Authorities are pleading with the Government to overhaul slavery policies because child victims of trafficking are slipping back into exploitation within weeks of being rescued, The Independent can reveal.

Social workers, police and lawyers are warning that the National Referral Mechanism – the UK’s official framework for identifying victims of human trafficking – is failing to protect young people both during and after the identification process.

Children as young as 13, from a number of countries including the UK, are subsequently being identified as victims of slavery and recorded on the national database, but sliding back into exploitation within weeks or even days.

While the Government funds an annual £9m contract for the delivery of specialist support in England and Wales for adult victims after they are referred, the responsibility for child victims falls onto the local authority, meaning they usually enter the mainstream care system, where no national funding is offered for specialist care.

The process of assessing whether a child is a victim can take up to a year, practitioners warn, and even when they have been identified as a victim they are often not provided with the necessary care, such as specialist accommodation or adequate counselling to cope with the trauma of exploitation.

A survey carried out by child slavery charity Ecpat UK, seen exclusively by The Independent, reveals that the overwhelming majority of professionals who come into contact with trafficked children do not believe that the system ensures appropriate safeguarding for young victims.

Just seven per cent of respondents said the NRM always provides adequate protection, while more than one in 10 said it never met this objective and 31 per cent said it rarely did. Four in five respondents did not believe that NRM decisions were made in a suitable timeframe, and that the process is not in the best interests of the child.

One 15-year-old British girl was referred to the NRM in April last year over concerns that she was being sexually exploited and trafficked after police found her in possession of Class A drugs and condoms.

Jo, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, was placed in an emergency foster placement in another county, but was stopped the next day by British Transport Police trying to board a train back to where she had been discovered.

It took seven months for the first decision on her identification as a victim of trafficking to come through, despite the fact that a first-stage decision should be made within five days. Although this was positive, no practical support was provided as a result of this or the referral being made.

More than a year on, a final decision over Jo’s status as a victim of trafficking in the NRM - which should have happened within just 45 days – has not yet been received. This has left police prosecution unclear on whether to treat her as a victim or perpetrator of crime, and she has been a repeat victim of exploitation while waiting for an outcome on her case.

Jo is one of many, with research last year by child trafficking NGO Ecpat UK showing that 167 of the 590 children suspected or identified as child trafficking victims in the year from September 2014 to 2015 vanished from foster and care homes across the country.

Paul Smith, a detective sergeant in the Missing Persons Unit in Croydon, who was involved in Jo’s case, told The Independent that when adult victims come to their notice the support mechanisms are there, but that these mechanisms “simply aren’t there” for child victims – with this responsibility placed solely on local authorities.

“It’s quite clear that with cuts to local councils, care placements in the UK don’t have the capacity to accommodate child victims in the UK who need enhanced protection,” he said.

“The level of knowledge - and it’s no critique of local authorities – but that level of experience and care needed for a young person in that situation just isn’t available. We are seeing child trafficking victims re-trafficked an awful lot. They are often really vulnerable, having been drug mules or victims of sexual exploitation, and at high risk of sliding back into this.

“When we prove that something’s going wrong with a young person and that a young person is being exploited or is vulnerable, the NRM just seems to be paying lip service to the young people rather than safeguarding and putting protection around them.”

Detective Smith urged that the national funding for adult victims support must also be provided for children, saying: “We as police want to safeguard and put these young people into a place of safety where they can get support – the kind of blanket support that goes around the adults.

“There needs to be a more holistic approach, which currently just isn’t available. We need to see more funding for specialised placements for young people in this situation.”

Andy Elvin, a social worker and chief executive of the UK’s largest fostering charity TACT Care, who has worked with a number of young victims in care, said a lack of “consistent and proper” attention on trafficked children makes them liable to repeatedly return to their abusers.

“There isn’t a central repository of expertise and leadership, because it falls under the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the NCA goes with the prevailing political wind. Whatever type of crime is most important that month gets the attention. There is no consistent, proper attention on trafficked children.” he said.

“These children have some very specific problems. They’re liable to run from their placements because they’re scared of the trafficker and they have said they need to go meet up with them. They’ll go because they fear threats to their family; some of them are debt bonded so they will owe money.

“They may be found again by the police, but they’ll continue to run from care unless you have specialised placements for them. They need to be offered permanent nationality status and be worked with to avoid them going back to their trafficker and to feel that their safe and move on from their experience.”

Philippa Southwell, a criminal defence solicitor at Birds Solicitors who specialises in defending young victims of human trafficking, said she had to reach out to charities to access support for her clients.

“The framework is flawed. I rely a lot on the NGOs for the specialised support, and when young people do have that one-to-one person it really helps them with integrating back into the community,” she said.

“A lot of these things a social worker doesn’t have the capacity or the funding to do. Some of the children are so traumatised that they can’t take public transport on their own. It’s basic things like that.”​

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, has joined the call for Government to make the national funding for adult slavery victims available for children as well.

Cllr Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, warned that the reliance on councils to provide support for child slavery victims with no additional funding was putting more pressure on already stretched local authorities.

“Councils are committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our society, including those who have been subjected to modern slavery. Victims can be adults or children, but children are currently unable to access the nationally funded Government support that is available to adults,” he said.

“With local authority children’s services already facing a £2 billion funding gap by 2020, this lack of national support is putting more pressure on already stretched council services.

“If nothing is done to address this funding gap, crucial services that many children and families across the country desperately rely on will be put at risk, including for those who have been subjected to modern slavery.”

He called on the Government to act to close the £2 billion funding gap for children's services, and to make nationally funded support available for child victims of modern slavery as well as adults.

“Councils will not tolerate the exploitation of people in their communities and are committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society, especially children,” he added.

“Because of its hidden nature, modern slavery is a growing threat across the country, and it is vital that local and national government works together to ensure that victims of all ages are able to access the support they need.”

The Home Office is currently examining the process for identifying and supporting victims of trafficking, after a review of the NRM is 2014 revealed failings. But campaigners urged this is taking too long.

Practitioners are rallying behind a petition launched by Ecpat UK calling on ministers to overhaul the NRM and create a new system that has child rights at its heart, bringing together trained, child protection actors with expertise in recognising and dealing with children at risk of trafficking and exploitation.

Chloe Setter, head of policy at Ecpat UK, warned that the failings in the current system were in some ways playing into the hands of people traffickers, who are using a stretched care system as a "holding pen" for young victims.

“The response to exploited children in the UK is nothing short of a national scandal. We have a system – the NRM – for identifying and supporting victims that currently is failing on both fronts," she said.

“Many children are not identified due to a lack of practitioner training, decisions about identification are frequently flawed, and the support provided to those identified is often so inconsistent that children fall back into situations of exploitation.

“In some ways, we are actually playing into the hands of traffickers who anticipate the failings of the care system and use it as a ‘holding pen’ for young victims."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 September 2020 A model presents a creation during the Bora Aksu catwalk show at London Fashion Week 2020 Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2020 World kickboxing champion Carl Thomas during his attempt to run a marathon while pulling a plane at Elvington Airfield near York. The attempt is raising funds for Ollie's Army Battling Against Battens, an organisation campaigning to raise GBP 250,000 to fund a clinical trial aimed at saving the sight of children with CNL2 Batten Disease PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2020 Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner speaking during Prime Minister's Questions UK Parliament/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 September 2020 People enjoying the autumn sunshine as they punt along the River Cam in Cambridge PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2020 Early morning light bathes the skyscrapers of the City of London, at the start of a week in which the UK is expected to bask in temperatures of more than 30 degrees PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2020 England celebrate after they dismissed Australia's Alex Carey to win the second ODI match of the series at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2020 Protesters outside BBC Broadcasting House in central London, as marches and rallies form across the country calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2020 An empty migrant dinghy floats off the beach at St Margaret's Bay after the occupants landed from France in Dover Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2020 A view of small boats thought to be used in migrant crossings across the Channel at a storage facility in Dover, Kent PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2020 EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, left, arriving from the Eurostar with EU Ambassador to the UK, Portuguese diplomat Joao Vale de Almeida at St Pancras International railway station, London, for the latest round of the negotiations on a free trade deal between the EU and the UK PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2020 Dawn over Coquet Island, a small island off Amble on the Northumberland coast PA UK news in pictures 7 September 2020 A hovercraft arrives to Southsea, Hampshire from the Isle of Wight PA UK news in pictures 6 September 2020 Forensics officers near the scene of multiple reported stabbings in Birmingham Reuters UK news in pictures 5 September 2020 Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate in Dover against immigration and the journeys made by refugees crossing the Channel to Kent PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2020 Activists take part in a demonstration against the HS2 hi-speed rail line outside the Department of Transport AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 September 2020 Peter Baker, who plays Trigger in the musical version of Only Fools and Horses, sweeps the stage of the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, after observing a 15 minute silence to show solidarity with those in the theatre industry that have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2020 Kadie Lane, right, 11, and Brooke Howourth, 11, hug on their walk to Marden Bridge Middle School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, for their first day of term, as schools in England reopen to pupils following the coronavirus lockdown PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2020 Extinction Rebellion protesters sitting outside The Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London PA UK news in pictures 31 August Surfers at Long Sands Beach, Tynemouth PA UK news in pictures 30 August Black Lives Matter protesters march through Notting Hill in London in the first Million People March EPA UK news in pictures 29 August A protester reacts as she demonstrates against the lockdown and use of face masks, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, outside Downing Street in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 August Caribbean soca dancers display their costumes as they promote the first ever digital Notting Hill Carnival, following the cancellation of the normal Carnival festivities due to the continued spread of the coronavirus disease, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 August Father and son team Chris and Sam Milford from historic building conservation specialists WallWalkers begin restoration work on the spire of Norwich Cathedral, which stands at over 312ft high. The first known spire was completed in 1297 PA UK news in pictures 26 August Giant waves at Seaham in County Durham, as the bad weather continues PA UK news in pictures 25 August An assistant at the Wallace Monument cleans the case which houses the William Wallace sword in the Hall of Arms room at the monument near Stirling as they prepare to re-open PA UK news in pictures 24 August Restored World War Two landing craft LCT 7074 is transported from from the Naval Base in Portsmouth to its final resting place at the D-Day Story at Southsea PA UK news in pictures 23 August Jenny Nguyen and Tony Cao, from Vietnam, pose for wedding photos on Tower Bridge in London, as it remains closed to vehicles after it was stuck open on Saturday due to a "mechanical fault". The landmark's Twitter account confirmed only pedestrians and cyclists could use it on Sunday morning PA UK news in pictures 22 August England's Zak Crawley hit 267, joining the exclusive Double Hundred club, on day two of the Third Test match against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton PA UK news in pictures 21 August Harri Teale gathers lavender during the annual harvest on the Wolds Way Lavender farm near Malton in North Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 20 August Parents and a student react after checking GCSE results at Ark Academy in London Reuters UK news in pictures 19 August Tate Modern workers hold a strike outside the gallery in London, to protest the institution's announcement that it would cut more than 300 jobs from its commercial arm, Tate Enterprises PA UK news in pictures 18 August Two rescued brown bear cubs, Mish (left) and Lucy, cool off in a pool after arriving at their new home with the wildlife conservation charity Wildwood Trust in Herne Bay, Kent. The orphaned pair, who have been living in a temporary home in Belgium since they were found abandoned and alone in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains, will be acclimatised to their new life in the country before moving to a permanent home PA UK news in pictures 17 August A level students celebrate outside the Department for Education in London after it was confirmed that candidates in England will be given grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by an algorithm. The government U-turn comes just days after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson vowed there would be "no U-turn, no change. PA UK news in pictures 16 August Wasp players take a knee as Northampton Saints stand prior to kick-off in their Premiership match at Franklin's Gardens PA UK news in pictures 15 August Piper Colour Sergeant Lil Bahadur Gurung attends the VJ Day National Remembrance event, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 14 August People including students hold placards on Whitehall outside Downing Street as they protest against the downgrading of A-level results. The government faced criticism after education officials downgraded more than a third of pupils' final grades in a system devised after the coronavirus pandemic led to cancelled exams yes AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 13 August Benita Stipp (centre) and Mimi Ferguson (left) react as students at Norwich School receive their A-Level results PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2020 A train derailment near Stonehaven has left three people dead. Driver Brett McCullough, conductor Donald Dinnie, and a passenger were killed when the 6.38am Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service crashed amid heavy rain and flooding BBC UK news in pictures 11 August 2020 A woman hydrates in the sun after open water swimming at the West Reservoir Centre in north London Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 10 August 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes part in an archery session as he visits Premier Education Summer Camp at Sacred Heart of Mary Girls' in Upminster Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2020 People cycle through Cambridge as the heatwave continues in Britain EPA UK news in pictures 8 August 2020 Healthcare workers take part in a protest in London over pay conditions in the NHS Getty UK news in pictures 7 August 2020 Emergency services make their way along the seafront on Bournemouth beach in Dorset on one of the hottest days of the year PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2020 Alison Murphy poses for a picture by husband Peter as she walks through a field of sunflowers in Altrincham, Cheshire PA UK news in pictures 5 August 2020 Pakistan's Abid Ali being bowled by England's Jofra Archer during day one of the First Test match at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester PA UK news in pictures 4 August 2020 The 'Timbuktu tumblers' from Kenya perform their balancing act on the Southsea waterfront as Zippos Circus reopens in Portsmouth Rex UK news in pictures 3 August 2020 Pelicans interact with a visitor in St James's Park in London PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2020 Lewis Hamilton drives with a puncture towards the finish line to win the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone POOL/AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 1 August 2020 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the FA Cup, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease Pool via Reuters UK news in pictures 31 July 2020 People enjoy the sunny weather at a Bournemouth Beach Reuters

When contacted for comment, the Government said it believed it was "vital" that children in care were protected from harm and the slavery and trafficking of children is a very serious offence. A spokesperson said it was introducing new independent child trafficking advocates and spending £2.2 million to protect vulnerable children in the UK and overseas who are at risk.

“All local agencies have statutory duties to safeguard children and we have strengthened regulations on children’s homes and placed a duty on local authorities to tell us about all incidences of children going missing from care, even those lasting less than 24 hours," the spokesperson said.