Practitioner Responses to Child Trafficking: Emerging Good Practice - Cumberland Lodge Report

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they could support them through the immigration, NRM and criminal justice processes. Children were said to have valued being kept informed of the progress of their case through the various systems. The ICTG was also able to facilitate the flow of information through a range of sectors involved in the young person’s care. However, the system was not without fault; nearly a quarter of children being referred to the service were reported going missing, albeit mostly on a temporary basis. Furthermore, the service is only offered to a young person until the age of 18, with practitioners expressing concern about the transition of young people into adult services.205 Following the ICTG review, it was determined that children with a parent or carer in the UK should be offered a Regional Practice Co-ordinator to work with professionals who are already supporting the child.206 This came about due to a reduced use of the service from children with a parental guardian in the UK. However, the change to the model has been criticised by some practitioners.207 Some believe it creates ‘a two-tier system’ not based on individual needs, as children with a parent or carer may still benefit from independent support and advocacy.208 Further criticism of the ICTG model is that it was rolled out very slowly across England. Wales has already enforced the service nationally,209 alongside Scotland and Northern Ireland’s systems being fully operational. This means that eligible trafficked children are not able to access this service in certain areas. Specialist support Responding to the complex and individual needs of trafficked children is challenging. This has been highlighted by research calling for modern slavery to be understood as a public health issue.210 Indeed, a public health approach offers the opportunity to think of modern slavery as not only an issue of law, order and policing, but as a problem that affects the whole of society and its wellbeing. In short, modern slavery is a public health issue.211

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