Human Trafficking Foundation Newsletter 12th October

Posted on 20 October 2022

Advisory Forum Newsletter This newsletter is an opportunity for Human Trafficking Foundation (HTF) Forum members to publicise events, projects, research, campaigns and job opportunities. You can see recordings or download minutes of our previous online events here.  This newsletter goes out to over 1300 individuals working in anti-trafficking. To share information for the newsletter, please contact [email protected]     Reports & Publications Abuse by the System: Survivors of Trafficking in Immigration Detention Report The Helen Bamber Foundation have published a report with ATELU, FLEX and Medical Justice examining the number of survivors of trafficking being held in immigration detention and the impact this has. The report provides an overview of the legal and policy basis for how and why survivors of trafficking are placed in immigration detention only to be released again and how this has worsened following the inclusion of victims and potential victims of trafficking in the Adults at Risk policy. Improving Transparency in Supply Chains: Modern Slavery Bill Briefing  A new Modern Slavery Bill presents a significant opportunity for the UK Government to implement its outstanding commitments in relation to strengthening Transparency in Supply Chains; commitments it has made in response to recent Governmental and Parliamentary inquiries. This Rights Lab’s latest briefing sets out these commitments in detail. The Bill will also provide an opportunity for the UK to improve the way in which it supports and protects modern slavery victims. The new Victim Care Contract, introduced in 2021, goes some way to improving the UK’s response, however there is more to be done to ensure we meet international obligations. Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft Victims Bill The Justice Committee has published a report on its pre-legislative scrutiny of the Government’s draft Victims Bill, finding that it will have limited effect on police and other agencies’ delivery of victims’ rights. The cross-party Committee points to flaws in the way “victims” are defined, a lack of enforcement powers, and the need for additional resources for the Bill’s proposals to be effective, particularly around victim liaison and counselling. It also finds that the sharing of victims’ immigration status by the police with the Home Office acts as a barrier to justice and calls for the practice to end.  Contextual Safeguarding Toolkit  The University of Bedfordshire and Durham University have launched their Scale-Up Toolkit which consists of supportive resources for practitioners and leaders to develop contextual approaches to extra-familial harm and create a contextual safeguarding system to respond to harm happening in contexts beyond the home. The resources cover system change, engaging young people, multi-agency panels, peers, schools and responses and outcomes.  National Referral Mechanism Data Analysis Briefing IOM UK have published an analysis for National Referral Mechanism data on potential victims of modern slavery for Quarter 4 in 2021. This briefing notes that 435 days was the median waiting time for a Conclusive Grounds decision during this period, while more than 200 people waited over 1,000 days for a decision. Read the briefing here.     Announcements Modern Slavery and Cognitive Disability Study Survey HTF and The Snowdrop Project are coordinating a working group to bring together expertise on supporting survivors of modern slavery with cognitive disabilities. The working group is developing a toolkit for frontline practitioners with the aim of improving service provisions for survivors with cognitive impairments. This short questionnaire has been created to understand the experience of professionals involved in the prevention, identification and support of people who have been trafficked who also have diagnosed or suspected cognitive disability and will help to inform the toolkit. The survey can be found here and takes 10-12 minutes to complete.  Coalition to Stop Slavery Anti-Slavery Day Request If there’s one thing you do for Anti-Slavery Day on Tuesday, please make sure you get behind the new public awareness-raising campaign from the 17 charities that make up the Coalition to Stop Slavery. Please follow the Coalition social media and share their posts, including a brilliant new advert about car washes, on: Instagram: stopslavery_co  Facebook: endallexploitation  Twitter: @StopSlavery_Co Sign the new petition urging the Government to ban the import of products tainted by modern slavery. Find out more and sign the petition here.     Events & Training New Research into Trafficking from Ukraine Webinar Following extensive interviews with experts across Europe, STOP THE TRAFFIK has released new research into patterns of migration and trafficking for those fleeing Ukraine. STOP THE TRAFFIK has put together pamphlets offering insights and advice for NGOs and businesses on measures they can implement to prevent human trafficking or mitigate its impacts. To help raise awareness of the findings and recommendations, STOP THE TRAFFIK, in partnership with Commonweal Housing, is running a 1-hour webinar and workshop to offer businesses and NGOs additional insights and answer potential questions. 18th October at 11am. Find out more and sign up here Bridging the Digital Gap Online Panel Discussion  IOM UK is hosting an online panel discussion on the importance of bridging the digital gap to better support adults with lived experience of modern slavery in the UK. The discussion will explore the benefits and ethical challenges of providing access to technology to adults with lived experience of modern slavery. The panel will also be joined by a member of the Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre team who will discuss the policy implications of the research. The event will take place on 19th October at 12.30pm, sign up here. Ending the Slavery of Migrant Domestic Workers Roundtable To commemorate anti-slavery day The Voice of Domestic Workers are inviting you to a roundtable discussion hosted by Jess Phillips MP to discuss what must be done to end modern slavery of migrant domestic workers. IPU Room, Westminster Hall, UK Parliament 19th October 1pm. Register for your free place here. Use of Language & Child Exploitation Webinar  The NWG Exploitation Network is hosting an online webinar exploring victim blaming language and terminology used around the exploitation of children and young people. This webinar will consider how we can accurately and sensitively record and report on victim experiences and aims to share practice between agencies and to explore ways in which we can develop the language we use. 19th October 10am, sign up here. Modern Slavery Scorecard for Local Authorities Launch Join The Shiva Foundation for the launch of their Self-Assessment Scorecard, designed specifically for local authorities to mitigate the risk of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. An accompanying guide has also been created, providing tiered signposting to further resources, templates and frameworks allowing users to embed best practice across their work. The launch event will be taking place 6pm 17th November at Middle Eight Hotel in Holborn. There is also an option to attend online. Register here.      Vacancies Modern Slavery PEC Vacancy The Modern Slavery PEC is looking for a Lived Experience Coordinator to join the team.This is a new opportunity for someone with lived experience to bring their wealth of knowledge and expertise of Modern Slavery into a professional working environment. No prior office experience is necessary to apply. For more information about the job role and details on how you can apply visit the Modern Slavery PEC website. Applications close 30th October 11:55pm. Medaille Trust Vacancies The Medaille Trust is looking to hire for a range of positions across the country. The Medaille Trust is one of the largest provider of supported safe house beds for victims of modern slavery in the UK. Find out more about vacancies at the Medaille Trust on their website here.     HTF Resources HTF’s Survivor Hub  Survivor advocates and HTF have created an online Survivor Hub, a place for survivors to find opportunities for work and paid research participation, to find resources on education, housing support, the NRM, mental health support and includes directories of support providers and legal advisors across the country. Please share this widely in your networks. If your organisation has resources or opportunities that you would like included please email [email protected] London Directory of Services  HTF has created a Directory of Services, bringing together details of support agencies for survivors of modern slavery across London. The Directory is a live document, with more organisations added all the time. Access it now on our website under resources. If there is an organisation you think should be included, or to amend any information please email [email protected]. 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 email jasmine@humantraffickingfoundation.org  London Modern Slavery SPOC Directory  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. Please contact [email protected] to request a copy of the directory.