5. Conclusions and review

5

Conclusions and review

Crucial research has laid bare the issue of child trafficking and exploitation taking place across the UK. Although it is clear that considerable progress has been made since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force, there are still significant concerns about the safeguarding response to child victims of trafficking. This is particularly an issue when local authorities are responsible for the care and protection of children, yet the resources and priorities differ between regions. Children and young people are left experiencing a range of responses from statutory agencies, as a result of the lack of consistent national and local safeguarding strategies and procedures in place.263 It is important that in researching victims’ experiences of child trafficking, the voices of survivors are central. The intersection of race, class, gender, age, disability and other identity factors play a key role in both a victim’s vulnerability and their access to support services. However, as the important work in contextual safeguarding highlights, there is a need to also look to the wider context in which harms occurs. Structural factors play a key role in a victim’s experience, from being trafficked to receiving support from the local authority. To understand the nuances at play, the expertise of practitioners working alongside young people needs to be utilised. The benefits of practitioner evidence are now more widely understood, as those working on the ground can offer their expertise to improve the identification and care of young people who have experienced trafficking or exploitation. This can offer crucial guidance for informing policy and research, with policy and research simultaneously offering suggestions and advice for best practice.

The Practitioner Responses to Child Trafficking: Emerging Good Practice conference hosted by Cumberland Lodge and the IASC offers an important opportunity and space for a wide range of voices to be heard. Key issues for discussion at the conference include: • concerns about the safeguarding response for child victims of trafficking (including unsuitable accommodation, children going missing and not found) • challenges in the role that discrimination, racism and other structural issues play in safeguarding responses to child trafficking • the lack of awareness and training on the needs of trafficked children in the UK • inconsistent practice when supporting trafficked children – best practice advice not always being followed • gaps in the data on child trafficking • lack of support for young people transitioning into adulthood – increased risks of being re-trafficked • the future national rollout of ICTGs in England.