Consent and the NRM

Consent and the NRM

Consent is required for an adult to be referred to the NRM. In order to give their informed consent, first responders must explain:

  • What the NRM is

  • What support is available through it

  • What the possible outcomes are for an individual being referred to the NRM

It should also be made clear that information may be shared or sought by the SCA from other public authorities, such as the police and local authorities, to gather further evidence on an NRM referral. If the potential victim is under 18, or may be under 18, you should complete a child referral form. Child victims do not have to consent to be referred into the NRM and should be referred to wider child safeguarding processes for support. Click here for more information

Consequences of going through the NRM

As the NRM is part of the Home Office, an individual’s NRM form will stay with them for life. This makes filling in the NRM form correctly incredibly important. Any wrong information could be used against the individual in other immigration applications that they make to the Home Office e.g. asylum claims.

What if an individual does not consent to the NRM?

Some adults may choose not to enter the NRM, this is a valid choice and it should not be influenced by any service providers.

What the individual can do now depends on their status in the UK, if the individual has recourse to public funds, they should be referred to their local authority for safeguarding and support.

If the individual has no recourse to public funds, legal advice should be sought as soon as possible, and referrals to third sector resources specifically for those with no recourse to public funds should be made.