Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government since 30 January 2017 what percentage of children stopped receiving support from an independent guardian because they had turned 18 years old; and how many of those stopped receiving such support within 18 months of it starting.

Last year, the Government successfully rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) in one third of local authorities in England and Wales.

In July 2019, the Home Office published an evaluation of ICTGs in early adopter sites, conducted in collaboration with the University of Bedfordshire. The evaluation considered the added value of the ICTG service. It found that 21% of children left the service, from the period of February 2017 to January 2019, because they turned 18. This was the main reason why children left the service. Whilst ICTGs can work with a child for up to 18 months, the evaluation found that the average length of time a child spent in the service was six months. The evaluation can be viewed online via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-evaluation-of-independent-child-trafficking-guardians-early-adopter-sites-final-report

The Home Office will publish its next evaluation of the ICTG service later this year.