Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC)
UASC are very vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation through modern slavery and it is important that staff working with this group are able to identify those young people who may have been trafficked into the UK.
Social workers and personal advisors must be vigilant to the possibility that a young person they work with may have been trafficked into the UK and may be being exploited. This should be explored within the assessment process and Pathways keyworkers asked to make a note of any concerning absences or missing episodes or other signs that may suggest the young person's movements are being controlled by others.
For more details and for what action to take under the National Referral Mechanism see the section on child exploitation within this policy hub.