Below is a recording of the Child Trafficking Guidance Launch Event which took place in March 2021. During the event we listened to speakers from Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTIS), Police and Aberdeen City’s Child Protection Committee.
The Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 came into force on 31 May 2016.
Child trafficking is a crime that is a Child Protection concern involving the illegal trade and exploitation of children. It is a real and escalating problem with a threefold rise in cases of child trafficking in Scotland since 2011. Child trafficking does not essentially mean that a child has to cross international boundaries but merely be moved from one location to another within towns and cities across Scotland for the purposes of exploitation. In other words, a child can be trafficked from one street in Aberdeen to another.
Tackling child trafficking requires a multi-agency response at all levels. The Scottish Government has prepared a protocol, Inter-Agency Guidance for Child Trafficking, in order to provide information and guidance to all members of the children's workforce so that professionals and others are able to identify trafficked children and make appropriate referrals so that victims can receive protection and support. Please see the Resources section on the Scottish Government's human trafficking web page for more information. We report child trafficking nationally through the National Referral Mechanism. The referral document is below.
Practitioners in Aberdeen will find the multi agency short guide for practitioners in Aberdeen City useful. We are also in the course of developing a strategy and extended practitioners guide in relation to child trafficking.
There was a change to the Child Protection categories of concern from 1 August 2016. Child Exploitation was removed as a category of concern and Forced and Dangerous Labour was added.
Useful documents:
- Human Trafficking: Reading the Signs
- Potential Victim of Human Trafficking Referral Form
- Age Assessment Practice Guidance
- 2h Short Guide to Child Trafficking
- Child Trafficking Interagency Guide
- National Referral Mechanism form for potential child victims of human trafficking
- Human Trafficking and Exploitation Guidance for Scottish Local Authorities
An app has been launched by leading anti-slavery charity Unseen to complement the Modern Slavery Helpline. The app provides a simple guide to recognising the signs of modern slavery and makes reporting it to the Helpline as easy as a click of a button. You can download it in apple, google play and windows app stores for free.