Almost 60 cases of cuckooing, a form of modern slavery, have been reported to Nottingham's Slavery Exploitation Team, who work to identify and tackle exploitation, modern slavery and trafficking. In the 12 months leading to July 2022, 57 cases were reported of cuckooing, which is when an individual loses control of their home to criminals who use it as a base to facilitate exploitation.
This is the most common form of exploitation in Nottingham, and cases have almost doubled in the last year with an average of 21 cases referred each month to the team in 2022, compared to 12 a month in 2021. This is believed to be a positive sign that shows the issue is getting better with more people reporting and being rescued from a life of servitude.
In May 2019, the Slavery Exploitation Risk Assessment Conference (SERAC) was established which brought together partner agencies, such as Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police, to share information, risk assess and manage potential victims in a multi-agency forum.
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Both the Slavery Exploitation Team and the SERAC are funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City Council to ensure victims are supported and that potential future cases are minimised. Recently a vulnerable adult that was being exploited by drug dealers was put into a safe house thanks to the multi-agency forum.
Robert (not his real name), was struggling with substance misuse and mental health, and had lost control of his Nottingham home to criminals who used it as a base for drug dealing and antisocial behaviour. The partnership approach meant the tell-tale signs of exploitation were spotted quicker and Robert was offered help from a network of safeguarding agencies.
He was already known to a number of local statutory services so when suspicions were reported, the team was able to gather further information by speaking with these agencies. It then became apparent that there had been repeated unlawful use of his identity as his property had been used as a bail address by criminal suspects on several occasions.
Robert had also sustained several injuries. The case was taken to the SERAC, where the most appropriate advocate was identified to manage the case, and away to gain entry to the property was then established through a local authority housing team.
As a result of this intervention, Robert left the address with specially trained officers and was taken to a safehouse where he has rehabilitation for his substance use. A closure order was then placed on the property, to prevent further anti-social behaviour.
Now that the correct support is in place, Robert is no longer using substances and has since got a job. Jane Paling, Slavery Exploitation Team Manager, said: “There are so many factors that contribute to slavery and exploitation and survivors don’t always identify as being victim to these sorts of crimes.
“Complexities such as substance misuse are often used to control survivors and can cloud the picture the outside world sees. Many issues can make a person more vulnerable to exploitation; there is an alarming intersection with mental health, disabilities, isolation and an unsettled family environment.
“Key to identification, intervention and safeguarding is a multi-agency approach; here in Nottingham we are fortunate to have many statutory and non-government partners dedicated to working together to tackle these abhorrent crimes."
Cllr Neghat Khan, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion, added: “Modern slavery, trafficking and exploitation can affect anyone - survivors might be tricked, forced or coerced and are often hidden in plain sight. In Nottingham we are committed to tackling this form of criminality and the multi-agency SERAC partnership works to identify hidden cases, support survivors and prevent further harm."
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry is passionate about reducing hidden harm issues such as modern slavery within Nottinghamshire. She added: “I will continue to work with partners to identify gaps in our response and ensure that we react to areas of improvement swiftly and efficiently.
“We all know that the statistics regarding modern slavery only represent a fraction of the exploitation that takes place, that is why I want to ensure that as many people as possible, public and professional, know what to look for when spotting the signs.”
In cases between July 2021 and July 2022, more than 570 vulnerabilities were identified, with the most common being unemployment, homelessness, substance use and mental health. The Slavery Exploitation Team has partnered up with the Rights Lab at the University of Nottingham to research the correlation between the different types of vulnerabilities and the likelihood of exploitation.
If you have concerns about someone who may be being exploited in your neighbourhood, call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700 or report it online.
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