The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery in all its forms and strengthening the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to ensure it continues to be world leading as the forms of modern slavery and the nature of exploitation continue to evolve. It is for this reason, in 2018, the Government commissioned Frank Field, Maria Miller MP and Baroness Butler-Sloss to lead an independent review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Review’s purpose was to report on the operation and effectiveness of the Act, which provides the legal framework for tackling modern slavery in the UK. The final Review made 80 recommendations across four themes: - The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner;
- Transparency in Supply Chains;
- Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (formerly known as Advocates);
- Legal application of the Modern Slavery Act.
The Government welcomed the findings of the Review and accepted or partially accepted the majority of the recommendations The Review considered the definition of Child Criminal Exploitation under the Act and concluded that it should not be amended as the definition currently in place is sufficiently flexible to meet a range of new and emerging forms of modern slavery. The Review recommended that the Government should produce policy guidance to assist in the interpretation of the Act. Child Criminal Exploitation is defined in statutory guidance for frontline practitioners working with children, including the Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance. The Home Office has also rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs), as set out in Section 48 of the Act, in one-third of local authorities across England and Wales. ICTGs provide an independent source of advice for trafficked children. As part of the ICTG service model, ICTG Regional Practice Co-ordinators (RPCs) have been introduced to raise awareness amongst professionals about the non-punishment principle and the section 45 defence of the Act for children who commit offences in the course, or as a consequence of, being trafficked. The continued national roll-out of ICTGs is being progressed as part of the National Referral Mechanism Transformation Programme, which is improving the UK’s system for identifying and supporting all victims of modern slavery. More widely, the Home Office is working to ensure law enforcement agencies and partners make full use of the powers and tools available, including slavery and trafficking prevention and risk orders to tackle county lines and associated Child Criminal Exploitation. |
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