Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to oral contributions from the Minister for Safeguarding and the hon. Member for the Cities of London and Westminster at the Public Bill Committee for the Domestic Abuse Bill on 4 June 2020, if the she will publish the (a) guidance, (b) referral forms and (c) any other associated documents that show the inclusion of victims of domestic abuse who have not been trafficked in to the National Referral Mechanism; and if she will set out details of what the support package is through the NRM for victims of domestic abuse.

All adults referred in to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and who are in receipt of a positive reasonable grounds decision are eligible to receive support through the Victim Care Contract (VCC) to assist with recovery from their modern slavery experience(s).

Support through the VCC is provided to meet the needs of an individual as linked to their modern slavery experience(s) and will not be provided to an individual who is not a potential or confirmed victim of modern slavery.

This support is available to all potential victims of modern slavery, irrespective of their immigration status and including individuals with no recourse to public funds.

Decisions about VCC support provision will take into account the individual’s eligibility to access other support services outside of the VCC.

The type of support received through the VCC 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.

The Modern Slavery Act 2015: statutory guidance for England and Wales, outlines the different forms that modern slavery can take and its links with other forms of exploitation. However, this is not an exhaustive list - Modern Slavery is an umbrella term, to reflect the evolving nature of this heinous crime and we fully recognise that the guidance can apply to victims of modern slavery who are also victims of domestic abuse.

Support provided through the VCC to meet an individual’s needs related to modern slavery will always take into account wider circumstances or vulnerabilities faced. For example, in the context of a victim of modern slavery also being a victim of domestic abuse, support workers may signpost that individual to local domestic abuse services to receive specialist support or guidance.

The statutory guidance can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/896033/July_2020_-_Statutory_Guidance_under_the_Modern_Slavery_Act_2015_v1.01.pdf