Support for adult victims of trafficking and exploitation - guidance: consultation analysis

15. Question 13 – Outreach Support

Question: Does the guidance set out clearly the outreach support available to adult victims of human trafficking?

Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

Positive comments

Some respondents welcomed the inclusion of outreach support and understood its purpose, particularly in ensuring that victims who are not in specialist accommodation can continue to access advice, advocacy and casework support wherever they live in Scotland.

Need for further clarity

Respondents sought more detail on what constitutes outreach support and what an individual can expect to receive. Several questioned how the commitment to provide the same advice and advocacy as accommodation-based support would be measured where the Guidance does not define the minimum level of support available in either setting. Some respondents queried whether outreach would be delivered face-to-face, by video, by telephone or through a combination of approaches. How frequently contact would take place, what minimum level of contact an individual could expect, and who decides the appropriate nature and intensity of support. One respondent also asked how those decisions would be recorded. Further clarity was sought on who is responsible for delivering outreach and how national outreach provision should coordinate with local statutory, voluntary and community services.

Need for practical information

It was noted that clearer practical information was needed on how outreach support is accessed and whether access is triggered by submission of an NRM referral. It was also felt that more information on the referral routes into outreach was required, and information on the organisations responsible for providing the service. Information was also sought on how long outreach support remains available and where individuals and practitioners can find details of the types of support provided by outreach caseworkers. Some respondents raised particular practical issues for rural and remote communities, including distance, transport limitations and digital exclusion. Suggestions included linking national outreach provision with local statutory and community services. Clearer pathways were also requested for connecting people with mental health and healthcare services, housing, legal assistance, employment support and other local provision.

Suggested additions to the Guidance

Respondents suggested that the Guidance should address explicitly the transition from accommodation-based support to outreach. In particular, it was suggested that the section should make clear that outreach remains available where an individual moves on from accommodation but continues to have identified support needs.

There were also calls for the Guidance to make clear that outreach is not a reduced or optional form of support simply because an individual lives independently or away from specialist accommodation. Some respondents considered that, because outreach may be the only form of specialist support an individual receives, the Guidance should establish clearer minimum expectations or standards against which provision can be assessed.

Other suggestions included providing clearer information on the organisations delivering outreach and establishing how individuals can raise concerns where the service they receive falls below the expected standard.

Other concerns or comments

Also highlighted by respondents was the need for safeguarding and risk assessments for people receiving outreach while living outside specialist accommodation, particularly where an individual may be in an unsafe or unstable environment. It was suggested that the Guidance should set out how risks identified during outreach are assessed and managed and how appropriate protection measures are put in place. It was emphasised that effective outreach depends on the way support is delivered. Persistence, flexibility and the development of trusted relationships were identified as important where individuals may be harder to reach or have experienced trauma and distrust.