Nottingham Anti-Slavery Model Set to Protect Vulnerable Nationwide

Lucy Fletcher 2026-05-21 13:23 3 min read

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Nottingham’s specialized approach to dismantling modern slavery networks is being scaled across the country after demonstrating significant success in protecting local victims. The Slavery Exploitation Team (SET), a Nottingham City Council-led initiative, has evolved from a local pilot into a national model for safeguarding, following its success in identifying “hidden harm” that traditional services often miss.

Originally established in 2018 as a Home Office-funded pilot, the team was restructured to address a critical gap in the system: cases where exploitation was active, but no single agency had clear ownership of the safeguarding response. By 2019, this led to the formal launch of the Slavery Exploitation Risk Assessment Conference (SERAC), a framework that is now being studied by local authorities across the United Kingdom.

Addressing the Surge in Cuckooing and Financial Exploitation

Recent data highlights the scale of the challenge facing regional authorities. Between April and September 2025, the team managed 246 referrals across Nottinghamshire. The most prevalent issues identified included financial exploitation and “cuckooing”—a practice where criminal gangs take over a vulnerable person’s home to use it as a base for drug dealing or other illegal activities.

The impact of coordinated intervention has proven measurable. In several documented cuckooing cases, reported incidents of anti-social behavior and crime dropped from dozens of monthly reports to zero following a SERAC-led intervention. These results demonstrate that when agencies align their resources, they can effectively disrupt the cycle of harm that often traps the most vulnerable members of the community.

Coordinating Intelligence Across Multiple Regional Agencies

The core of this success lies in the multi-agency structure of SERAC. This conference brings together Nottinghamshire Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and various health and housing providers. By sharing intelligence in a secure, professional environment, these partners can assess risk levels that might appear negligible to a single agency acting in isolation.

Unlike standard public-facing services, the SET operates discreetly. Referrals are often managed without the victim’s immediate knowledge in the early stages, allowing agencies to build a comprehensive safety net and disrupt exploiters before the victim is further traumatized or intimidated. This “behind-the-scenes” coordination ensures that when an intervention does occur, the right support pathways—including housing and legal protection—are already in place.

Training Frontline Staff to Identify Signs of Hidden Harm

Beyond immediate case management, the partnership focuses on long-term prevention through professional education. Since October 2024, nearly 1,200 frontline professionals have received specialized training delivered by the SET. This training helps social workers, housing officers, and healthcare staff recognize the subtle indicators of Modern Slavery, such as unexplained financial changes or unusual activity at a residential property.

Councillor Matt Shannon, Executive Member for Community Protection, noted that the model is now shaping national conversations on how local authorities should handle trafficking and safeguarding. The team’s work has been integrated into the Local Government Association’s national guide and has been the subject of academic research by The Rights Lab at the University of Nottingham.

Achieving Measurable Reductions in Community Risk

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden emphasized that the ability to share information quickly across organizations is what prevents vulnerable residents from falling through the cracks. Modern slavery and exploitation are frequently hidden behind closed doors, making traditional reporting methods less effective.

Mike Hill, Chair of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Modern Slavery Partnership, described the approach as transformational for the region. By strengthening collaboration, the partnership has not only improved victim identification but also enhanced the support pathways available once a person is removed from an exploitative situation. Work is now ongoing to explore how this Nottinghamshire-led approach can serve as a template for other regions facing similar challenges with organized exploitation.

Source: Nottingham City Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Official Safety Briefing

This report is based on official performance data and partnership updates from Nottingham City Council and the Nottinghamshire OPCC for the 2025-2026 period.

Checks

Verified referral statistics (246 cases) for the April-September 2025 period
Confirmed training figures for frontline professionals since October 2024
Cross-referenced local model recognition with Local Government Association guides

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