Eight new areas across the UK, including Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Northern Ireland, have joined a pilot scheme that dramatically reduces waiting times for child victims of human trafficking and exploitation to receive specialist support.

The Devolved Decision-Making (DDM) pilot, launched in June 2021, aims to improve support for child victims of modern slavery by shifting case decision-making from the Home Office to specially trained local safeguarding teams. This change has already reduced average decision times from 471 days to just 101 in existing pilot areas — meaning children can access vital care and stability much sooner.

The newly added areas are:

• Birmingham

• Edinburgh

• Hampshire (expanding current coverage)

• Northern Ireland (first national site)

• Shropshire

• Southwark

• Telford and Wrekin

• West Sussex

These areas join the original pilot regions, which include sites in Wales, Scotland (Glasgow), and other parts of England, allowing for broader testing of the model ahead of potential nationwide implementation.

Putting Children First

By empowering local multi-agency teams — including police, social workers, and healthcare professionals — the scheme ensures quicker, more child-focused decisions. Local experts familiar with the child’s background can provide better tailored care, earlier referrals, and long-term recovery support.

This approach also raises awareness of modern slavery within local authorities, leading to improved victim identification and a more coordinated response.

Tackling the Backlog

The pilot supports the government’s wider Plan for Change, which includes reducing the historic backlog of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) cases. As of June 2025, the backlog had decreased to just over 11,500 cases, a 61% reduction from its peak in 2022 and 51% lower than at the end of June 2024.

Minister for Safeguarding Jess Phillips said: When a child falls victim to modern slavery – whether through trafficking or exploitation in the vile county lines trade – they face trauma that can affect them for life. Time is crucial in helping them recover.

This pilot is delivering incredible results. Cutting waiting times by over a year means children get the help they need, faster. By expanding to more areas, we’re building the evidence to roll this out nationally and better protect vulnerable children across the UK.”

The eight new pilot sites were selected through a competitive process designed to strengthen the evidence base for a national rollout. Northern Ireland’s pilot will cover all cases in its jurisdiction — a first for the UK — while Scotland adds a second site in Edinburgh, alongside Glasgow.

To further reduce decision-making delays, the government has also:

• Recruited 180+ additional staff to process referrals

• Developed a simpler, more accessible referral form for frontline responders

Together, these efforts aim to ensure child victims of exploitation receive protection and support when they need it most — without unnecessary delay.