A training framework for local authorities as modern slavery first responders in England and Wales

Development and Consultation Process

This Training Framework represents the final output of a multi-stage research, consultation, and knowledge-exchange process designed to support local authorities in their role as Modern Slavery First Responders under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It builds directly on empirical research, practitioner engagement, and survivor-informed insights, ensuring that the framework is both evidence-based and grounded in operational realities.

In May 2025, we published The Development of a Preliminary Training Framework for Local Authorities as Modern Slavery First Responders in England and Wales, in partnership with the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG). The study, based on an online survey completed by 36 local authorities and semi-structured interviews with Modern Slavery Leads or Coordinators in 15 local authorities across England and Wales, also included an analysis of 48 modern slavery statements published by councils. It underscored the pivotal role of local authorities in identifying and supporting survivors through housing, social care, and safeguarding, while also highlighting gaps in awareness, inconsistent training provision, and barriers to multi-agency collaboration. At the same time, it identified examples of good practice that demonstrate what can be achieved with appropriate investment, partnership working, and leadership.

The framework was subsequently presented at an online Knowledge Exchange Workshop in June 2025, attended by approximately 30 participants representing local authorities and civil society organisations. Local authority attendees included officers from Dorset, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Kent, Derbyshire, Hertsmere, and Oxford, alongside colleagues from Barnardo’s and the Snowdrop Project. Participants were divided into two breakout rooms for focused discussion and exchange of views on the preliminary training framework.
The framework was later presented at the National Network Coordinators Forum (NNCF) in July 2025, where further valuable input was received from a similar audience.

Following the NNCF presentation, additional feedback was gathered through an online form and a series of one-to-one interviews to explore specific issues in greater depth. Importantly, lived experience experts were also engaged as part of the consultation process, and their perspectives were incorporated into revisions of the framework, particularly in relation to survivor-centred practice, trauma-informed engagement, and the risks associated with overly procedural or compliance-driven approaches to training.
All comments were systematically analysed and synthesised to inform revisions to the structure, content, and delivery model of the Modern Slavery Training Framework for Local Authorities. The final iteration of the framework was subsequently circulated among all the interviewees and consultation participants, several of whom indicated their intention to adopt or adapt the Training Framework within their own organisations.

We gratefully acknowledge that this framework was informed by examples of good practice and training approaches shared by local authorities, in particular Coventry City Council and Birmingham City Councils, whose multi-tiered training model serves as a valuable example of locally tailored training delivery. We are especially thankful to Hebe Lawson (Modern Slavery Lead at Coventry City Council) and Anna Iuga (Modern Slavery Coordinator at Birmingham City Council) for their part in developing this approach, which has been instrumental in informing our thinking and strengthening the training framework developed in this study. While the Coventry and Birmingham model reflects an effective, place-specific response, the framework developed here is designed to be applied and adapted nationally, providing a coherent structure that can be tailored to diverse local authority contexts across England and Wales.

It is important to emphasise that what we have developed is a training framework, not a prescriptive curriculum or statutory requirement. The framework sets out guiding principles, tiered training levels, and recommendations, but does not prescribe a one-size-fits-all or directive curriculum or course structure. It is designed to provide a flexible structure that can be adapted to the needs and contexts of individual local authorities. Responsibility for adopting, adapting, and implementing the framework rests with each authority, considering local governance structures, resources, and priorities. Adaptability is also required over time, as modern slavery is a fast-changing landscape. This reflects the need for flexibility across diverse governance structures, geographies, and resources. In practice, this means the framework should be used by local authorities to inform the design of their own training curricula, identifying which elements require national consistency and which should be tailored locally. For example:

- Nationally consistent elements: statutory duties under the Modern Slavery Act; survivor rights, including entitlements to support and protection; safeguarding protocols, with emphasis on child and adult protection duties; and National Referral Mechanism (NRM) processes.

- Locally tailored elements: regional referral pathways and links to nearby NGOs or specialist services; specific housing and welfare arrangements; structures for partnership working, such as safeguarding boards or community safety partnerships; and the profile of exploitation most prevalent in that area, such as labour, sexual, or criminal exploitation.
Embedding locally relevant case studies, survivor testimonies, and examples of cross-agency working across all levels will also be crucial in ensuring that training is meaningful, contextually grounded, and directly applicable to local realities.

At the same time, it must be recognised that without sufficient budgets, ring-fenced funding, and political support, implementation will remain uneven and challenging. Training alone cannot substitute for the infrastructure, resources, and multi-agency partnerships essential for a sustainable response. Nonetheless, this framework provides a foundation on which local authorities can build context-specific training modules and practices, supporting more consistent, survivor-centred, and accountable responses to modern slavery across England and Wales.

The framework therefore provides both a strategic grounding and a practical tool for local authorities. Building on the feedback gathered through practitioner consultation and lived-experience input, the following section outlines the Training Framework and the key considerations that guided its development.