Recommendation 28

HM Government Rejected

Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 introduced the role of Independent Child Trafficking Advocates (ICTAs) to provide an independent source of advice and advocacy for trafficked children. Following the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, ICTAs were renamed Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) in July 2019. in their area, including child victims of modern slavery. ICTGs are provided in addition to this statutory support and are an additional source of advice and support for potentially trafficked children, irrespective of nationality, and somebody who can advocate on their behalf. To date, a staggered approach to roll out has been adopted with robust built- in evaluations along the way to ensure the ICTG Service meets the needs of the vulnerable children it supports. In May 2021, we expanded the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian Service to cover in total two thirds of all local authorities across England and Wales, focussing on the areas of highest need. The Government is committed to delivering the national rollout of the Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship service as we are required to do by Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. To date, a staggered approach to roll out has been adopted with robust built-in evaluations along the way to ensure the ICTG Service meets the needs of the vulnerable children it supports. The purpose of an ICTG is to advocate on behalf of the child to ensure their best interests are reflected in the decision-making processes undertaken by the public authorities who are involved in the child’s care. An ICTG’s advocacy and involvement throughout the decision-making process is intended to ensure the child is protected from further harm, prevent possible repeat victimisation, re-trafficking or going missing, and promote the child’s recovery. The ICTG Service model provides one-to-one support for children who have no one with parental responsibility for them in the UK via an ICTG Direct Worker and an expert ICTG Regional Practice Co-ordinator for children where there is someone with parental responsibility for them in the UK. Due to the specialist nature of the ICTG service there is currently no intention to expand the scope to include all young asylum-seeking children in England and Wales. Regardless of their immigration status, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) can access the same entitlements as any other looked after child. The Department for Education’s statutory guidance on the ‘Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery’ sets out how these children should be cared for. as a looked after child, including their mental health and emotional wellbeing needs. Statutory guidance also makes clear that, to support these children, social workers should have a broad understanding of the immigration system including the application process and should access specialist asylum and/or immigration legal advice and representation for all unaccompanied children.