Trafficking in Human Beings: Child Trafficking
The trafficking of children is an abhorrent act which cannot be tolerated in a modern Scotland. The Scottish Government is committed to identifying and supporting child victims of trafficking.
Chapter 4 of the UK Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings sets out the range of actions being taken forward 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. On February 23, 2009, the Scottish Government published Safeguarding Children in Scotland who may have been Trafficked. The guidance outlines the reasons for child trafficking; the methods used by traffickers; the roles and functions of relevant agencies; and the procedures to follow to ensure the safety of children suspected of being trafficked. It makes clear that children that may be victims of trafficking should be assessed and supported in the same way as any other victim of abuse but that their individual circumstances and needs should be kept in mind when planning support.
The Convention
The Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings represents a milestone in the UK Government's strategy to combat human trafficking in all its forms and to safeguard victims wherever possible.
The protection of any child or young person in Scotland is of the highest and most immediate priority, and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children.
Local authorities have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are in need, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. They also have responsibilities for unaccompanied children, as well as those who arrive in the UK with their parents and for whom there are concerns regarding their safety and welfare. Trafficked children, once identified and if in continuing need of support and care, become the responsibility of a local authority. In this way, the local authority and the child's designated social worker fulfil the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention and will work closely with the Competent Authorities within the National Referral Mechanism.
National Referral Mechanism
The National Referral Mechanism provides a framework within which public bodies such as the criminal justice agencies, UKBA, local authorities and third sector partners can work together to identify individuals who may be victims of trafficking and provide appropriate protection and support. Front-line professionals will refer individuals who they think may be evidencing signs of being a victim of human trafficking to designated 'Competent Authorities' who will work with partners to make an assessment. There is:
A letter has been issued to all Child Protection Committees outlining the arrangements for referring child victims of trafficking to the Competent Authority.
The UK Government has advised that cases of child trafficking should be referred using a specially designed form. Recognising the particular characteristics, risks and organisational engagement surrounding this type of child abuse all referrals to the Competent Authority should come from the child's lead professional or their equivalent in local authority social work departments. This system is intended to support agencies and their staff to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who may have been trafficked. The referral form incorporates a matrix of evidence based indicators which have been established through research into child trafficking and will help the professional to develop their report. The guidance note provides more detail about the process.
Early identification is the key to protecting these vulnerable children and the Home Office and DCSF have therefore worked in partnership with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the London Safeguarding Children Board to develop an assessment tool to assist professionals in this complex process of victim identification. The assessment tool is based on one already in use in the London Borough of Harrow and has been developed following extensive consultation with expert social work and other practitioners. It is now being piloted across a number of sites. The assessment tool employs the same matrix of trafficking indicators as the Competent Authority referral form and should assist in the completion of the referral form. The assessment tool should support the gathering of information which will inform initial, core and child protection assessment and decision making processes and professionals may wish to consider using the tool if they would find it helpful before completing the referral form.