The Government has announced a £25 million investment to expand the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTG) service across every local authority in England and Wales.

The announcement, published by the Home Office on 13 July 2026, represents a significant development in the national response to child trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation. The funding will support the expansion of the ICTG service to the remaining 179 local authorities in England, creating consistent national coverage for the first time.

For children’s homes, supported accommodation providers, fostering services and other professionals working directly with children and young people, this is an important development to understand.

What is an Independent Child Trafficking Guardian?

The ICTG service supports children who may have experienced trafficking, modern slavery or exploitation.

An Independent Child Trafficking Guardian provides specialist and independent support to the child. Their role can include advocating for the child, helping them understand complex decisions and processes, supporting access to health and education services, identifying appropriate legal or immigration advice, and helping the child navigate criminal justice processes.

Importantly, Guardians also work alongside local authorities, police and other safeguarding professionals to ensure that the child’s safety, needs and longer-term future remain central to professional decision-making.

The role is particularly important because children who have experienced exploitation may find it difficult to trust professionals, disclose what is happening to them or recognise themselves as victims.

Child Trafficking Is Not Only an Immigration Issue

One of the most important messages from the Government announcement is that child trafficking and modern slavery must not be viewed solely through the lens of children arriving in the UK from overseas.

In the year to March 2025, Independent Child Trafficking Guardians supported 2,730 potential child victims of modern slavery. More than half were UK nationals, and criminal exploitation, including county lines activity, was a significant form of exploitation.

In 2025, more than 7,000 children were referred to the National Referral Mechanism, the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting potential victims of modern slavery.

These figures reinforce an important safeguarding message: a child does not need to have crossed an international border to have been trafficked.

Children moved between towns, cities or properties for the purpose of criminal exploitation may be victims of trafficking and modern slavery.

What Does This Mean for Children’s Homes and Supported Accommodation Providers?

For providers, the expansion of the ICTG service should encourage further reflection on how services recognise and respond to exploitation.

A young person who repeatedly goes missing, travels significant distances, returns with unexplained money or phones, is involved in drug activity, appears controlled by older individuals or repeatedly comes into contact with the police may be experiencing criminal exploitation.

However, these behaviours can sometimes be recorded primarily as “poor choices”, “risk-taking behaviour”, “non-engagement” or “challenging behaviour”.

Professionals should remain curious about what may be happening behind the behaviour.

The question should not simply be:

“Why does this young person keep doing this?”

It should also be:

“Who may be benefiting from what is happening to this child?”

And:

“Could this child be experiencing criminal exploitation, trafficking or modern slavery?”

Understanding the NRM and ICTG Pathway

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive appropriate support.

Children’s social care providers should ensure that staff and leaders understand how concerns about trafficking and modern slavery are escalated and how the NRM process operates.

Providers themselves may not always be designated First Responder Organisations able to make a direct NRM referral. However, this does not reduce their safeguarding responsibilities.

Where trafficking or modern slavery is suspected, concerns should be clearly identified, recorded and escalated through the appropriate safeguarding and multi-agency pathways.

The national expansion of the ICTG service also means providers should increasingly understand the role of Independent Child Trafficking Guardians and how they may contribute to a child’s safeguarding network.

Where a young person has an ICTG, providers should consider how the Guardian is included in relevant safeguarding discussions, risk planning and multi-agency working.

A Challenge for Providers: Do Your Staff Understand the Pathway?

Many staff working in children’s homes and supported accommodation will be familiar with terms such as CCE, county lines and missing from care.

However, there is an important difference between recognising terminology and understanding the complete safeguarding pathway.

Providers may wish to ask staff:

• When could county lines activity constitute child trafficking?
• What is the National Referral Mechanism?
• Who can make an NRM referral?
• What is an Independent Child Trafficking Guardian?
• What should staff do if a child says they are choosing to sell drugs?
• How should concerns about exploitation be reflected in risk assessments and support or care planning?
• How should missing episodes inform an assessment of potential exploitation?

If staff cannot confidently answer these questions, there may be an important safeguarding knowledge gap.

What Should Providers Do Now?

Children’s homes, supported accommodation providers and fostering services should consider reviewing their safeguarding arrangements in light of the national expansion of the ICTG service.

This should include considering whether safeguarding and exploitation policies appropriately reference modern slavery and trafficking, whether staff understand the NRM pathway, and whether risk assessments clearly consider indicators of criminal and sexual exploitation.

Leaders should also consider how missing episodes are analysed. Repeated missing incidents should not simply be reviewed individually. Patterns, locations, associates, travel, police intelligence and changes in behaviour should inform a wider assessment of potential exploitation.

The expansion of Independent Child Trafficking Guardians across England and Wales is a positive development. However, the effectiveness of the system will continue to depend heavily on professionals recognising the signs of exploitation and taking appropriate action at the earliest opportunity.

For providers, the message is clear: understanding the relationship between missing from care, criminal exploitation, trafficking, modern slavery, the National Referral Mechanism and Independent Child Trafficking Guardians should be an essential part of safeguarding practice.