Process vs protection: Evaluating devolved child National Referral Mechanism decision-making pilots

Abstract

The Home Office has funded certain local authorities across the United Kingdom to pilot devolved National Referral Mechanism (NRM) decision-making for child victims of modern slavery. Drawing on first-hand interviews with practitioners and supported by freedom of information data and existing literature, this article examines whether devolving decision-making powers to local authorities has improved responses to child exploitation. The findings highlight three key benefits of the pilots: quicker decision-making, improved awareness of the NRM, and enhanced multi-agency collaboration. At the same time, participants raised significant concerns that mirror long-standing critiques of the child NRM process. These included the limited practical value of NRM decisions for many children, especially British nationals; disparities in outcomes depending on a child's background; and safeguarding limitations that mean positive NRM decisions do not necessarily result in protection from ongoing exploitation. The research suggests that while devolved decision-making may improve processes around the NRM, it does less to address structural weaknesses in how the system supports children. The discussion situates these findings within routine activity theory and contextual safeguarding, arguing that an effective child NRM referral must not only involve quick decision-making, but must also strengthen the protective contexts around children and reduce opportunities for exploitation.