30/07/2025
🛑 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱. 𝗕𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲.
Prevention starts with awareness. That’s why today, on 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀, we’re raising our voices to say: human trafficking for the purposes of exploitation isn’t just happening overseas – 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.
𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. It can happen 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. What matters is the 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹, 𝗰𝗼𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 being used to exploit someone – not the distance travelled.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 (𝗡𝗥𝗠) provides the clearest available data on modern slavery in the UK. In 2024, there were a total of 19,125 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 for exploitation in the UK - 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 31% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻.
Here are some 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 that a child may be at risk of exploitation:
🟧 Going missing from home, staying out late and travelling for unexplained reasons.
🟧 Having gifts, presents or expensive items which they can’t explain.
🟧 Unexplained injuries and refusing to seek medical help.
🟧 Making more calls or sending more texts, possibly on a new phone or phones.
🟧 Committing petty crimes like shop lifting or vandalism.
🟧 Self-harming and feeling emotionally unwell.
🟧 In a relationship or hanging out with someone older than them.
🟧 Frequently absent from school and doing poorly in education.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲, 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲.
🟧 Professionals must follow their organisation’s internal safeguarding procedures, report concerns to their Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and refer to Children’s Social Care.
If something doesn’t feel right – 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘀. Even small concerns can be a vital piece of a bigger picture.
🟧 𝗜𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿? 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 999.
🟧 If you’re concerned that a child may have been exploited through modern slavery, and they are in an area covered by the 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 (𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗚) 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲, call the 𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗚 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻 0800 043 4303 for advice and support.
🟧 For further advice or to report concerns anonymously, contact the 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 0800 0121 700
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