Safeguarding Adults Week Bulletin: Thursday 21 November 2024

West Sussex County Council sent this bulletin at 21-11-2024 09:00 AM GMT
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Thursday 21 November 2024
Recognising exploitation: the ladder of criminality

This week is Safeguarding Adults Week. During this week, we'll be sharing daily bulletins with you, related to the Ann Craft Trust themes. 

Today's theme

Today's theme is 'recognising exploitation: the ladder of criminality'. Exploitation is the use of power and control by somebody, over another person. It means taking advantage of somebody for personal or financial gain, and is a form of abuse that factors into many different areas of abuse and neglect. This includes: modern slavery; sexual exploitation; cuckooing; County Lines; and extremism by radicalisation.

Today, we will look specifically at the impact of exploitation on our community, and our responsibilities to report the exploitation of people with care and support needs.

What might this mean for you and your organisation?

Article by Community Safety and Wellbeing, West Sussex County Council.

What might this mean for you and your organisation?

It is not difficult to explain why exploitation crime blights the lives of so many, on an international, national, and regional scale. In a world of individual vulnerability and social exclusion, together with potential limitations of law, and the ongoing demand for reduced costs and cheap labour, criminals, in organised gangs, or working in isolation, have systematically been able to exploit these factors for financial gain. This causes unimaginable misery to the victims and places a huge burden on the resources of Adults’ and Children’s Services, in their role as First Responders in providing or arranging help for potential victims if they have care and support needs.

The forms of exploitation manifest in several different forms, notably, criminal, and sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and, of course, forced labour. Exploitation may also include the radicalisation of vulnerable people to commit extremist acts, including the use of violence and terrorism.

Nationally, a total of 17,004 victims of modern slavery were identified through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2023. This is the highest annual figure for NRMs since records began in 2009. The National Referral Mechanism is the process by which victims of modern slavery can be referred to the Home Office in order to provide some intervention and support and to victims and to help prevent them from being drawn back into a cycle of exploitation again.

Here in West Sussex, in 2023, a total of 41 people were reported using the National Referral Mechanism, through the local authority, and a further 98 through Sussex Police (including East Sussex and Brighton & Hove). The vast majority of these were children, represented as criminal exploitation, although several adults were also being exploited through Forced Labour.

The figures for the first three quarters of 2024 indicate that, in West Sussex, 39 people have been reported using the National Referral Mechanism, with a further 63 through Sussex Police (including East Sussex and Brighton & Hove). Again, the majority of victims are children, mostly criminally exploited.

Support for victims

Where radicalisation is suspected, victims are referred using the Home Office Prevent process, including evaluation through the Channel Panel. Timely intervention can then be provided to support the individual and redirect them away from a path of extremism. Measures are also in place for the support of victims of modern slavery and trafficking, but, for assorted reasons, the process to achieve assistance for victims can be problematic.

Victims of exploitation in the UK are supported through the National Referral Mechanism system, where first responder agencies such as the local authority or the police are required to report any instance of modern slavery to the Home Office, using the NRM. On receiving verification from the Home Office (in the first instance, known as a “Reasonable Grounds Decision”) victims are then supported by various agencies in order to provide support and advocacy and, critically, to ensure that the victim does not re-enter the cycle of exploitation in which they were originally found.

Following a Reasonable Grounds Decision, the local authority, or an agency who has been contracted to provide support (such as Migrant Help, Salvation Army), will intervene to offer:

  • A safe house, if necessary
  • Confidential legal advice
  • Healthcare
  • Counselling
  • Educational opportunities
  • Financial support
  • Support in obtaining employment and housing

A victim will enter Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) accommodation if the Needs-Based and Risk assessment process determines that it is necessary. This will usually be because there is a threat to their safety from their exploiter(s) or a direct risk of re-exploitation from their exploiter(s). Some organisations have employed Independent Modern Slavery Advocates (IMSAs) as the first level of intervention and support where a Reasonable Grounds Decision has been made.

It is important to remember that in all cases of adult exploitation (over 18), consent is required from the victim for completion of the NRM. Where consent is not given, the First Responder Agency (the local authority, or police, perhaps) must still report the exploitation to the Home Office using the Duty to Notify process (DtN). The DtN is included on the same online portal as the NRM.

Indicators of potential exploitation

As always, colleagues are asked to be mindful of the following general indicators of potential exploitation and to consider the possibility of exploitation when assessing any referrals and concerns that have been raised.

Isolation:

  • They’re rarely allowed to travel on their own.
  • Appear to be under the control of others.
  • Tend not to interact with other people.
  • Seem unfamiliar with their neighbourhood or where they work.
  • Have relationships which do not seem right.

Restricted freedom of movement:

  • They do not have documents that would allow them to travel – passports, ID, etc.
  • Limited opportunities to move freely.
  • Few personal possessions.
  • Wear the same clothes day-in day-out.

Reluctance to seek help:

  • Avoiding eye contact.
  • Appearing frightened, or hesitant to talk to strangers.
  • Fear of law enforcers.
  • Fear of deportation.
  • Unsure who to trust or where to get help.
  • Fear of violence to them or their family.

More information and guidance

For more information and guidance on these matters, we strongly recommend attendance on training webinars, led by members of the West Sussex Community Safety and Wellbeing team. These include Modern Slavery: Basic Awareness training, and Serious and Organised Crime, including County Lines. Both can be found on the West Sussex Learning and Development Gateway. This includes webinars that have been allocated for colleagues in Adult Services only.

Access the courses:

What are we doing to support your practice?

You can access information about exploitation, including modern slavery and radicalisation into violent extremism, on our website and the Sussex Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures site.

Key information:

Further reading

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For more information about the topics covered in this bulletin, access the following resources:

Ann Craft Trust

For more information on today's theme, or any of the themes from this week, visit the Ann Craft Trust website.