Human trafficking

Guidance to support a shared understanding of criminal exploitation to help assist with early identification of those at risk from serious organised crime. This guidance also applies to criminal exploitation which is not linked to serious organised crime. The guidance also contains information on human trafficking.

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour, including provision about offences and sentencing, provision for victim support and provision to reduce activity related to offences.

Trafficking can involve victims being sexually exploited or forced into the role of a servant, or trapped in forced labour. Nail bars, car washes and construction are amongst the industries where potential cases in Scotland have been reported.

This toolkit clarifies the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) process for Scottish First Responders by explaining the process in detail and in an easy-to-follow format. It aims to help ensure that the quality of information included in NRM referrals is high, and that first responders better understand the implications of a referral and the NRM process.

Please note: this toolkit does not reflect the most recent range of provisions within Part 5 of the Nationality and Borders Act or the amendments to the Reasonable Grounds (RG) test.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is a framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. This guidance is to assist designated first responders in completing the referral form before it is submitted. The guidance includes the definition of modern slavery, what happens when a referral is received, and how potential victims are supported.

This quiz accompanies the powerpoint presentation on recognising and responsding to human trafficking. Ten questions, on facts about and understanding of human trafficking, can be used to promote cement knowledge on this topic. Answers are included.

This powerpoint presentation aims to support practitioners to:

• Describe what human trafficking is
• Recognise and identify key indicators of human trafficking
• Know what actions they should take if human trafficking is suspected.

Accompanying this presentation is a quiz to test knowledge and understanding.

This learning report shares the experience of improving the response to human trafficking in a rural local authority. It is a culmination of the work of a short life working group and national support agencies. It clearly sets out the learning points around partnerships, processes, multi-agency guidance, workforce development and evaluation.

The purpose of this guidance, from Scottish Borders, is to support an effective and robust response to any adult and child potential victim of trafficking, to ensure they receive the support they are entitled to, are protected and able to recover from their experience. The guidance includes a comprehensive definition of human trafficking and details of the relevant legislation. There is also a series of appendices setting out the roles and responsibilities of different agencies involved.

This guidance is a primer for all local authority staff on human trafficking and exploitation. Topics covered range from spotting the signs for frontline staff, to strategic planning suggestions and considerations for partnership working. External links are included for further reading and more in-depth information. This guidance does not replace existing guidance or structures at a local authority level, and does not remove the need to keep local policies and processes under review.