Swati Pande, assistant manager of the NSPCC Child Trafficking Advice Centre, will lead theone hour webinar on Thursday 17 November and share pointers and case examples to help you address this complex area of practice.

The number of children identified as being trafficked into and within the UK is rising – 982 potential victims under the age of 18 were referred to the National Crime Agency in 2015, over double the number referred in 2013. The actual numbers of child and adult trafficking victims may be considerably higher than official figures, European Commission reports suggest.

The Modern Slavery Act which came into force in March this year clarified the offence of child trafficking, as well as other slavery crimes affecting adults and children, and brought in new roles and statutory guidance to create a more strategic response.

Social workers play a vital role in tackling this crime, which is a form of child abuse. However Pande, who has produced a range of practice guides and interactive resources for Community Care Inform’s new child trafficking knowledge and practice hub, notes that practitioners in children’s services do not receive mandatory training on how to approach cases where trafficking is a concern.

Such cases will be difficult and unfamiliar and involve working with police, foreign authorities, and visa and immigration authorities.

During the one hour session, Pande will help social workers navigate the different duties and agencies involved and steps to take while maintaining a child protection focus. This will include spotting the signs of child trafficking in referrals and children you work with, understanding the particular vulnerabilities of children who have been trafficked from other countries and cultures and ways to support them.

You can sign up for the free webinar here

Source: Community Care