Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 section 38: consultation analysis

Annex 1: Victim and Survivor Questionnaire

The Scottish Government developed a questionnaire with support providers to seek views from victims and survivors who were currently in the NRM or had been through this process.  This approach was taken to alleviate, or confirm, one of the risks identified during the consultation process: that victims may be reluctant to seek access to support, particularly medical care and treatment, if they knew that their details were being passed to the Police.

The text of the questionnaire and responses are below.  Responses were provided on an anonymous basis from clients receiving support from TARA, Migrant Help and JustRight Scotland.

The Scottish Government would like to find out what you think about people like social workers, paramedics, prison officers and the fire service passing on information to the Police about you and the situation you were found in.

If you do not consent to your personal details being passed on this can be done anonymously.

Question 1:

If you were trapped in a situation would you wish anonymous information about you to be passed on to the Police so that they could try and help you out of that situation?

Yes	30
No	0
Total	30

Question 2:

We think it should be part of someone’s job to tell the Police about someone who might be a victim of human trafficking and exploitation.  Do you think the people below should pass information on if they have concerns about someone?

	Yes	No	Total
Social workers	34	0	34
Prison officers	22	3	25
Firefighter	26	5	31
Paramedics	30	3	33
Teachers	27	5	32
Medical staff in hospitals	33	1	34

Question 3:

We would also like to encourage people like GPs, pharmacists and dentists to tell the Police about someone who might be a victim of human trafficking and exploitation.

Do you think GPs, pharmacists and dentists should pass information on if they have concerns about someone?

	Yes	No	Total
GPs	34	1	35
Pharmacists	32	0	32
Dentists	28	2	30

Question 4:

Would it have stopped you talking to these people or seeking help from them if you knew anonymous information was going to be passed on to the Police about you?

Yes	4
No	14
No definitive answer	6
Total	24

Question 5:

Can you think of anyone else that should pass information on to the Police if they are concerned about the situation you are in?

Yes	17
No	4
No definitive answer	4
Total	25

Question 6:

Do you agree that the information below should be passed onto the Police?

	Yes	No	Total
Your sex	32	1	33
Your age	34	0	34
Where you come from	33	1	34
Where you were found	35	0	35
What happened to you	33	0	33
If you’ve spoken to the Police already	25	2	27
If there is anyone else involved	19	6	25

Question 7:

Do you think there is any other information about you or other people that should be shared with the Police?

Yes	21
No	4
Total	25

Question 8:

When the Police receive this information it will help them to understand better what you have experienced and where criminals are exploiting vulnerable groups and individuals like you in Scotland.

Once the Police have this information we would like them to tell other people so that the right support and assistance can be offered to other victims and so that the Police can investigate if someone is committing a crime and try to stop them.

We hope that the information that the Police receive will help us know more about how big a problem human trafficking is in Scotland and if there are any specific areas or communities where we need to do more to help people like you and disrupt criminal behaviour.

Who do you think the Police should tell about people like you?

Yes	8
No	0
Don’t know	3
Total	11

Question 9:

We would like to know if it would have stopped you seeking help from TARA, Migrant Help and the Anchor Service if you knew anonymous information was going to be passed to the Police?

Yes	4
No	19
No definitive answer	3
Don’t know	3
Total	29

Question 10:

We would like to know if it would have stopped you seeking help from medical staff if you knew anonymous information was going to be passed to the Police?

Yes	7
No	19
No definitive answer	2
Don’t know	1
Total	29