Child slavery victims being lured back into exploitation due to lack of support amid surge in cases

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It has meanwhile emerged that the number of council referrals of suspected child victims of modern slavery in England to the National Referral Mechanism – the UK’s framework for referring and supporting victims – has surged by 807 per cent in five years. “It’s unacceptable that our most vulnerable children are put through a system that is so severely lacking.” One foster carer, who has cared for a number of child victims over the last few years, told The Independent she was having to “fight” to get the youngsters in her care the support they were legally eligible for at “every stage”. “I’m in this surreal place where I’m the foster carer and I’m having to have debates with professionals from across the multi-agency team.” Cllr Simon Blackburn, chair of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said the spiralling rate of council referrals, especially relating to county lines drug trafficking or child sexual exploitation, were having a “huge impact on overstretched council services, particularly children’s services”. “Extra funding next year will help but government needs to ensure councils have adequate long-term resources to tackle this abuse and support its victims, as well as creating a sustainable NRM system in the long term.” The LGA’s analysis follows warnings that unaccompanied minors in the UK were being driven to self-harm and suicide due to “gaps in statutory support” provided to them, which in some cases has led them to take their own lives.