Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the implications of the FCA's freezing of Wire Card for her emergency response policy on payment card freezes to ensure that future victims of trafficking are supported as part of the Victim Care Contract and able to access funds.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Prime Contractor of the Adult Victims of Modern Slavery support contract (AVMS), The Salvation Army, has contingency and business continuity plans in place across a range of services to ensure resilience and continued support to victims of modern slavery.
Due to issues relating to the card provider, on 26 June 2020 potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery with access to a payment card through the AVMS support contract were informed the payment cards were frozen and advised to contact their dedicated support worker if they needed emergency cash payments.
All subcontractors of the AVMS support contract were also instructed to assess their service users for those who might have needed urgent payments, so they could be contacted proactively, and provided with support and access to funds as required.
On 30 June 2020, the freeze on the payment cards was lifted and all service users were able to resume using their payment cards.
All victims of modern slavery accessing financial support through the AVMS contract are eligible to access payment cards through this service, where relevant.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) scale and (b) nature of modern slavery throughout the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The 2019 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/840059/Modern_Slavery_Report_2019.pdf sets out an assessment of trends in modern slavery in the UK. The Home Office also publishes quarterly statistics on potential victims being referred to the National Referral Mechanism. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-referral-mechanism-statistics-quarter-3-2019-july-to-september
In March 2020, the Office for National Statistics published a report entitled ‘Modern Slavery in the UK: March 2020’, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/modernslaveryintheuk/march2020 which brought together data sources linked to modern slavery. The report noted that there is no definitive source of data or suitable method available to accurately quantify the number of potential victims of modern slavery in the UK. However, we are committed to improving our understanding of this complex and hidden crime. In July 2019, the Government announced a £10 million investment to create a new Policy and Evidence Centre for Modern Slavery and Human Rights. We will continue working with the Centre and other partners to strengthen the evidence base of the nature and scale of modern slavery in the UK.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason people in the National Referral Mechanism who are in outreach support have been treated differently from people in that mechanism who are in safe house accommodation during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The safety and security of those supported through the modern slavery Victim Care Contract is a top priority for government. Contingency planning has considered, and continues to consider, how essential services and support for all victims of modern slavery can continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
All confirmed victims of modern slavery, in both outreach and safe house accommodation, continue to have their recovery needs assessed in order to provide tailored, needs-based support to each individual victim.
The Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) process identifies ongoing recovery needs across the three pillars of Victim Care Contract (VCC) support, for accommodation, financial assistance and support worker contact. This process informs a tailored move-on plan, with the aim of establishing longer-term stability by helping victims to transition out of VCC support and back into a community, as appropriate. Where this is not possible, VCC support will continue to meet the victim’s ongoing recovery needs for as long as there is an identified need for that support.
On 6 April, in line with Public Health England guidance, we announced that all individuals accommodated by the VCC would not be required to move on from their Government-funded accommodation for a period of three months. This temporary policy is currently being reviewed.
We have also been clear that should any victim in outreach support experience a change in their situation which leaves them destitute and without accommodation, their needs, entitlements and risk factors will be assessed so that they can be provided with the most appropriate safe and secure accommodation during this time.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment of need and risk informs the offer of safe house accommodation to someone in the National Referral Mechanism for identifying victims of trafficking; and how such assessments are conducted.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
All adults referred in to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) are eligible to receive support through the Victim Care Contract to assist with recovery from their modern slavery experience(s).
The type of support received is tailored, at each stage, according to the potential victim or confirmed victim’s needs. Support provision may include any combination of subsistence payments, support worker contact and assistance, and accommodation provision.
Upon referral for support, The Salvation Army (who are the Prime Contractor in delivery of Victim Care Contract Services) will undertake an initial needs assessment with the potential victim, usually over the telephone. This brief assessment, alongside the information provided within the NRM referral form, is used to establish immediate priorities for accommodation support provision. Considerations such as the individual’s health and wellbeing, any current risk that the individual faces from their exploiters, their current accommodation provision (if any) and their eligibility to access other support services are all taken into account at this early stage. Accommodation may be offered at this stage if an individual would otherwise be destitute or will be made destitute within two weeks of the referral, or if an individual is unable to otherwise access safe and secure accommodation.
Upon receipt of a positive Reasonable Grounds decision, The Salvation Army will conduct a more detailed needs assessment to inform the provision of continued or further support, if any is required, within the Victim Care Contract, taking into account their eligibility to access services outside of the VCC. Throughout an individual’s time in Victim Care Contract Support, their needs will be continually considered by their support worker to inform provision of services. The final consideration of an individual’s needs related to their modern slavery experience will take place following receipt of a positive Conclusive Grounds decision, in the form of a Recovery Needs Assessment.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the factors are that make someone who has a positive RG decision through the National Referral Mechnism not eligible for safe house accommodation.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
All adults referred in to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) are eligible to receive support through the Victim Care Contract to assist with recovery from their modern slavery experience(s).
The type of support received is tailored, at each stage, according to the potential victim or confirmed victim’s needs. Support provision may include any combination of subsistence payments, support worker contact and assistance, and accommodation provision.
Upon referral for support, The Salvation Army (who are the Prime Contractor in delivery of Victim Care Contract Services) will undertake an initial needs assessment with the potential victim, usually over the telephone. This brief assessment, alongside the information provided within the NRM referral form, is used to establish immediate priorities for accommodation support provision. Considerations such as the individual’s health and wellbeing, any current risk that the individual faces from their exploiters, their current accommodation provision (if any) and their eligibility to access other support services are all taken into account at this early stage. Accommodation may be offered at this stage if an individual would otherwise be destitute or will be made destitute within two weeks of the referral, or if an individual is unable to otherwise access safe and secure accommodation.
Upon receipt of a positive Reasonable Grounds decision, The Salvation Army will conduct a more detailed needs assessment to inform the provision of continued or further support, if any is required, within the Victim Care Contract, taking into account their eligibility to access services outside of the VCC. Throughout an individual’s time in Victim Care Contract Support, their needs will be continually considered by their support worker to inform provision of services. The final consideration of an individual’s needs related to their modern slavery experience will take place following receipt of a positive Conclusive Grounds decision, in the form of a Recovery Needs Assessment.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to prevent a rise in exploitation and modern slavery when the lockdown due to the covid-19 outbreak is lifted.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government is committed to continuing its work to eradicate modern slavery. On 21st May, the Prime Minister hosted a virtual summit focused on ‘hidden harms’, including modern slavery. The virtual summit brought key decision makers together to share insight, best practice and agree an approach for tackling these crimes as we move towards easing lockdown measures.
COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges to us all, but victims of modern slavery may be especially isolated and hidden from view as a result of the lockdown measures required to combat the pandemic. In recognition of this, the Government has published guidance on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-victims-of-modern-slavery/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-victims-of-modern-slavery) which provides information about how to spot the potential signs of modern slavery and refer suspected cases to appropriate services. We recognise victims are coming into contact with different services during the COVID-19 outbreak and we have worked to raise awareness of the indictors of modern slavery in these areas to ensure victims continue to be identified and supported.
In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic the Home Office has been working closely with law enforcement partners to monitor and assess changes to the threat of modern slavery, and to ensure an appropriate response to these.
This work will continue as social distancing measures are eased. We are engaging frontline organisations and NGOs through the Modern Slavery Strategy and Implementation Group (MSSIG) in order to understand challenges that are emerging as the lockdown is lifted and to consider how best to target further awareness raising and communications activity to prevent any rise in exploitation and modern slavery.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many potential (a) adult and (b) child victims of modern slavery have been identified since the lockdown due to the covid-19 outbreak was introduced on 23 March 2020.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on the number of referrals made to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for adults and children which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.
Statistics for the first quarter (Q1) of 2020 were published on 4th June. These include the number of referrals made to the NRM for adults and children between 1st January and 31st March 2020.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the £1.73 million of funding for safe accommodation for victims of modern slavery announced by the Government on 2 May 2020, for what reasons potential victims under the National Referral Mechanism that are in receipt of outreach and asylum support have been notified that they will not longer receive support from that service.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The safety and security of those supported through the modern slavery Victim Care Contract (VCC) is a top priority for government.?During the COVID-19 pandemic, our contingency planning continues to focus on ensuring victims of modern slavery can access the essential services and support they need. We have secured £1.73 million of the funding for charities, announced by the Chancellor last month, to provide emergency support to victims of modern slavery who have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
The first question makes reference to asylum services being withdrawn – it should be noted that the asylum system operates independently of the National Referral Mechanism, and therefore a negative Conclusive Grounds decision would have no immediate bearing on an individual’s asylum support provision. The asylum system would notify the individual of any subsequent decisions made in relation to their asylum support and/or asylum claim.
There are two main scenarios under which victims in outreach may be required to leave VCC support. Victims in outreach who receive a positive Conclusive Grounds will receive at least a further 45 calendar days of move-on support during which the support provider will help the victim transition out of support. The point at which a victim will be exited from VCC support will be determined through a Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) conducted in accordance with the RNA process guidance. Victims in outreach who receive a negative Conclusive Grounds decision, determining them not to be a victim of modern slavery, receive 9 working days of move-on support. An extension request may be made where an individual requires a longer period to exit support safely and securely.
With reference to the second question, the RNA process informs tailored move on plans to help confirmed victims (those with a positive conclusive grounds decision) transition out of the VCC and back into the community where appropriate.?These assessments continue to be undertaken during COVID-19. The assessment considers the availability of alternative, and often more sustainable, support services and victims only begin a move-on process if it is suitable for them to do so, in line with their recovery needs.?The wider impact of Covid-19 on access to alternative services is considered when conducting the Recovery Needs Assessment.
The third question seeks clarification on policy and operational responsibility for victims of modern slavery during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Home Office is responsible for developing policy and for ensuring the development of robust contingency plans to ensure the safety of victims during this crisis. The Salvation Army, as the Prime Contractor of the VCC, has operational responsibility to ensure the delivery of these plans. We are working closely with The Salvation Army to ensure that victims are receiving the support they need, and we will continue to review policy and processes to maintain the services to victims during these uncertain times.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who has responsibility for (a) policy development and (b) planning for the (i) provision of victim support for people in the National Referral Mechanism during the covid-19 outbreak, (ii) allocation of resources to ensure the availability of safe and appropriate support and (iii) operational delivery of that support.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The safety and security of those supported through the modern slavery Victim Care Contract (VCC) is a top priority for government.?During the COVID-19 pandemic, our contingency planning continues to focus on ensuring victims of modern slavery can access the essential services and support they need. We have secured £1.73 million of the funding for charities, announced by the Chancellor last month, to provide emergency support to victims of modern slavery who have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
The first question makes reference to asylum services being withdrawn – it should be noted that the asylum system operates independently of the National Referral Mechanism, and therefore a negative Conclusive Grounds decision would have no immediate bearing on an individual’s asylum support provision. The asylum system would notify the individual of any subsequent decisions made in relation to their asylum support and/or asylum claim.
There are two main scenarios under which victims in outreach may be required to leave VCC support. Victims in outreach who receive a positive Conclusive Grounds will receive at least a further 45 calendar days of move-on support during which the support provider will help the victim transition out of support. The point at which a victim will be exited from VCC support will be determined through a Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) conducted in accordance with the RNA process guidance. Victims in outreach who receive a negative Conclusive Grounds decision, determining them not to be a victim of modern slavery, receive 9 working days of move-on support. An extension request may be made where an individual requires a longer period to exit support safely and securely.
With reference to the second question, the RNA process informs tailored move on plans to help confirmed victims (those with a positive conclusive grounds decision) transition out of the VCC and back into the community where appropriate.?These assessments continue to be undertaken during COVID-19. The assessment considers the availability of alternative, and often more sustainable, support services and victims only begin a move-on process if it is suitable for them to do so, in line with their recovery needs.?The wider impact of Covid-19 on access to alternative services is considered when conducting the Recovery Needs Assessment.
The third question seeks clarification on policy and operational responsibility for victims of modern slavery during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Home Office is responsible for developing policy and for ensuring the development of robust contingency plans to ensure the safety of victims during this crisis. The Salvation Army, as the Prime Contractor of the VCC, has operational responsibility to ensure the delivery of these plans. We are working closely with The Salvation Army to ensure that victims are receiving the support they need, and we will continue to review policy and processes to maintain the services to victims during these uncertain times.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the £1.73 million of funding for safe accommodation for victims of modern slavery announced by the Government on 2 May 2020, whether recovery needs assessments are being undertaken to move on potential victims in National Referral Mechanism scheme.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The safety and security of those supported through the modern slavery Victim Care Contract (VCC) is a top priority for government.?During the COVID-19 pandemic, our contingency planning continues to focus on ensuring victims of modern slavery can access the essential services and support they need. We have secured £1.73 million of the funding for charities, announced by the Chancellor last month, to provide emergency support to victims of modern slavery who have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
The first question makes reference to asylum services being withdrawn – it should be noted that the asylum system operates independently of the National Referral Mechanism, and therefore a negative Conclusive Grounds decision would have no immediate bearing on an individual’s asylum support provision. The asylum system would notify the individual of any subsequent decisions made in relation to their asylum support and/or asylum claim.
There are two main scenarios under which victims in outreach may be required to leave VCC support. Victims in outreach who receive a positive Conclusive Grounds will receive at least a further 45 calendar days of move-on support during which the support provider will help the victim transition out of support. The point at which a victim will be exited from VCC support will be determined through a Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) conducted in accordance with the RNA process guidance. Victims in outreach who receive a negative Conclusive Grounds decision, determining them not to be a victim of modern slavery, receive 9 working days of move-on support. An extension request may be made where an individual requires a longer period to exit support safely and securely.
With reference to the second question, the RNA process informs tailored move on plans to help confirmed victims (those with a positive conclusive grounds decision) transition out of the VCC and back into the community where appropriate.?These assessments continue to be undertaken during COVID-19. The assessment considers the availability of alternative, and often more sustainable, support services and victims only begin a move-on process if it is suitable for them to do so, in line with their recovery needs.?The wider impact of Covid-19 on access to alternative services is considered when conducting the Recovery Needs Assessment.
The third question seeks clarification on policy and operational responsibility for victims of modern slavery during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Home Office is responsible for developing policy and for ensuring the development of robust contingency plans to ensure the safety of victims during this crisis. The Salvation Army, as the Prime Contractor of the VCC, has operational responsibility to ensure the delivery of these plans. We are working closely with The Salvation Army to ensure that victims are receiving the support they need, and we will continue to review policy and processes to maintain the services to victims during these uncertain times.