Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 86
86
Accepted
Paragraph: 249
Formalise and clarify local authority duties to support slavery and trafficking victims post-NRM exit.
Conclusion
We support Recommendation 24 of the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and urge the Government to formalise and clarify the duties of local authority agencies to support victims of slavery and trafficking once they have left the National Referral Mechanism.
Government Response Summary
The government stated that existing homelessness legislation and local authority powers already enable support and housing priority for victims, and therefore did not commit to formalising and clarifying specific duties for local authorities beyond current provisions.
Paragraph Reference:
249
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
A confirmed adult victim will exit the NRM through the Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) process once their ongoing recovery needs are being met by alternative support services. For example, where suitable local authority housing is offered to the victim, they will transition out of Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) accommodation. MSVCC accommodation and financial support to meet a victim’s essential living needs will continue where necessary to prevent a victim becoming destitute, but the MSVCC does not duplicate support that is available through the welfare system or asylum support. Where survivors are homeless or at risk of homelessness our focus is to ensure that the Homelessness Reduction Act’s prevention and relief duties are being deployed to provide help to all eligible people, including those who do not have priority need. The existing homelessness legislation already means a modern slavery victim may have a priority need if they would be assessed as vulnerable if homeless. We updated the Homelessness Code of Guidance specific chapter on modern slavery and trafficking to make this clearer. If an eligible household is homeless through no fault of their own and has priority need, the council has a duty to provide temporary accommodation until suitable settled accommodation can be secured. How social housing is allocated is a matter for the local authority concerned and they already have powers to give survivors of human trafficking priority for housing where they are eligible. When determining priority for housing, local authorities must, by law, ensure that reasonable preference (overall priority) for social housing is given to certain categories of people in housing need; including homeless households, people living in overcrowded housing, and those who have medical and welfare needs. This is to ensure that social housing goes to those who need it most. Local authorities may also give certain groups additional preference (higher priority) to those in urgent need where they assess this is needed. Survivors of human trafficking may be eligible for both reasonable and additional preference, depending on the local authority’s assessment.