Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to improve safeguarding for victims of modern slavery.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people. Safeguarding victims of modern slavery, and human trafficking is a priority, and this Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover.

Child victims are supported through statutory local authority support, and the Government-funded Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service, which provides advocacy and specialist support to children referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and the professionals supporting them. In September 2025, the invitation-to-tender for the national contract was launched, which will expand the current service coverage from two-thirds of local authorities to all child victims referred into the NRM in England and Wales.

Adult victims of modern slavery identified through the NRM in England and Wales can access the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). The MSVCC provides safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help victims access a range of services, including healthcare and legal advice. The Government will enhance support available to victims through the forthcoming Support for Victims of Modern Slavery contract, which will replace the MSVCC in 2027.

The Government has also taken steps to strengthen safeguarding and support for victims. We have launched an updated NRM referral form to improve the quality of referrals, better reflect victims’ experiences and support more informed and consistent decision-making.

To add, we understand that embedding the voices of people with lived experience in policymaking is imperative to achieving better outcomes. We are strengthening our engagement with existing sector-led Lived Experience Advisory Panels (LEAPs). These panels, coordinated by trusted experts, offer a safe and inclusive environment and provide access to a broad range of survivor perspectives. In March 2026, we held eight survivor engagement workshops to better understand lived experience on the themes of definitions, identification, and decision-making. The evidence we have received is informing the on-going policy development to improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery, human trafficking, and exploitation.