Nottinghamshire partnership tackling exploitation gains national recognition
A pioneering Nottinghamshire partnership tackling modern slavery and exploitation is now being looked at as a model for other local authorities across the country.
The county’s Slavery Exploitation Risk Assessment Conference (SERAC), led by by the Nottingham City Council Slavery Exploitation Team (SET), which is co-funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire and local authority partners, brings together agencies from across Nottinghamshire to identify and respond to people at risk of exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery.
Originally established in 2018 as a Home Office-funded pilot supporting survivors leaving National Referral Mechanism (NRM) safehouse accommodation, the team quickly evolved after professionals began identifying live exploitation cases where there was no clear ownership or coordinated safeguarding response.
In response, Nottingham City Council re-developed the service into the Slavery Exploitation Team, focusing on identifying unmanaged risk, safeguarding vulnerable people and coordinating a multi-agency response to both protect victims and disrupt harm.
SERAC was formally launched in 2019 to strengthen partnership working around exploitation and trafficking concerns.
Today, the conference brings together organisations including Nottinghamshire Police, local authorities, Department for Work and Pensions, probation services, health partners, housing providers, charities and safeguarding professionals to share intelligence, assess risk and agree coordinated action plans.
Unlike traditional support services, the team does not operate in a front-facing role and people referred into the process are often unaware that agencies are already working together to safeguard them.
Instead, SET focuses on uncovering hidden harm, supporting frontline professionals, escalating concerns, and ensuring the right agencies take ownership of ongoing safeguarding and support.
The team now manages live exploitation concerns ranging from cuckooing and financial exploitation to domestic servitude, trafficking and criminal exploitation.
During a six-month period between April and September 2025 alone, the team received 246 county referrals, with financial exploitation and cuckooing among the most common concerns identified.
The partnership approach has also delivered tangible results in reducing harm and antisocial behaviour linked to exploitation.
In several cuckooing cases, incidents reported to authorities dropped from dozens of reports over a matter of months to zero following coordinated intervention from agencies involved in SERAC.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said: “Modern slavery and exploitation are often hidden crimes, with vulnerable people suffering significant abuse behind closed doors and frequently without clear support pathways in place.
“What makes Nottinghamshire’s approach so important is the ability of organisations to come together quickly, share information and take coordinated action to safeguard people who may otherwise remain at serious risk.
“The Slavery Exploitation Team and SERAC demonstrate the value of partnership working in identifying harm, protecting vulnerable people and disrupting exploitation before situations escalate further.
“The fact that other areas are now looking at Nottinghamshire’s model shows the strength of the work taking place here and the commitment of partners to tackling these complex issues together.”
Councillor Matt Shannon, Executive Member for Community Protection, Neighbourhoods and Equalities, said: “We are incredibly proud of the Nottingham City Council Slavery Exploitation Team and all the partners involved in helping to develop a model that is now shaping wider conversations nationally around tackling exploitation, trafficking and safeguarding vulnerable people.
"The Slavery Exploitation Team was developed by Nottingham City Council in response to growing concerns around hidden harm and exploitation. The team's work alongside partners across Nottinghamshire has been genuinely pioneering.
“This work is making a real difference to vulnerable people by helping agencies identify exploitation earlier, intervene more effectively and ensure people get the support they need to protect them from serious harm. The national recognition that the team is receiving is a testament to the dedication, expertise and partnership working that has gone into developing it over a number of years."
The team’s work has attracted national recognition in recent years, including being referenced in academic research by The Rights Lab at the University of Nottingham and highlighted within the Local Government Association’s national guide on tackling modern slavery.
SET has also delivered training to nearly 1,200 frontline professionals since October 2024, helping agencies across Nottinghamshire better recognise the signs of exploitation and understand referral pathways.
Mike Hill, Chair of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Modern Slavery Partnership said: “The work delivered by the SET and SERAC has been truly transformational.
“The approach has strengthened multi-agency collaboration resulting in improved victim identification, enhanced support pathways, and increased awareness countywide.”
Work is now ongoing to explore how Nottinghamshire’s partnership-led approach could help inform responses to exploitation and modern slavery in other parts of the country.
Tackling serious violence and exploitation are key targets in the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan and throughout Op Sceptre Week, we’re highlighting this service and others.