MODERN SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING POLICY

Legislation

The Modern Slavery Act received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015. The act consolidates slavery and trafficking offenses and introduces tougher penalties and sentencing rules.

Background

Child trafficking and modern slavery is becoming a more frequent form of child abuse. Children are recruited, moved, transported and then exploited, forced to work or are sold on.

Modern Slavery Is A Term That Covers

• Slavery.
• Servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
• Human trafficking.

Victims of modern slavery are also likely to be subjected to other types of abuse such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse. This policy should be used alongside the following policies to ensure all children, staff, parents and visitors are full safeguarded:

• Safeguarding and child protection.
• Whistleblowing.
• Equality and inclusion.

For an Adult or Child to Have Been A Victim of Human Trafficking There Must Have Been:

• Action (e.g., recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation).
• Means (threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, abuse of power or vulnerability)
  There does not need to be "means" for children as they are not able to give informed consent.
• Purpose (e.g., sexual exploitation, forced labour or domestic servitude, slavery, financial exploitation, illegal adoption, removal of organs).

Procedure

When a concern is raised about slavery or trafficking then we will follow our safeguarding procedure. If the child (or adult) is at risk of immediate harm then the police will be called, otherwise the local authorities will be contacted, and the referral process will be followed as per the safeguarding procedure.

Defining Child Abuse

Child abuse is a term used to describe ways in which either children or young people are harmed, usually by adults but increasingly by their peers. Often these are people they know and trust. It refers to damage done to a child’s or young person’s physical, mental or emotional health. Children or young people can be abused within or outside of their family, at school, at play and within any environment such as extra-curricular activities, participation with youth organisations and the like. Abusive situations arise when adults or peers misuse their power over children or young people.

Types of Abuse

• Physical: Where children’s bodies are hurt or injured.

• Emotional: This is where children do not receive love and affection. They may be frightened by threats or taunts, or be given responsibilities beyond their capabilities.

• Sexual: This is where adults (and sometimes other children) use children to satisfy sexual desires.

• Neglect: This is where adults fail to care for children and protect them from danger, seriously impairing their health and development.

• Modern Slavery: Modern slavery is the severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain. Modern slavery is all around us, but often just out of sight. Adults and children can become entrapped making clothes, serving our food, nail bars, picking crops or working in factories.

• Trafficking: In the UK an increasingly high-profile fiorm of child trafficking is County Lines. This involves predominantly British children being groomed by their exploiters who then coerce them into buying and selling drugs, often across the country. The exploiters purposefully prey on vulnerable children and teenagers, grooming them and gaining their trust over time, often by giving them expensive items such as designer clothes and mobile phones, before forcing them to deal drugs to pay back the ‘debt’ that they have incurred. Children do not realise what is happening to them is wrong. They may be too fearful to speak out as they have become reliant on their traffickers to feed and clothe them. They may also have been subjected to physical sexual and emotional abuse or do not know where to turn for help. Children who have been trafficked from outside of the UK often speak little or no English, making them even more isolated and dependent on those exploiting them.

• Child Sexual Exploitation: Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse. When a child or young person is exploited, they may be given things, like gifts, drugs, money, status, and affection, in exchange for performing sexual activities. Children and young people are often tricked into believing they are in a loving and consensual relationship. This is called grooming. They may trust their abuser and not understand that they are being abused. CSE can happen in person or online. An abuser will gain a child's trust or control them through violence or blackmail before moving on to sexually abusing them. This can happen in a short period.

Signs of Abuse

The following signs MAY indicate abuse; however, it is important not to jump to conclusions, as there could be other explanations:

• Physical: Unexplained or hidden injuries that lack evidence of medical attention, children may also exhibit a ‘frozen stare’ when they are in the vicinity of the abuser (this also applies to all groups of abused children).

• Emotional: Often children revert to younger behaviour, nervousness, sudden underachievement, attention-seeking, running away from home, stealing and lying.

• Sexual: Often children are preoccupied with sexual matters, as evidenced by words, play, drawings, display of sexually provocative behaviour with adults, disturbed sleep, nightmares, bed wetting, secretive relationships with adults and children, and stomach pains with no apparent cause.

• Neglect: Appearing ill-cared for and unhappy, being withdrawn or aggressive, or having lingering injuries or health problems.

• Self-harm: : Deliberate or systematic abuse of the person, usually covert but signs of a physical nature such as scarring are usually noticed. Alopecia may be present.

• Trafficking: The child looks dishevelled or dressed in clothes they could not afford, the clothes look inappropriate for the weather and the wrong size, signs of physical abuse bruising or red marks, there may be visible tattoos suggesting part of a gang, the child avoids eye contact appears fearful of adults and children, they can be aggressive towards people in authority, the adult with them may appear very controlling by speaking for them or interpreting for them. If known to you they may exhibit a behaviour change and are reluctant to talk, recently moved to a new house and changed school.

• Radicalisation: Becoming increasingly argumentative, refusing to listen to other points of view, unwilling to engage with children who are different, embracing conspiracy theories, feeling persecuted, distancing themselves from old friends, converting to a new religion, being secretive, changing online identity, having more than one online identity, spending a lot of time on the phone, accessing extremist online content, joining extremist organisations.

• Child Sexual Exploitation: Sexual exploitation can be difficult to spot and sometimes mistaken for "normal" teenage behaviour. Knowing the signs can help protect children and help them when they've no one else to turn to. These are some of the common signs (not exhaustive):

  • Unhealthy or inappropriate sexual behaviour.
  • Being frightened of some people, places, or situations.
  • Being secretive.
  • Sharp changes in mood or character.
  • Having money or things they cannot or will not explain.
  • Physical signs of abuse, like bruises or bleeding in their genital or anal area.
  • Alcohol or drug misuse.
  • Sexually transmitted infections.
  • Pregnancy.

Bullying

Bullying is not always easy to define, as it can take many forms and take place over some time. The main types are physical (hitting, kicking, theft), verbal (threats, name calling) and emotional (isolating an individual from activities and games); all types can be characterised by:

• Deliberate hostility and aggression towards a victim.
• A victim who is weaker and less powerful than the bully or bullies.
• An outcome that is always painful and distressing for the victim.

Bullying behaviour may also include:

• Other forms of violence.
• Sarcasm, spreading rumours, persistent teasing.
• Tormenting, ridiculing, humiliation.
• Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
• Unwanted physical contact or abusive or offensive comments of a sexual nature.
• Emotional and verbal bullying is more common than physical violence, it can also be difficult to cope with or to prove.

What to do if you Suspect or Witness Abuse

The following action should be taken by someone who has concerns about the welfare of a child or young person.

NON-ACTION IS NOT AN OPTION

Child abuse can and does occur outside the family setting, and abuse that takes place within a public setting is rarely an isolated event. It is crucial that people are aware of this possibility and that all allegations are treated seriously and appropriate actions are taken.

When staff are providing a service to adults, they should ask whether there are children in the family and consider whether the children need help or protection from harm. Children may be at greater risk of harm or in need of additional help in families where the adults have mental health problems, misuse substances or alcohol, are in a violent relationship, have complex needs or learning disabilities

Disclosure

If a child or young person should engage any member of staff in a disclosure information exchange, they should do the following:

• React calmly so as not to frighten the child or young person.
• Tell the child or young person that they are not to blame and that they are right to tell someone of their problems.
• Take seriously what the child or young person says.
• Avoid leading the child or young person and keep any questions to the absolute minimum to ensure a clear understanding of what has been said.
• Re-assure the child or young person; however, do not promise confidentiality or outcomes that might not be kept to in the light of further developments
• Record in full what has been seen and heard as soon as possible.
• Report concerns to the managers/on-call managers out of hours immediately.

The manager will then take advice from the Children’s Safeguarding Service. They will make the initial referral to the appropriate agency. All managers will be aware of their roles and responsibilities using the guidance issued by the local authority. Confidentiality should be maintained on a strictly need-to- basis, and relevant documents stored in a secure location. Advice will be given to the manager in regards to any actions which are deemed necessary.

It can be more difficult for some children to disclose abuse than for others, e.g. disabled children and vulnerable adults will have to overcome additional barriers.

Those working with these groups need to be especially vigilant and give extra thought to how to respond.

Reporting child sexual exploitation

Report to your Line Manager or duty officer outside of normal office hours who will call 999 if the child is at immediate risk.

Important Details

Phone Number :0208 227 3934

Safeguarding Lead :Mark Cullern

lado@lbbd@gov.uk

Recording of Information, Suspicions or Concerns

Information passed to the Social Services Department or the police must be as informative as possible, as it may be used in any subsequent legal action; hence there is the necessity for making a factual, detailed record of the following:

• The child or young person’s name, address, and date of birth.
• The nature of the allegation.
• A description of any visible bruising or other injuries.
• The child’s or young person’s account, in their own words if possible, of what has happened and how any bruising or other injuries occurred.
• Any observation made by yourself.
• Any times, locations, dates, or other relevant information.
• A clear distinction between what is a fact, opinion, or hearsay.
• Your knowledge of and relationship to the child or young person.
• Whenever possible, referrals to Social Services Department should be confirmed in writing within 24 hours and the appropriate statutory notification completed and sent to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
• Keep a record of the name and designation of the social services member of staff or police officer to whom concerns were passed, and record the time and date of the call in case any follow-up is needed.
• Local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Protocol
  All policies and procedure are in the office and useful number are displayed on the notice board

Training Statement

All staff, during induction, are made aware of the organisation’s policies and procedures, all of which are used for training updates. All policies and procedures are reviewed and amended where necessary, and staff are made aware of any changes. Observations are undertaken to check skills and competencies. Various methods of training are used, including one-to-one, online, workbooks, group meetings, and individual supervision. External courses are sourced as required.

Date Reviewed: May 2023

Person responsible for updating this policy: Genevieve Doe / Asheka Brown

Next Review Date: May 2024