The following e-learning module is intended to help frontline professionals identify and refer presumed victims of human trafficking. This course will give an overview of the different types of human trafficking and will share tools to help workers identify and refer presumed victims.

Introduction

In recent years, European Union countries have seen an unprecedented influx of migrants and refugees across their borders. In 2015 alone, 1,046,599 people irregularly entered EU countries - mainly Syrian, Iraqi and Afghani migrants and refugees fleeing conflicts in their home countries.

For people working in law enforcement, social services, border control and other frontline positions, this situation has been overwhelming. There are simply too many procedures to carry out to process incoming migrants and not enough time.

As a result, many problems that we would normally consider emergencies go unnoticed among migrant and refugee populations, including health problems, safety risks, child safeguarding issues, criminal activities and human trafficking.

In this course, we will focus specifically on the problem of human trafficking among migrant and refugee populations, and what frontline responders can do to quickly and effectively identify and refer presumed victims of trafficking - and prevent abuse.

Modules

This course is divided into a number of micro-learning modules designed to be completed in one sitting. If you are new to this subject, we recommend completing the modules in sequence. Otherwise, you may view them in any order you wish and return to them as needed for reference.

• Human Trafficking and Migration
  
• Types of Trafficking and Related Issues
  
• how to Identify Presumed Victims of Trafficking
  
• How to refer presumed victims of trafficking
  

The increased movement of children and families across Europe, the heightened vulnerabilities associated with this, and the variation in official and unofficial responses suggests the need for more consistent training among social workers and NGOs working with families on the move.

This e-learning module has been designed to help professionals and students understand the challenging policy and practical environments in which social workers and NGO staff must operate. It addresses the complexity of working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds with a variety of needs.

Learning Outcomes

• Describe international policy and practice frameworks relating to children on the move and the obligations they place on the member states
• Describe the main elements of the asylum process and reflect upon the role of professionals within this system
• Consider and appraise the practical issues facing professionals whose role it is to assess and support families on the move
• Understand and reflect upon the issues faced by families on the move
• Analyse and appraise the challenges of transnational child protection work.

This e-learning module is part of a wider Erasmus+ funded project in which colleagues from the Universtiy of Tirana, New Bulgaria University, University of Prishtina, University of Bucharest, University of Belgrade, State Pedagogical University of Chisinau, in partnership with Terre des hommes and the Universities of Kent and Stirling (UK), collaboratively developed child protection modules for qualifying social work programmes in each of the partner countries.

The Erasmus+ project ran from 2015 to 2018, and identified five core modules for which we developed training and educational materials to provide consistency of content, improving quality of teaching and assessment, enhance student learning and development, and ultimately, improve outcomes for children.

This e-learning module is the product of a collaborative process that builds upon the knowledge of the project partners, social work practitioners and academics included in this Erasmus+ project. It is available as a "stand-alone" resource for universities and organisations across the world. It poses questions and provides brief, prompt answers.

For further background on this subject we suggest reading:
Sarkin, J (2017). Respecting and protecting the lives of migrants and refugees: the need for a human rights approach to save lives and find missing persons. The International Journal for Human Rights. 22 (2), p 207-236

The development of this online learning course was financially supported by the European Union's Erasmus+ program.

This course is specifically for those professionals involved with assessments of a child’s safety and wellbeing. It may also be of interest to those wanting a broader understanding of assessments and how they support other efforts to protect children.

It is worth noting that some organizations and countries use other words to denote ‘assessment’, such as: ‘social report’, ‘social enquiry’ or ‘case study’.

Outcomes:

By the end of the course, participants should:

• Recognise the value of making an assessment, and the different types of assessments that may be carried out in connection with chid protection
• Understand the ethical considerations that need to be ensured throughout the assessment process
• Identify ways of promoting the meaningful participation of children and families
• Know the four key steps in an assessment process
• Identify the appropriate sources of information on which to base an assessment
• Be able to identify risk factors, strengths and protective factors
• Be able to Identify the main forms of abuse, symptoms and manifestations
• Appreciate the links between risk and vulnerability in terms of managing risk
• Understand the importance of analysing information, and have a model for doing so in a structured way.

This course is comprised of SIX modules which can be completed at your own pace; you do not need to complete all six modules at one time. After completing the modules you can take a short test that if you successfully complete, will allow you to receive a downloadable certificate of completion of the course. 

The six modules are:

Module 1: Introduction to Assessment
Module 2: Steps in the Assessment Process
Module 3: Dimensions to be Assessed
Module 4: Understanding & Assessing risk
Module 5: Analysing Information
Module 6: Skills for Assessment

Each module is self-directed using a variety of exercises, such as quizzes and case studies.  Links are provided for additional information and resources. In total, the course should take approximately 6–8 hours to complete.

PLEASE NOTE: When taking these modules, it is important that you complete every task fully. All links must be followed, and actions must be undertaken. If you miss some items, the module will not be marked as complete.

Welcome to this online training course on multidisciplinary approaches to child abuse.

This training is designed for professionals working in multidisciplinary teams within the field of child protection against abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation. 

Such professionals may include:

• Social workers
• Child Protection Workers
• Psychologists
• Staff working in children’s NGOs
• Counsellors
• Coordinators working in the field of domestic violence
• Staff working in residential institutions for children
• School Psychologists
• Doctors and Nurses
• Teachers
• Police Officers specialising in domestic violence or children's issues
• Lawyers and prosecutors
• Judges

This course may also provide valuable background information to other allies, such as inspectors of social services and policy.

The course take roughly two hours to complete, although it does not need to be done in one session or sequentially.