Training

"ECPAT UK helped me view life from the victim's perspective, making the reality of our job worthy." Social worker, London

ECPAT UK’s multidisciplinary team provides a wide range of training courses relating to modern slavery, trafficking and exploitation for individuals and organisations. As well as the training courses offered below, we can provide bespoke training to your organisation to ensure it is tailored and relevant to your work.

ECPAT UK has delivered training courses for more than 20 years to build frontline workers' capacity and improve responses to child trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation across the UK. Our comprehensive training programme has been created in line with National Occupational Standards and many of our courses are CPD accredited.

ECPAT UK’s training courses are available online (and usually consist of two half-day modules completed over Zoom) or you can get in touch to discuss commissioning face-to-face courses. We are pleased to offer discounts for multiple team member bookings – contact us via [email protected] to discuss your organisation's needs.

Child Criminal Exploitation and Trafficking

This course focuses on the specific issue of child criminal exploitation (CCE) in the UK. Read more

Care for child victims of trafficking: Safe accommodation and missing from care

This online training course focuses on the specific challenges of accommodating victims of trafficking and separated children seeking asylum. Split into two half-day modules, this course will give participants an understanding of the issue and will support you with practical tools to prevent and respond to missing incidents in line with best practice guidance. Read more

Spiritual abuse and child trafficking

This online, half-day course examines the particular relationship between spiritual abuse and child trafficking. Participants will gain an understanding of the interlinkages between the two, their dynamics and effective responses to this particular issue. Read more

Child Trafficking and Exploitation in Tourism

Dates coming soon: This training is designed for those working across the tourism industry and aims to give participants an understanding of the relationship between tourism and trafficking, as well as equip them with policies and best practice to protect children from exploitation. Training is available to hotels, tour operators, travel agents and others interested in ethical and sustainable tourism. Read more

The Modern Slavery Act 2015

Dates coming soon: The Modern Slavery Act 2015 makes provisions for the protection of child victims of trafficking. This course assists frontline professionals to understand their responsibility under the Act and use it to improve identification, responses and care of child victims of trafficking. In this course other key legislation relevant to frontline workers will also be covered. Read more

Bespoke training for professionals

We deliver bespoke training courses across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (or even further afield). Each course is tailored to your organisation’s needs. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we're pleased to be able to offer online, interactive training to your team until we are able to safely deliver training in person once more. Read more

Hire a speaker

We are keen to share our experience and expertise in promoting the rights of children. In addition to providing training, we can also offer expert speakers for events and activities, tailored to your organisation’s needs and events. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we're pleased to be able to offer this service for online events and conferences. Read more

Latest

ECPAT UK responds to the King's Speech

In his speech on Wednesday, the King set out the government's plans for the new parliamentary session. We at ECPAT UK applaud the announcement of a Children’s Wellbeing Bill and the introduction of a child criminal exploitation offence in the Crime and Policing Bill and measures for Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill.
Behind Closed Doors: A Storytelling Legal and Empirical Analysis of Human Trafficking Risks in Home Office Hotels Compared to Other Accommodation for Unaccompanied Children and Young People Seeking Asylum in the UK

New report by University of College London (UCL) and ECPAT UK aimed to investigate the risks of trafficking and exploitation in Home Office child hotels among unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK. Researchers interviewed young people themselves as well as professionals such as social workers, policy stakeholders, academics, lawyers, law enforcement, support workers, and NGO staff.
Lone children seeking asylum in the UK placed in Home Office hotels are at increased risk of exploitation suggests new publication by UCL researchers and ECPAT UK

Unaccompanied children went missing by the hundreds when accommodated by the Home Office, yet officials denied reports of the on-going risk of exploitation. A new publication from UCL researchers and ECPAT UK found that housing lone children in Home Office child hotels, as occurred between 2021 and January 2024, increased their risks of trafficking and exploitation.
ECPAT UK calls for a UK wide child exploitation strategy with key priorities for action for the new UK Government to tackle child trafficking

ECPAT UK calls on the new UK Government to take the opportunity to address the on-going failures child victims continue to face and to develop a UK wide child exploitation strategy that respects children's rights to protection and care with ten key priorities for prevention and support.

Child trafficking statistics

The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.
National Referral Mechanism

The National Referral Mechanism is a process set up by the Government to identify and support victims of trafficking in the UK. It was born out of the Government's obligation to identify victims under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking, which came into force on 1 February 2008.
What is child trafficking?
The Secret Gardeners: New film on child trafficking from Vietnam

The Secret Gardeners aims to inform professionals about the plight of children who are forced by organised crime gangs to grow drugs in houses across the UK but who often face criminalisation and prison.
Volunteer

ECPAT UK relies on committed volunteers to support the work that we do. Without their help, we would not be able to campaign as effectively against child exploitation.
Our team

ECPAT UK's team has more than 30 years' experience working on issues of child trafficking, child protection, child sexual exploitation, unaccompanied children, modern slavery and more.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. The UK signed the Convention on 19 April 1990, ratified it on 16 December 1991 and it came into force on 15 January 1992.
About us

ECPAT UK is a leading children's rights organisation working to protect children from child trafficking and transnational child exploitation. We support children everywhere to uphold their rights and to live a life free from abuse and exploitation.
Contact us

If you have an immediate concern about a child's welfare, please contact your local council's social care department, who are available 24 hours a day. For all other enquiries related to our work, contact [email protected] or call 020 7607 2136.
Urgent action needed: Independent guardianship for all trafficked, unaccompanied and separated children

Last October, an incredible 120,535 supporters called for specialist support for all trafficked children. However, the fight is not finished. Make sure your voice is heard by contacting the Home Secretary asking him to provide guardianship for all trafficked, separated and unaccompanied children