Barnardo's National Counter Trafficking Centre

What Barnardo's National Counter Trafficking Centre does

Barnardo's National Counter Trafficking Centre (NCTC) is a UK-based specialist child protection programme established in 2014 and operated by Barnardo's, the UK's largest children's charity. The organisation runs the Home Office commissioned Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship Service (ICTGS), providing direct trauma-informed support to trafficked children and indirect support to local authorities and foster carers across approximately two-thirds of local authority areas in England and Wales. Its service footprint spans 17 named regions including London, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Wales, and the West Midlands Combined Authorities.

The NCTC combines one-to-one guardianship work (building trusting relationships, advocacy across criminal justice, immigration, and social care systems, and practical guidance on accommodation, health, and education) with workforce training delivered online via Microsoft Teams (NRM Training, Introduction to ICTG Service, Undertaking Journey Work with Children, Awareness Raising Sessions). A self-service Knowledge Hub provides evidence-based resources for social workers, teachers, health workers, police, and foster carers. Outside the 17 covered regions, the organisation refers cases to the Modern Slavery Helpline for 24/7 support.

The business model is government-commissioned grant funding: the NCTC does not charge beneficiaries or local authorities, and operations are funded through a Home Office grant and Barnardo's wider charitable income. The technology layer is modest — a website with referral forms, Microsoft Teams for training delivery, and Microsoft Forms for feedback. The NCTC operates as a programme unit within Barnardo's (charity numbers 216250 and SC037605, company limited by guarantee 61625 England), registered at Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford, with no standalone revenue disclosure.

Name

Barnardo's National Counter Trafficking Centre

Legal name

Barnardo's (registered charity in England No. 216250, registered in Scotland No. SC037605, company limited by guarantee 61625 England)

Website

https://nctc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Barnardo's National Counter Trafficking Centre is a UK charity programme operating the Home Office commissioned Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship Service, providing trauma-informed support to trafficked children and training professionals across two-thirds of local authority areas in England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ilford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grant Funding: The NCTC runs a Home Office funded programme that provides specialist support services for trafficked children. Revenue is derived from government commissioning rather than commercial revenue streams.
2. Charitable Donations: As part of Barnardo's, the NCTC benefits from charitable donations received by the parent organisation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Barnardo's National Counter Trafficking Centre (NCTC) is a specialist programme that delivers the Home Office commissioned Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship Service (ICTGS) across approximately two-thirds of local authority areas in England and Wales. It provides direct trauma-informed support to children who have been trafficked, advocates for them within criminal justice, immigration, and social care systems, and trains professionals to identify and respond to child trafficking.

Product overview

Barnardo's National Counter Trafficking Centre operates as a specialized child protection organization offering a unified service portfolio centered on the Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship Service (ICTGS). The ICTGS is the primary product, a Home Office commissioned guardianship service that provides direct and indirect trauma-informed support to trafficked children across approximately two-thirds of local authority areas in England and Wales. Supporting this core service are training offerings (NRM Training, Introduction to ICTG Service, Journey Work with Children, Awareness Raising Sessions) delivered via Microsoft Teams, a Knowledge Hub for evidence-based learning resources, and referral pathways including the Modern Slavery Helpline. The organization also provides specialized resources on different trafficking types including criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and financial exploitation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship Service (ICTGS) A Home Office commissioned service providing specialist trauma-informed guardianship support to children affected by trafficking across approximately two-thirds of local authority areas in England and Wales. It includes direct support to unaccompanied children and indirect support through advocacy and professional guidance for children with parental responsibility.
• Professional Training Sessions (NRM, ICTG Introduction, Journey Work, Awareness Raising) A suite of online awareness-raising and training sessions delivered via Microsoft Teams for professionals working with trafficked children, covering the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), an introduction to the ICTG Service, journey work with children, and broader modern slavery awareness.
• Knowledge Hub An online resource hub providing evidence-based learning from frontline practice, including news, announcements, and knowledge blogs for professionals supporting trafficked children.
• Signs of Trafficking Resources Educational resources detailing indicators and signs of human trafficking for professionals and concerned individuals, covering exploitation types such as criminal, sexual, domestic servitude, and financial exploitation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Covering 2/3rds of local authority areas in England and Wales

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Modern Slavery HelplineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFor those outside NCTC's local authority coverage areas, referrals are directed to the Modern Slavery Helpline for 24/7 support and guidance.
• Local Authorities in England and WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCTC works in partnership with local authorities across 17 regions in England and Wales to deliver the ICTG Service, supporting children in the care system who have been trafficked.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ECPAT UK: UK branch of ECPAT International, focused on child trafficking and exploitation. Engages in policy advocacy, professional training, and research that closely mirrors NCTC's Knowledge Hub and policy-facing work.
• Refugee Council: Provides advice and support to asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, including unaccompanied minors. Works in overlapping local-authority areas and serves similar beneficiary cohorts to NCTC's ICTGS service.
• Anti-Slavery International: The world's oldest anti-slavery organisation. Engages in policy, advocacy and direct victim support around modern slavery, including child trafficking, complementing NCTC's frontline guardianship with broader systemic influence.
• Hope for Justice: International anti-trafficking organisation active in the UK, providing direct victim support and professional training. Overlaps with NCTC on modern slavery victim identification and rehabilitation services.
• The Children's Society: UK charity focused on disadvantaged children, including young victims of exploitation and trafficking. Operates the County Lines and exploitation programmes that compete with NCTC for local-authority contracts and refer overlapping beneficiary populations.
• Missing People: UK charity supporting missing children and adults, including those at risk of trafficking and exploitation. Runs a 24/7 helpline and family support services that intersect with NCTC's guardianship and referral pathways.

Broad incumbents

• NSPCC: The UK's leading children's charity. NSPCC runs parallel child protection services, helplines, and professional training programmes that overlap with NCTC's mission of safeguarding vulnerable children, including those at risk of exploitation.
• UNICEF UK: UK arm of UNICEF, running child rights advocacy and child protection programmes. Engages in trafficking-related policy and programme work that parallels NCTC's professional training and awareness-raising agenda.

Emerging players

• Safe Passage: UK charity helping unaccompanied refugee and trafficked children access legal protection and reunite with family. Focuses on the legal rights and immigration advocacy dimensions of NCTC's broader guardianship role.
• Modern Slavery Helpline: 24/7 helpline for reporting and supporting modern slavery victims. Acts as NCTC's referral partner outside its coverage areas, making it both a complementary service provider and partial substitute for NCTC in uncovered regions.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barnardo-s-national-counter-trafficking-centre
• Xx.com/Barnardos_UK

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Barnardo's National Counter Trafficking Centre