HTF Advisory Forum Newsletter 5th March

Posted on 10 March 2025

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 events here.  This fortnightly newsletter goes out to over 1,600 individuals working in anti-trafficking. To share information for the newsletter, please contact [email protected].     Announcements National Referral Mechanism Statistics This ad hoc statistical release provides an update with the latest available Home Office data as of 17th February 2025. It was published to enable the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls to use the latest conclusive grounds statistics to update stakeholders at a number of key events including at the Human Trafficking Foundation Advisory Forum. Currently, 15,301 cases are awaiting conclusive grounds decisions, a decrease of 39% when compared to February 2024. The average age of cases awaiting a conclusive grounds decision is 553 days, a decrease of 17% when compared to February 2024. Access the data here. Crime and Policing Bill The Crime and Policing Bill was introduced in Parliament on 25th February 2025. The government has announced that under this new legislation, children and vulnerable people who are exploited by gangs for criminal purposes will receive greater protection. Landmark legislation will be brought forward to ban cuckooing, where criminals seize control of a vulnerable person’s home without consent to conduct illegal activities like drug dealing. There will also be a new regime of civil preventative orders to stop adults from exploiting children. Another new offence will be created against adults who use a child to commit criminal activity. Access the Bill’s factsheet here. Victim Attrition Research London’s Victims’ Commissioner has commissioned research on victim attrition to understand why survivors withdraw from the justice system. Conducted by the Evidence and Insight Team in the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime, the study aims to develop recommendations for better survivor support. The next phase seeks input from survivors through a survey and focus groups to share their experiences and reasons for disengagement. Access the survey here. More information on the focus groups here and email here if you would like to participate in them.     Reports and Publications    Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill The Business and Trade Committee has published a report on the Employment Rights Bill, offering key recommendations to strengthen worker protections. It calls for clearer definitions of zero-hours contracts, fair pay for shift changes, and swift action on worker status classifications to close loopholes. The report also urges the Government to develop an industrial relations strategy, amend the Modern Slavery Act for transparency, and properly fund the Fair Work Agency to enforce rights effectively. Published ahead of the Bill’s next stage in Parliament, the report aims to inform MPs and the public while enabling potential amendments. Read the report here. A Youth Voice Report  Published by The Children’s Society, this report aims to gain insight from young people on how members of the public, businesses, and statutory services respond to children and young people who may be at risk or experiencing exploitation in a range of settings. Between April and August 2024, they carried out 11 consultations across England and Wales. Young people discussed the role of bias, noting that race, gender, and appearance can affect whether an adult chooses to intervene. The report can be accessed here. Hidden Chains and Missing Links: Child Trafficking in Romania This new report by Justice and Care provides a detailed investigation of the hidden scale of child trafficking in Romania. Conducted by the University of Greenwich (London), the research exposes gaps in prevention, awareness, and resources. It highlights how vulnerable children can face significant risks due to poverty, family instability, unchecked social media access, and the normalisation of sexual violence. The study also details the need for urgent, community-driven solutions and targeted interventions to protect Romania’s children from trafficking. Read the report here.     Events & Training. Guidance on Voluntary Return and Reintegration for Survivors of Modern Slavery in the UK Hosted by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), this webinar will mark the close of IOM’s  current project ‘Improving Reintegration Outcomes for Survivors of Modern Slavery in the UK’. The webinar will discuss key project outputs including a guidance document on the return process for UK support organisations, risk assessment templates, and directories of reintegration services available to returning survivors of modern slavery in Albania, Brazil, China, India, Pakistan and Vietnam. Wednesday 26th March 10am-1pm. Thursday 3rd April 10am-1pm. Click on the respective links to join. Responding to Child Exploitation in Wales The Welsh Government and partner organisations are hosting an online workshop focusing on the response to child criminal exploitation (CCE) in Wales. The workshop will consider the nature and scale of CCE in Wales, share best practice in responding to CCE in Wales and reducing the risk of children and young people being exploited, and provide attendees with information about key resources, services, and statutory duties in relation to CCE. This workshop is intended for staff and volunteers at organisations in Wales with a professional interest in CCE. Thursday 27th March 9.45am-12.45pm. Register your place here. Leading Anti-Slavery Initiatives: Women Shaping Meaningful Change To mark International Women’s Day, this event hosted by Unseen will be an opportunity to connect with leading experts and fellow like-minded individuals united by anti-slavery and human rights causes and to hear from experts about the stories behind women who have faced the adversity of modern slavery. Monday 10th March 12.30pm-1.15pm. Register your place here. Unseen Policy & Research Hub Hosted by Unseen and particularly relevant to researchers and funders, this webinar will explore good practice in lived experience co-production, research priorities, and Unseen’s data streams. Monday 17th March 2pm-3pm. Register your place here.     Vacancies ATLEU  The Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (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 a Communications and Public Affairs Officer. (Deadline: 9am Tuesday 18th March). Find out more and apply here.  Bramber Bakehouse  Bramber Bakehouse offer support for female survivors with experience of trauma and exploitation with activities such as baking workshops, wellbeing support, transferable life skills and ongoing support to equip women with skills to move forward. They are currently recruiting for a Finance Officer (Deadline: Monday 10th March). Find out more and apply here. Lived Experience Consultant Opportunities Align Ltd is an ethical consultancy that accelerates the inclusion of experts with lived experience of modern slavery in business and research. They are currently looking for speakers on upcoming events: a webinar on the skilled work visa on Friday 14th March, a conference on modern slavery in the construction industry on Friday 21st March and an event on modern slavery in the retail industry on Tuesday 25th March. If you have relevant lived experience and want to share your insights, click the links to learn more and apply.     HTF Resources   Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) Consultancy 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 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. If you are a support worker, you can see guidelines and complete an online application form here on behalf of your client, if you have any questions please contact [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].

Our mailing address is: Human Trafficking Foundation Blackfriars Settlement, 1 Rushworth Street London SE1 0RB 020 3773 2040 www.humantraffickingfoundation.org