Child victims of exploitation and human trafficking will receive
specially tailored support sooner as 8 new areas join a pilot to
bring about faster decisions in their cases.
The new areas, which include Birmingham, Edinburgh and the whole
of Northern Ireland, will join the successful scheme that has
already lowered decision wait times for victims to 101 days,
compared to 471 days in non-pilot areas.
The pilot, launched in June 2021, transfers responsibility for
National Referral Mechanism decisions for child victims from the
Home Office to specially trained local safeguarding teams,
enabling faster, more child-focused decisions about protection
and care. This mechanism is the UK's framework for identifying
and supporting victims of modern slavery and the pilot has
improved awareness and strengthened multi-agency working.
Faster decisions mean children can begin rebuilding their lives
sooner, leading to safety and stability, instead of waiting
months in uncertainty about their future. The scheme puts
children at the heart of decisions regarding their care, with
local experts who understand their community, making choices
about the support they need to recover and move forward.
Local teams of police, social workers and health professionals
now work together more closely to understand each child's
situation and needs. The pilot has increased awareness and
understanding of modern slavery within local authorities, leading
to earlier identification of potential victims and more
appropriate referrals to support services.
It is also helping the government deliver on the Plan for Change,
and its commitment to eliminate the backlog of cases waiting to
be looked at. As of June 2025, the backlog was just over 11,500
cases: a 61% decrease compared to its peak in 2022, and 51% lower
than at the end of June 2024.
, Minister for Safeguarding
and Violence against Women and Girls said:
When a child falls victim to modern slavery - whether through
human trafficking or in the vile county lines drug trade - they
can face unimaginable trauma and lasting damage. Time is of the
essence when it comes to getting them the specialist support they
need to heal and be children again.
This Devolved Decision-Making pilot is delivering remarkable
results - cutting waiting times by over a year means vulnerable
children get the support they desperately need much faster. By
expanding to 8 new areas, we're building the evidence to roll
this successful approach out nationally and improve how we
protect all children in our country from modern slavery.
The 8 new sites were selected through a competitive process,
targeting areas that will help test the model more thoroughly
ahead of a potential rollout across the entire country. Northern
Ireland will operate its first pilot site covering all claims in
its jurisdiction, while Hampshire will expand its existing
programme to cover a wider regional model. Scotland will also
receive its second pilot site, with Edinburgh joining Glasgow.
Since 2021, 2 pilot sites have also operated in Wales with
Cardiff and Newport.
The new areas are:
- Birmingham
- Edinburgh
- Hampshire
- Northern Ireland
- Shropshire
- Southwark
- Telford and Wrekin
- West Sussex
Wider efforts to tackle modern slavery backlogs include
recruiting more than 180 new staff to reduce lengthy
decision-making times and creating a more user-friendly referral
form for frontline first responders.
