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Foreword - Safeguarding Children in Scotland who may have been Trafficked

The organised crime of child trafficking has become a considerable concern to all those with responsibility for the care and protection of children. Many describe it as modern-day slavery, where victims are coerced, deceived or forced into the control of others who seek to profit from their exploitation and suffering.

On 23 March 2007 the Home Secretary, on behalf of the UK Government, signed the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. On the same day, the Home Office and the then Scottish Executive published the UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking. The Action Plan has a dedicated chapter on proposals to combat the abuse and exploitation of children by human traffickers. One of the key commitments in the action plan is to provide targeted guidance to meet the particular needs of children who may have been trafficked. The UK Government published 'Safeguarding Children who may have been Trafficked' in December 2007. This guidance outlines the reasons for child trafficking, the methods used by traffickers, the roles and functions of relevant agencies, and procedures that practitioners should follow to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children suspected of being trafficked.

The attached guidance has been adapted to apply with current Scottish legislation, policy and structures. Duties to protect children are enshrined in law for some agencies, particularly the police and social work. However, everyone involved in working with children has a fundamental duty of care towards them. As more cases of child trafficking come to light, with some cases involving UK-born children being trafficked within the UK, it is essential that all professionals who come into contact with children who may have been trafficked are fully aware of the background to this activity and know how to apply the procedures for safeguarding children and to meet the needs of those who have been trafficked.

The Scottish Government seeks the views of consultees on 'Safeguarding children in Scotland who may have been Trafficked'. We are keen to ensure that the document provides Scottish agencies and professionals with guidance to ensure that they can identify, assess and support the needs of children who may have been trafficked wherever in the UK they are found and supported. We also wish to fully reflect Scottish policy and practice so that responses fit not only with local investigation and child protection procedures but also ensure that professionals look beyond safety and criminal investigation to look to address the range of needs of any child who may have been trafficked.

Introduction

The Scottish Government seeks the views of consultees on the draft guidance 'Safeguarding Children in Scotland who may have been Trafficked'.

The questions are summarised below. A response form has been included at Appendix 5 of this document. This form includes the respondent information form. Please complete the details on this form and return it with your response. This will ensure that we handle your response appropriately.

Summary of questions:-

This guidance is a Scottish version of detailed guidance developed for England.

Question 1 - Is this guidance fit for purpose for Scotland?

Question 2 - Are you confident that using this guidance would help to identify, assess and support any trafficked children in your local area?

The following specific questions appear within the text of the document:-

Question 3 - Have we scoped all the agencies that are likely to come into contact with children who may have been trafficked? (page 21)

Question 4 - Are you content with the actions required of agencies outlined within this section? (page 21)

Question 5 - Will there be any difficulty with incorporating the actions outlined within the above section into local procedures? (page 37)

Question 6 - Are you satisfied that your data collection and information management systems are adequate for collection and collation of information about potentially trafficked children? (page 37)

Paper copies of this document can be obtained by:

contacting the Child Protection Team on 0131 244 7612 or e-mailing cprp@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Please send your response and comments to:

Or by email to cprp@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

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