Human Trafficking Foundation Newsletter-21st February

Posted on 27 February 2024

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 fortnightly newsletter goes out to over 1,500 individuals working in anti-trafficking. To share information for the newsletter, please contact [email protected].     Announcements   Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner: Strategic Plan Stakeholder Survey The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) is in the process of developing a Strategic Plan in line with the IASC’s function set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The IASC is conducting a survey to gain insights from the anti-trafficking sector to feed into the development of this Plan. Fill out the survey here. Deadline: 5th March.  Updates to Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance Increase in some financial support rates Changes to the Guidance published on 8th January includes clarity that the Essential Living Rate provided through the NRM is not payable to victims who have too much income to be eligible for Universal Credit and the Recovery Rate is not payable to individuals who receive a negative Conclusive Grounds decision or a Public Order Disqualification. Changes to the reconsideration policy Changes to the reconsideration policy in the NRM came into effect on 12th February. It states that individuals will only be allowed one reconsideration request of either a Reasonable Grounds decision or Conclusive Grounds decision. An individual must also make the request within 30 calendar days of the decision. Updates to the Independent Child Guardianship (ICTG) Service  As a result of work by the government to review funding commitments, it was decided to support a revised model of the ICTG service. The revised model will focus on a needs-based hybrid service for children receiving direct support by delivering a combination of face-to-face and remote sessions based on a child’s vulnerability factors. The delivery of indirect work will remain the same.     Reports and Publications Hostility for Survivors, Impunity for Traffickers: How the hostile environment enables modern slavery Hope for Justice have published a new report that outlines how recent legislation in the UK has “created barriers to identifying survivors of modern slavery, limited access to support services, and generated a hostile environment which risks exacerbating.” The report contains recommendations to enhance protection, including a change in the governance structure of modern slavery policy. Read the report here. Do-No-Harm: Business & Human Rights in Transplantation Medicine Organ trafficking and forced organ harvesting is a rising global issue. Transplant professionals and institutions who engage in research partnerships in regions where organ trafficking is taking place, or who provide funding, equipment or training, may be at risk of unintentional complicity. Global Rights Compliance has published a ‘world’s first’ Legal Advisory Report and Policy Guidance that outlines the risks involved and the due diligence steps needed. Read the Guidance here and watch a video that provides an overview of it here. Criminal Exploitiation: Modern Slavery by Another Name  The Centre for Social Justice has published a new report that examines the impact of criminal exploitation on individual victims and beyond, reaching their families, neighbours and wider communities. Findings from the report show that deprived communities and vulnerable people are most affected, and factors such as substance misuse, family circumstances, learning disabilities, school exclusion or financial deprivation put people at greater risk as criminals use them to coerce their victims. Read the report here.  National Framework for Independent Modern Slavery Advocates The Snowdrop Project, British Red Cross, Hope for Justice and Bakhita Centre for Research, together with consultants with lived experience of modern slavery have published the Executive Summary, National Framework for IMSAs, 2024. This is a significant step in the IMSA Model Development, which seeks to address a critical gap in the response to adult survivors of modern slavery in the UK, by providing an accredited model for independent advocacy. You can read more about the project here. The Framework has been informed by the data gathered through extensive consultation with stakeholders from across the UK. An independent evaluation of the first stage of the IMSA Model can be found here. MSOIC Unit Investigations Overview October 2023 The Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit have published their Non-LEA Overview of Live Modern Slavery Investigations in UK Policing.The document covers data for January 2024. Read the document here.     Events & Training Knowledge Sharing Sessions The Human Trafficking Foundation is hosting a series of Knowledge Sharing sessions for the anti-slavery sector. The Knowledge Sharing sessions differ from the HTF Advisory Forums by solely having one organisation speaking on a specific topic. We will continue to add events to the series. The up to date series can be found on our website here. Please click the links below for more information on the upcoming sessions and to sign up:  Public Order Disqualifications 27th February 11am-12pm  Spiritual and Ritual Abuse, Including Accusations of Witchcraft 13th March 10am-11am Working with Interpreters 24th April 12pm-1pm  Identification Insights for First Responders 23rd May 12pm-1pm  Homelessness and Modern Slavery 18th September 12pm-1pm If you have a topic of expertise that you would like to share with the sector, or if there is a topic that you would like to learn about, please contact [email protected]. How are the Illegal Migration Act and the Safety of Rwanda Bill supposed to work in practice? This webinar, presented by Garden Court Chambers, will examine how the Illegal Migration Act and Safety of Rwanda Bill are supposed to work in practice, what they would do to the UK asylum system and how they would be experienced by those seeking protection. It will cover the duty to remove, the ban on injunctions, the disapplication of human rights law, serious irreversible harm appeals and detention powers. 5th March 11am-12pm. Find out more and sign up here.  Securing Long-Term Suitable Housing for Survivors of Modern Slavery Hosted by the Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set Community of Practice (MS-CoP), this event will explore recent research, current challenges and solutions for appropriate housing, highlighting the Passage’s Multi-Agency Case Conference (MACC) approach with councils. Secure and appropriate housing is an MSCOS Core Outcome which is consistently described by survivors as an urgent need to be addressed. 20th March 10.30am-12.30pm. More information and register here.  County Lines Through Lived Lens: Safeguarders Many – Safeguards None Hosted by Stop and Prevent Adolescent Criminal Exploitation (SPACE), this event is aimed at Strategic Leads in Policing, Local Authorities and the charity sector but beneficial for all sector professionals encountering County Lines and criminally exploited young people. It will provide a range of parent and professional perspectives, and provide learning on where gaps and pitfalls lie in the response to victims and families. 22 March 9.00am-4.30pm. More information and sign up here.  International Women’s Day Event: Exploitation of Migrant Female Workers in The UK’s Health and Social Care Sector: A New Slavery? The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network (BASNET) is holding an online event on 13 March 11am-1pm to explore the growing problem of the exploitation of female migrant workers in the health, domiciliary and social care sectors, under different government health and social care work visa schemes. Find out more and sign up here.      Vacancies ATLEU Vacancy: Activism and Engagement Manager – Lived  Experience (Maternity Cover) ATLEU offer legal advice and support to survivors, or professionals working with survivors, of trafficking and slavery in England and Wales. They are recruiting for an inclusive, creative, talented facilitator, with exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills to provide maternity cover for 12 months in the role of Activism and Engagement Manager (Lived Experience). Deadline: 5th March. Find out more and apply here.  The Medaille Trust Vacancy The Medaille Trust provides frontline support to survivors of modern slavery through safe housing, community awareness projects and partnerships with local authorities and law enforcement. They are recruiting for a Modern Slavery Case Worker in Halton. Deadline: 18th March. Find out more and apply here.      HTF Resources   Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) Consultancy Ready to take your anti-trafficking efforts to new heights? The Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) was established to ensure the expertise of those with lived-experience is embedded in the work of the anti-trafficking sector and is made up of independent consultants who co-work with HTF. LEAP can offer the development and delivery of training, provide expert advice on policy documents, and more. Find out more here and submit a request for LEAP consultancy.  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]. HTF’s Emergency Support Fund The Human Trafficking Foundation’s Trafficking Emergency Support Fund is available to help victims of human trafficking and modern slavery with small one-off grants to meet their immediate needs when no other sources of funding are available. If you are a support worker, you can see guidelines and complete an application form here on behalf of your client and email it to [email protected]. 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 gain access or to make any amendments. 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 [email protected].