News & Updates

HTF Advisory Forum Newsletter 6th July

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Advisory Forum Newsletter

This newsletter is an opportunity for Human Trafficking Foundation (HTF) Forum members to publicise events, projects, research, campaigns and job opportunities.
Our Covid-19 resources webpage will continue to be updated to support organisations in managing new challenges arising from the pandemic.

To share information for the webpage or newsletter, please contact [email protected].

Upcoming HTF online forum meetings

HTF is continuing to host its regular online forum meetings, initially convened in response to the coronavirus outbreak. As the country comes out of lockdown, we will use this forum to hear from a variety of experts and to discuss wider topics that impact the sector.

If you would like to share any thoughts on this forum, would like to present at the forum or have ideas for future topics you feel we should discuss, please contact [email protected].

Upcoming dates and registration:
9 July, 2-4pm – Covid and preparing for the ‘new normal’ (register here to receive the call details.) Please download the agenda here.

23 July, 2-4pm – Equality & Diversity in the Anti-trafficking Sector in partnership with BASNET. Please register for this event here.

Report: Brexit and Modern Slavery – impacts on the UK’s legal frameworks for workers in supply chains

This report from Nottingham Rights Lab provides key insights into the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU). Specifically, the report examines EU directives that protect against labour exploitation, and the extent to which they have been incorporated into UK law. Download here.

Lumos report: Cracks in the system

For many years, it has been known that traffickers directly target children in the care systems of many countries for recruitment into trafficking and that care leavers are at increased risk of exploitation. Despite this, laws and policies across Europe seldom connect the issues of child institutionalisation and child trafficking.

This new report systematically explores the links between institutional care and child trafficking in Europe and provides recommendations on how to address this specific vulnerability to exploitation. Read here.

Legal challenge leads to changes to financial support rates provided by the modern slavery Victim Care Contract

Following a legal challenge from Duncan Lewis, the Secretary of State for the Home Department has conceded and agreed to change the financial support rates provided by the modern slavery Victim Care Contract, as of 1 July. Details here.

Call for Evidence: EU Settlement Scheme

The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration David Bolt is about to begin a further inspection of how the EU Settlement Scheme is working, particularly for vulnerable groups, such as children under local authority care, victims of domestic violence or of modern slavery, and those who are digitally or socially excluded and hardest to reach.

He is keen to hear from individuals who have applied or are yet to apply, and from anyone who has provided assistance to applicants, including organisations who have worked with the Home Office to support the Scheme. Please contact him with details of:
•    what is working well and why, with examples (“success stories”)
•    what is not working, practical difficulties, concerns and recommendations
•    the consistency and usefulness of advice received from the Home Office
•    the lived experiences of vulnerable individuals and groups
•    factors preventing individuals from applying or delaying the progress of applications
•    the support, including funding, training and guidance, provided by the Home Office to those assisting applicants

Please email your submission to the Chief Inspector at [email protected].

Free Webinar: Human Trafficking and COVID-19: What Next? (14 July)

On Tuesday 14 July at 4pm the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) is convening a webinar on the topic of ‘Human Trafficking and COVID-19: What Next?’. This event will explore solutions moving forward and will query how governments, international organisations, NGOs and the global anti-trafficking movement will continue their work, what solutions can be found and how the global fight against trafficking is likely to look in a post-COVID-19 world. Details here.

How COVID-19 is affecting Survivor Alliance UK members

This document includes information from Survivor Alliance members who reside in the UK, detailing how different aspects of their lives have been impacted by Covid-19. Download here.

HERA summer school update

Due to the current circumstances, the HERA UK summer school will not be taking place this year. However, they are creating the HERA Online Learning platform, which will enable distance and virtual learning. Service users will be able to access these learning materials anytime, anywhere; it will cover Business and Personal Development, and women will be able to access this unique programme for women survivors of human trafficking, slavery and exploitation .

Vacancy: Independent Modern Slavery Advocate

Hope for Justice are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic professional to provide specialist advocacy and advice to survivors of modern slavery. Apply here by Wednesday 22nd July.

Vacancy: Paralegal/Caseworker at ATLEU

This full-time role involves providing public law and housing advice and representation to survivors of trafficking and slavery under a legal aid contract. The role is for someone who has a passion for law, is looking to progress quickly and has an appetite to learn how the law can be used to improve the lives of survivors of trafficking. Deadline: 20 July. Details here.

Anti-Trafficking Covid-19 Google group

HTF’s email platform to support the anti-trafficking sector’s response to Covid-19 provides a shared forum to ask questions and share examples of best practice, resources, updates, etc. with one another.
To access the platform, please subscribe by entering your email address using the following link:
https://groups.google.com/a/humantraffickingfoundation.org/group/covid-19/subscribe  

Victim Support MSSIG Information-Gathering 

The MSSIG (Modern Slavery Strategy Implementation Group) Victim Support sub-group have been submitting questions to the Modern Slavery Unit (MSU) in the Home Office to support their understanding of the impact of the pandemic on survivors and support providers.

The MSU policy team has been reviewing the questions and where possible has been sharing responses in their newsletter. Questions submitted and any answers provided have been recorded on two documents found here.

Please contact [email protected] and/or [email protected] if you would like to raise any additional questions for the Home Office Modern Slavery Unit to consider.

Survivor Support Emergency Fund

The Human Trafficking Foundation established the fund with a grant from the Vandervell Foundation. We supplement this with funding from other supporters.

The fund is available to help survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery with small one-off grants to meet their immediate needs when no other sources of funding are available. Further information including how to apply is available on our website.

HTF: Mapping Survivor Support Services

Our map of UK survivor support services aims to be a useful tool for people working with survivors to see what services are available in their area. View the map here.

If your organisation provides support of any kind to survivors of trafficking and would like to be added to the map, please complete the surveys which relate to your organisation’s work: Accommodation, Post-Identification Casework, Outreach Support and/or Individual Advocacy, Drop-in Services, Legal Advice – Legal Aid, Legal Advice – Non-Legal Aid, Specialist Psychological or Therapeutic Support, and Vocational Training or Education.

Please email [email protected] for further information.

London Modern Slavery SPOC Directory 2019-2020

The Human Trafficking Foundation has been working with local authorities in the Greater London area to support the development of their response to modern slavery and human trafficking.

As part of this, we produce an annual directory of modern slavery Single Points of Contact/Champions in statutory authorities across London including representatives within the NHS, police and local authorities. The updated 2019-2020 directory is now available. Please contact rachel@humantraffickingfoundation.org to request a copy of the directory.