View key statutory guidance and strategy on safeguarding unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children and child victims of modern slavery. 

• Working Together to Safeguard Children - statutory cross-agency safeguarding framework. Updated most recently in 2023, it embeds modern slavery response within multi-agency safeguarding arrangements in England.
• National Transfer Scheme Protocol for UASC - protocol formalising transfers of UASC between councils (from March 2018), now mandatory for all Children's services authorities in England. 
• Criminal Exploitation of Children and Vulnerable Adults: County Lines Guidance - a vital national framework that equips professionals to identify, safeguard, and support children and vulnerable adults exploited through drug trafficking networks. 
• Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery (November 2017) - issued under s.7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970; mandatory for local authorities in England. It sets out duties for social care services looking after looked-after children who are unaccompanied asylum seekers or victims (or potential victims) of modern slavery and trafficking.
• Safeguarding Strategy for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children - supplements statutory guidance with systemic measures: training, rights information, first-contact procedures, and funding to promote children's welfare.
• National Transfer Scheme Protocol for UASC - protocol formalising transfers of UASC between councils (from March 2018), now mandatory for all Children's services authorities in England.
• Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England & Wales under s.49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 - latest version (updated 2024-2025) outlines victim-identification procedures, referral to the NRM, and support entitlements for the child victims even if no longer in the NRM. 
• Statutory Guidance on Children who Run Away or Go Missing from Home or Care (2014) - clarifies local authority duties to safeguard and support children who go missing, especially those at risk of exploitation or trafficking. 
• Children Missing Education: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities (August 2024) - mandates local authority actions to identify and support children not in education, preventing safeguarding risks including exploitation. 
• Safeguarding Children who May Have Been Trafficked (DfE and Home Office, 2011) - non-statutory practice guidance used for identifying and safeguarding child trafficking victims before they enter care.
• National Referral Mechanism: Guidance for Child First Responders (2016) - lays out responsibilities for those making referrals into the NRM.
• Guidance on Processing Children’s Asylum Claims (2017) - sets out how Home Office asylum staff should process children’s claims and safeguard them in the process.
• Family and Friends Care: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities (2011) - relevant statutory guidance on placements for looked-after children, referenced in UASC documents.
• London Child Protection Procedures and Practice Guidance (September 2023) - a comprehensive regional guide detailing inter-agency responsibilities and best practice for safeguarding children in London, aligned with national statutory guidance.
• London Safeguarding Trafficked Children Toolkit (2011) - provides London-specific tools and templates for professionals to identify, assess, and support children trafficked for exploitation.
• London Safeguarding Trafficked Children Guidance (2011) - outlines procedures and local authority duties in London for safeguarding trafficked children, supporting multi-agency responses.
• Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children: Interim National Transfer Scheme (2016) - introduced a voluntary mechanism for redistributing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children across local authorities to ensure equitable care responsibilities.
• National Referral Mechanism - the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, including children.
• CPS Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Human Trafficking (2011) - sets out the Crown Prosecution Service’s approach to ensuring trafficked victims are treated appropriately and not wrongly prosecuted.
• ADCS Age Assessment Guidance (2015) - provides best practice for conducting lawful, fair, and child-centred age assessments of asylum-seeking young people when their age is in doubt.
• Child Sexual Exploitation: Definition and Guide for Practitioners (2017) - defines child sexual exploitation (CSE) and outlines practitioner responsibilities for identification, intervention, and safeguarding.
• Notifications of Private Fostering Arrangements in England (2015) - explains the requirement for local authorities to be notified of private fostering arrangements and their responsibility to assess and monitor them.
• Human Trafficking Practical Guidance (2013) - provides frontline practitioners with advice on identifying and responding to human trafficking cases, including safeguarding and referral routes.
• A Typology of Modern Slavery Offences in the UK (2017) - categorises the various forms of modern slavery in the UK, helping professionals and law enforcement recognise patterns and victim profiles.
• Modern Slavery Awareness and Victim Identification Guidance (2017) – equips professionals with tools to raise awareness, spot signs of slavery, and take appropriate safeguarding actions for victims.
• Transparency in Supply Chains: A Practical Guide (2017) - helps businesses meet legal obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 by promoting ethical practices and transparency in supply chains.

Image credit: By Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK (House of Common, London) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons