Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) Service

The Government is committed to tackling the terrible crime of modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Act (MSA) 2015 provides the legal framework for tackling modern slavery in the UK, it gives law enforcement agencies the tools to combat it and sets out our obligations to ensure victims are proactively identified and supported.

Since the introduction of the MSA, the first legislation of its kind in the world, successive governments have continued to commit to tackling this crime. The National Referral Mechanism (NRM), a system for identifying and supporting potential victims of modern slavery towards independence, is also an integral part of the Government’s approach to supporting victims to recover and reduce risks of re-trafficking.

Modern Slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking. Modern Slavery is often ‘hidden in plain sight’.

Traffickers and exploiters coerce, deceive and force individuals against their will into a life of abuse, servitude, and inhumane treatment. The exploitation can cause severe trauma and can leave victims with complex needs.

In human trafficking cases, exploitation can take many forms, including sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery, servitude, forced criminality and removal of organs. The Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) Service has been running since 2017, initially in three sites, and now operating in two thirds of Local Authorities (LAs) in England and Wales.

Through this Contract, the ICTG Service shall be expanded to cover all LAs in England & Wales. Delivering the ICTG service is one way that the UK meets its domestic and legal obligations to Child Victims of Modern Slavery (CVoMS), alongside the statutory obligations on LAs to safeguard all children (including CVoMS) in their areas.

ICTGs provide an additional source of advice and support for potentially trafficked children, irrespective of nationality or immigration status, and somebody to advocate on their behalf to ensure their best interests are reflected in the decision-making of the Public Authorities involved in their care. An ICTG’s advocacy and involvement throughout the decision-making process is intended to ensure the Child is protected from further harm, prevent possible repeat victimisation, re-trafficking or going missing, and promote the Child’s recovery.

The ICTG Service model provides one-to-one Direct Support for Children with no parental responsibility for them in the UK and Indirect Support for Children where there is someone with parental responsibility for them in the UK. In exceptional circumstances, Children with a Figure of Parental Responsibility (FOPR) for them in the UK can receive Direct Support.

Referrals into the ICTG Service are made by First Responders (FR) or First Responder Organisations (FRO). The ICTG Service supports Children from the moment they enter the NRM process, providing independent, specialist guidance.

If Children receive a Negative Reasonable Grounds Decision or Negative Conclusive Grounds Decision, Support will end, subject to the Reconsideration Requests process and Exit Criteria detailed in this Contract. More information on the ICTG Service can be found in the Data Room, in the Jaggaer Portal following registration.