders (STPO) and Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order (STRO), and provision for child trafficking advocates.
[1] Some provisions also concern Northern Ireland and Scotland. Also see the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 and the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015.
Identification of potential child victims of modern slavery/trafficking may be difficult as they might not show obvious signs of distress or abuse. Some children are unaware that they have been trafficked, while others may actively participate in hiding that they have been trafficked. Even when a child understands what has happened, they may still appear to submit willingly to what they believe to be the will of their parents or accompanying adults. It is important that these children are protected too. Children do not have the legal capacity to 'consent' to their trafficking or their exploitation.
Signs that a child has been trafficked may not be obvious, or children may show signs of multiple forms of abuse and neglect. Spotting the potential signs of child slavery/trafficking in referrals and children you work with can include:
Physical Appearance - Victims may show signs of physical or psychological abuse, look malnourished or unkempt, or appear withdrawn.
Physical Illnesses - Including work-related injuries through poor health and safety measures, or injuries apparently as a result of assault or controlling measures. There may be physical indications of working (e.g. overly tired in school or indications of manual labour).
Sexual Health Indicators - Sexually transmitted infections, or pregnancy; injuries of a sexual nature and /or gynaecological symptoms.
Psychological Indicators - Suffering from post traumatic stress disorder which may include symptoms of hostility, aggression and difficulty with recalling episodes and concentrating. Depression/self-harm and/or suicidal feelings; an attitude of self blame, shame and extensive loss of control; drug and or/alcohol use.
See also Statutory Guidance Modern Slavery: How to Identify and Support Victims.
Modern slavery and trafficking are child abuse, and any potential victim of child trafficking or slavery, servitude, or forced or compulsory labour should immediately be referred to Children's Services in the area, as they may be suffering significant harm - see Referrals Procedure.
In addition to the usual actions to be taken, additional considerations will apply if the child is suspected of being a victim of trafficking and/or modern slavery. Once a potential victim has been identified, practitioners should inform them of their right to protection, support, and assistance in any criminal proceedings against offenders. Practitioners should arrange access to specialist legal advice and support. Trafficked children may apply to UK Visas and Immigration for asylum or humanitarian protection. This is because they often face a high level of risk of harm if they are forced to return to their country of origin.
If the child or anyone connected to them is in immediate danger the police should be contacted as normal.
Practitioners should meet any urgent health needs and arrange emergency medical treatment if appropriate.
Practitioners must arrange safe accommodation for the potential victim.
Assessment
Where a child is a victim or potential victim of Modern Slavery/Trafficking, the Assessment should be carried out immediately as the opportunity to intervene is very narrow. Many trafficked children go missing from care, often within the first 72 hours. There should be a clear understanding between the local authority and the police of roles in planning for the protection and responding if a child goes missing.
During the Assessment, the lead social worker should establish the child's background history including a new or recent photograph, passport and visa details, Home Office papers and proof and details of the guardian or carer.
Where the outcome of the assessment is that the child becomes looked after, the social worker and carers must consider the child's vulnerability to the continuing influence/control of the traffickers and how they may seek to contact them for instance by mobile phone or the internet. Planning and actions to support the child must minimise the risk of the traffickers being able to re-involve a child in exploitative activities:
The social worker must immediately pass to the police any information on the child (concerning risks to their safety or any other aspect of the law pertaining either to child protection or immigration or other matters) which emerges during the placement. The social worker must try to make contact with the child's parents in the country of origin (immigration services may be able to help), to find out the plans they have made for their child and to seek their views. The social worker must take steps to verify the relationship between the child and those thought to be their parent/s.
Anyone approaching the local authority and claiming to be a potential carer, friend, member of the family etc, of the child, should be investigated by the social worker, the police and immigration service. If the supervising manager is satisfied that all agencies have completed satisfactory identification checks and risk assessments, the child may transfer to their care.
The child should be offered an Independent Visitor and, if they decline, their reasons should be recorded. Any Independent Visitor appointed should have appropriate training and demonstrate an understanding of the needs faced by unaccompanied or trafficked children.
The Assessment should take account of any particular psychological or emotional impact of experiences as an unaccompanied or trafficked child, and any consequent need for psychological or mental health support to help the child deal with them.
Practitioners must always ensure that a victim-centred approach to tackling all types of trafficking and modern slavery is taken. This can be achieved by the following:
A child's credibility can be challenged if the child is subject to immigration control on the basis of their disclosure being made in instalments. It is important that practitioners make careful notes about what is disclosed, as a child may have difficulty recalling what they've experienced as a result of trauma. This will support the child and help others understand the process of disclosure.
When questioning a potential victim, initially observe non verbal communication and body language between the victim and their perpetrator.
It is important to consider the potential victim's safety and that of their loved ones. Confidentiality and careful handling of personal information is imperative to ensure the child's safety. Practitioners must not disclose to anyone not directly involved in the case, any details that may compromise their safety.
The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery.
A local authority (as a 'first responder') identifying a potential victim of modern slavery must refer them to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for consideration by the Single Competent Authority (SCA) in the Home Office.
Children's Social Care departments are able to make a referral into the NRM, as they may be entitled to further support. Victims can be of any nationality, and may include British national children, such as those trafficked for child sexual exploitation or those trafficked as drug carriers internally in the UK. The NRM does not supersede child protection procedures, so existing safeguarding processes should still be followed in tandem with the notifications to the NRM. See also Report Modern Slavery as a First Responder (Report modern slavery as a first responder - GOV.UK).
There is no minimum requirement for justifying a referral into the NRM and consent is not required for children. Communicate honestly with the child about your concerns and reasons for referring them into the NRM.
To complete and see where to send the forms, and the associated guidance, visit Digital Referral System: Report Modern Slavery.
The Duty to Notify - Local authorities have a duty to notify the Home Office about any potential victims of Modern Slavery. It is intended to gather better data about modern slavery. This requirement can be satisfied by completing the National Referral Mechanism Digital Form.
NOTE: In June 2021 the Government launched a 12-month pilot programme in some local authority areas that will test alternative models of decision making for child victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. See Guidance: Piloting Devolving Decision Making for Child Victims of Modern Slavery - GOV.UK.
If the child is in an Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) area, a referral must also be made to the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian service (see 2.6 below)
The NRM referral and ICTG referral should be made in parallel.
In areas where the ICTG service has been implemented, if the first responder considers a child to be a potential victim of modern slavery, they should refer them to the ICTG service by completing the online Independent Child Trafficked Guardians Referral Form. This is in addition to following usual safeguarding routes and NRM referrals.
Referrals must be made through the online referral form. A 24/7 assessment line number for the ICTG Service (0800 043 4303) is available for advice on referring a child into the service.
Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) are an independent source of advice for trafficked children; somebody who can speak up on their behalf and act in the best interests of the child. This service was formerly known as Independent Child Trafficking Advocates. The Government has committed to rolling out ICTGs across England and Wales.
An ICTG’s advocacy and involvement throughout the decision-making process is intended to ensure the child is protected from further harm, prevent possible repeat victimisation, re-trafficking or going missing and promote the child’s recovery. ICTGs are independent of those authorities who are responsible for making decisions about the child.
See also Interim Guidance for Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (May 2021).
The ICTG service model provides two discrete services to children who have been trafficked:
ICTG Direct Workers provide one-to-one support to a child who has been trafficked and help them navigate, as appropriate, the respective local authority children’s services and the immigration and criminal justice systems, as well as ensuring that their educational and health needs are met through liaison with the appropriate statutory agencies and public authorities.
ICTG Regional Practice Co-Ordinators hold a strategic role, working with professionals who are already engaged with and supporting the child, rather than directly working with the child. The ICTG RPC has in-depth and specialist knowledge of provisions in their local area and is able to offer expert advice to professionals working directly with children on how best to safeguard the children in their care.
The ICTG Direct Worker or ICTG Regional Practice Coordinator must be invited and provided with the opportunity to take part in all meetings and discussions which relate to and impact upon the child, including individual agency meetings such as those with the local authority, police, immigration authorities and those which may take place within the criminal justice system as well as multi-agency meetings and strategy discussions. The ICTG Service must also be informed of all decisions relating to the child.
The public authorities in the ICTG Sites must provide the ICTG Service with access to all relevant information, subject to any restrictions on the disclosure of the information, relating to the child to enable the ICTG Service to perform their role effectively in line with safeguarding responsibilities.
Likewise, the ICTG Direct Worker or ICTG Regional Practice Coordinator must share relevant information they have obtained from their meetings with the child with the public authorities to enable them to continue to perform their role in the child’s support and care, effectively.
The ICTG Service should receive information from public authorities in a timely fashion a minimum of 2 working days before a meeting where practical. This paperwork could include an agenda as well as any background or more recent papers on the child that will inform or be discussed at the meeting. This will enable the ICTG Direct Worker or ICTG Regional Practice Coordinator to be fully prepared when attending meetings with professionals and subsequently with the child. This will also enable ICTG Direct Worker or ICTG Regional Practice Coordinator to carry out their role and duties to the child in an effective and productive manner, allowing them to increase their knowledge and understanding of the child in order to develop appropriate strategies or options to continue to support them.
Where the child’s ICTG Direct Worker or ICTG Regional Practice Coordinator is not available to attend certain multiagency meetings between public authorities or those involving individual agencies which relate to and impact upon the child, they should, where possible, arrange and brief an alternative ICTG Direct Worker or ICTG Regional Practice Coordinator to represent them at the meeting or provide key thoughts and opinions to the chair of the meeting or to key professionals who will be in attendance to ensure their views are reflected. The ICTG Service’s assessment line staff are also able to remotely dial in on these occasions, therefore conference calling facilities should be made available where necessary. The ICTG Service should receive key notes and actions as well as any decisions reached during the meeting in a timely fashion or within a maximum of 2 working days.
Where the ICTG Service considers that it is necessary and appropriate to do so, they may obtain legal advice or instruct a legal representative to act on the child’s behalf. This advice or representation may relate to the support and care needs of the child, any immigration or criminal proceedings the child is involved in, or circumstances which may be considered to have a detrimental impact on the child.
Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities, November 2017 - guidance for local authorities and those making multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. This guidance sets out the steps local authorities should take to plan for the provision of support for looked after children who are unaccompanied asylum seeking children, unaccompanied migrant children or child victims of modern slavery including trafficking. Elements of this guidance will also be relevant for the care of looked after UK nationals who may also be child victims of modern slavery. It does not provide detailed guidance on steps that local authorities should take, in partnership with other agencies, to identify and protect child victims of modern slavery, including trafficking, before they become looked after. This is described in:
Safeguarding Children who May Have Been Trafficked (Home Office, 2011) - non-statutory government good practice guidance.
Statutory Guidance Modern Slavery: How to Identify and Support Victims (updated 2021) - describes the signs that someone may be a victim of modern slavery, the support available to victims and the process for determining whether someone is a victim
Interim Guidance for Independent Child Trafficking Guardians
Independent Child Trafficked Guardians Referral Form - in areas where the ICTG service has been implemented, if the first responder considers a child to be a potential victim of modern slavery, they should refer them to the ICTG service by completing the online referral form
Modern Slavery Victims: Referral – guidance on referring potential victims of modern slavery/human trafficking to the National Referral Mechanism - GOV.UK
Victims of Modern Slavery - Frontline Staff Guidance Version 3 (Home Office UK Visas and Immigration, March 2016) - guidance for how UK Visa and Immigration identifies and helps potential victims of modern slavery.
Victims of Modern Slavery: Competent Authority Guidance - guidance advising staff in competent authorities how to deal with victims of human trafficking.
National Transfer Scheme Protocol for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children - national transfer procedure on transferring unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC).
Cross-border child protection cases: the 1996 Hague Convention (DfE) - guidance for local authorities dealing with international child protection cases.
Guidance on Processing Children's Asylum Claims - sets out the process which immigration officials follow in determining an asylum claim from a child and the possible outcomes for the child.
Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children and Leaving Care: Funding Instructions: Instructions to local authorities about funding for the support and care of former and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
Support for Victims of Modern Slavery (Home Office 2016) – a leaflet outlining the support available for victims of modern slavery in 11 foreign languages
Home Office Circular - Modern Slavery Act 2015
Local Government Association - Council Support: Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Unaccompanied Children - resource for council staff, designed to answer questions about supporting refugees, asylum seekers and unaccompanied children.
College of Policing - Modern Slavery
Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit (MSHTU)
NSPCC - Are You a Child Who Has Come to the UK from Another Country?
Modern Slavery - Royal College of Nursing Guide for Nurses and Midwives
Refugee Council - Children's Advice Project - national remit to offer advice and support to unaccompanied children, and advise other professionals who are involved in their care.
Modern Slavery Helpline and Resource Centre - Unseen (Registered Charity)
ECPAT - Every Child Protected Against Trafficking - is a children's rights organisation working to protect children from trafficking and transnational exploitation.