The National Referral Mechanism — what it means for your child

• The NRM stands for National Referral Mechanism. It is the UK's official process for identifying whether someone has been trafficked or exploited.
• For children, the process is about safety and support, not about blame or immigration status.
• If the NRM decides your child has been trafficked or exploited, your child gets dedicated support while things are looked into.

• A first responder starts the process. This could be:
  • Police
  • Social worker
  • Teacher or school staff
  • Healthcare professional
  • The National Crime Agency
  • Certain charities (like the Salvation Army or Barnardo's)
• The first responder fills in a referral form. Then the Single Competent Authority (a team inside the Home Office) decides whether there are reasonable grounds to believe your child may have been trafficked or exploited.
• For children, your child does not need to agree to the referral. The decision is made on what is best for the child.

This might happen if:

• Your child has been involved in county lines or drug running
• Someone has forced your child to do things they didn't want to do
• Your child has been groomed by an adult or another young person
• Your child has been moved somewhere and made to work
• Your child has been exploited online
• Something else has happened and a professional believes the NRM is the right route to keep your child safe

• A professional gathers information about what has happened to your child.
• They fill in the referral form.
• They should tell you (the parent or carer), unless telling you would put your child at risk.
• Your child may be asked about what happened, but they do not have to repeat everything to every new person.

• The Single Competent Authority has 5 working days to make a reasonable grounds decision.
• If the decision is positive, your child gets support through the NRM. This can include:
  • Somewhere safe to stay
  • Help from a dedicated support worker
  • Medical and mental health support
  • Help to understand what happened
  • Practical support (food, clothing, transport)
• If the decision is negative, you can ask for it to be reconsidered.

• After a positive reasonable grounds decision, your child gets support while the Single Competent Authority looks into things further.
• Later, they make a conclusive grounds decision — this is the final decision about whether your child was trafficked or exploited. This can take months or longer.
• Your child keeps getting support during this time.
• After a conclusive grounds decision:
  • If positive, your child may get longer-term support
  • If negative, your child's support continues for a short time to help them adjust

• You have the right to be told about the referral (unless telling you would put your child at risk).
• You can ask questions and get information about the process.
• You can support your child through interviews and decisions.
• You cannot stop the referral — it is about your child's safety.
• You can ask for help yourself — supporting a child through this is hard.

• Your child has the right to be kept safe
• Your child has the right to be heard
• Your child has the right to support regardless of the outcome
• Your child has the right to an advocate
• Your child does not have to repeat their story to every new person

• You can ask for the decision to be reconsidered.
• You can get help from a solicitor who understands modern slavery law.
• You can complain through the NRM complaints process.
• You can contact the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit for guidance.

Sometimes the NRM process happens at the same time as a breakdown in the relationship between you and your child. This can happen because:

• Your child has been told things about you that are not true
• Your child is frightened or confused
• Someone has influenced your child
• You are frightened or overwhelmed
• The situation is just very hard

If this is happening:

• You still have the right to information about the process
• You can ask for a family meeting or an advocate
• You can ask social services for support for yourself
• You can contact a solicitor
• You can contact Parent Talk or other parent support services

This insight is drawn from David Savizon, a frontline serious youth violence specialist who has spent over two decades on the front line of gangs and serious youth violence in London. He has seen too many young people misled, misunderstood, or mismanaged by an NRM handed over like a badge of protection instead of a safeguarding mechanism. The work that actually keeps young people safe is early prevention, relational trust, trauma-informed support, and long-term outcomes over short-term optics — not enforcement alone.

For parents and carers, the same truth applies. If someone tells you “your child has got their NRM, they're covered,” be careful. The people who really want your child or the child in your care safe will tell you both truths: your child is recognised as a victim of what was done to them, and your child still has choices about what happens next.