Number of referrals by councils of potential child victims of modern slavery jumps by 800% in just five years

Referrals of potential child victims of modern slavery made by councils in England have risen by 800% in five years, the Local Government Association has warned.

It said that the latest National Crime Agency statistics showed the number of council referrals of suspected child victims of modern slavery in England to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) - the UK’s framework for referring and supporting victims - had risen from 127 in 2014 to 1,152 in 2018.

The rate of these child referrals increased by 67% in a year alone, from 690 in 2017, with children accounting for 92% of all referrals (child and adults) made by councils in England in 2018.

The LGA said the sharp rise in referral rates was being fuelled by an increasing awareness of modern slavery and the growing issue of young people being exploited by county lines drug gangs, which it said was putting council services “under increasing and significant pressure”.

The Association warned that the increase was “further evidence of the current huge pressures on children’s services”.

It said no specific funding was given to councils to support victims of modern slavery, “who may have suffered terrible abuse, been forced to live in squalor and, in the case of many adult victims, paid shockingly low wages as a result of exploitation by criminal gangs.”

The LGA called on the Government to use next year’s Spending Review to ensure there is long term and sustainable funding to help tackle modern slavery and support its victims.

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “Councils are committed to tackling the despicable crime of modern slavery, which is a rising threat to our communities. It can destroy the lives of vulnerable people working in fear of physical violence from ruthless gangmasters for little or no pay.

“The spiralling rate of council referrals, especially relating to children who face specific risks through county lines drug trafficking or child sexual exploitation, is having a huge impact on overstretched council services, particularly children’s services.

“Extra funding next year will help but government needs to ensure councils have adequate long-term resources to tackle this abuse and support its victims, as well as creating a sustainable NRM system in the long term.”