HTF Advisory Forum Newsletter 10th July

Posted on 15 July 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 Human Trafficking Foundation Online Forum on Co-Working Between Lived and Learnt Experience Just one more week to book! HTF and the Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) invites you to attend our upcoming online forum on co-working between lived and learnt experience. The event will be held online on Wednesday 17th July 2-4pm. Speakers include Dr. Yusuf Ciftci (Experts by Experience Employment Initiative), Alan Patrick (LEAP), Jackie Long (Channel 4), Dr. Sian Oram (Kings College London), Mimi Jalmasco (Voice of Domestic Workers). Further speakers to be announced. Book your space here. Nominations Open for Anti-Slavery Day Awards 2024 The Human Trafficking Foundation holds an annual awards ceremony to mark Anti-Slavery Day, supported by Marsh Charitable Trust. We recognise both the work of groups and individuals who fight modern slavery and human trafficking and the vital work of the media in increasing awareness and understanding of the issue. Nominations for both Media Categories (Guidelines here and nomination form here) and Outstanding Contributions to the Fight Against Modern Slavery Categories (Guidelines here and nomination form here)  are now open for 2024. Anyone working to tackle modern slavery or anyone who benefits from the services that an organisation responding to modern slavery provides can submit a nomination. Deadline: Friday 9th August 5pm. Rwanda Scheme Scrapped under New Government  The Safety of Rwanda Act passed on 25th April 2024. It was part of Government measures to reduce “illegal” migration and would allow asylum seekers in the UK to be removed to Rwanda to have their claims decided by the Rwandan government and did not exempt victims of modern slavery. Following the appointment of a new Government last week, the Rwanda Scheme has been scrapped.  ECPAT UK Call to Action on Child Trafficking Every Child Protected Against Trafficking has launched their 10 key priorities for action for the new UK Government to tackle child trafficking and an accompanying briefing detailing this call to action. They are urging the new UK government to take immediate and decisive action to uphold the rights of child victims. Modern Slavery Charities Launch Second Manifesto for Next Government Following on from the manifesto that 13 organisations supporting survivors of modern slavery published calling on the next government to renew the UK’s approach to supporting victims of this crime in its first 100 days, they have published a second manifesto calling for longer term improvements. Recommendations from this manifesto set out future looking proposals from modern slavery experts to help ensure that victims of human trafficking and modern slavery are once again put first. These recommendations are designed to deliver long term transformational changes. Stronger Together’s Tender for Fast Forward Approved Audit Body: Request for Proposals Stronger Together is seeking an experienced social audit firm to support the delivery of Fast Forward audits in the garment, general merchandise, construction and wider sectors in the UK. The objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified social audit firm that can provide comprehensive social auditing services in accordance with the Fast Forward General Regulations and management systems methodology, and to promote ethical practices within the sectors mentioned. More information here. Deadline: Friday 19th July. Hope at Home Looking for More Volunteer Hosts  Hope at Home is a national charity dedicated to training and supporting volunteers to host survivors of modern day slavery and human trafficking. Their hosting scheme provides accommodation by matching survivors of modern slavery with volunteer host households. This is an independent, voluntary, adult to adult living arrangement facilitated by Hope at Home. The scheme is open looking for more volunteer hosts. For more information email here.      Reports and Publications Framing Modern Slavery  Funded by the Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre and led by the University of Oxford, this report is based on a research project aimed at improving the communication of modern slavery in the UK and identifying frames and narratives that would be more effective in increasing the understanding of modern slavery. Some of the findings from the research showed that modern slavery is not a neutral frame, dominant narratives around immigration and crime shape understandings and attitudes to modern slavery, and the term ‘victim’ evokes pity – not empathy – amongst the public and is disempowering for people with lived experience. ‘At what cost?’ – On The Ongoing Harm Caused to Men in RAF Wethersfield The Helen Bamber Foundation and Humans for Rights Network (HFRN) have published a report showing that increasing numbers of men placed in RAF Wethersfield by the Home Office are self-harming and attempting suicide. Six months ago, HFRN and HBF published evidence that the use of the ‘prison-like’ asylum camp at RAF Wethersfield was causing a significant deterioration in the mental and physical health of hundreds of men, many of whom have already experienced great trauma.  DATA: Barely any modern slavery survivors recorded as accessing compensation through the Government’s CICA scheme The Government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme recognises that a payout from the authority will never fully compensate for suffering or loss, but is instead “an acknowledgement of harm and an important gesture of public sympathy.” Under international law, survivors of modern slavery should be able to access compensation schemes for victims of crime. This new report by After Exploitation and Emily Vaughn outlines data that shows survivors of modern slavery rarely have access to this scheme. The Passage Modern Slavery Service Report The Passage Modern Slavery Service Annual Report 2023/24 is now available. Key findings of the report show the number of survivors supported by The Passage in the past year, survivor demographics, and the impact of new legislation on the service. Caritas Bakhita House Impact Report To mark the ninth anniversary of its foundation, Caritas Bakhita House has released its Impact Report. The report was commissioned to investigate the impact of the centre and its services on the lives of former guests, and is based on interviews with 16 women who stayed at the house between 2015 and 2022. HERA’s Journey So Far: 2024 Mid-Year Highlights Hera has published a report outlining their journey so far, including information on seeing their activities grow along with the number of supporters, partners, mentors, and volunteers. The training programme was the 15th hosted in the UK and had 18 women survivors graduate from the three-week course.     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. Please click the links below for more information on the upcoming sessions and to sign up:  Spiritual and Ritual Abuse (Prism Training Ltd) 16th July 12pm-1pm Overseas Domestic Workers (Kalayaan and Voice of Domestic Workers) 1st August 12pm-1pm Defining and Identifying Child Exploitation 30th August 12pm-1pm Homelessness and Modern Slavery (The Passage) 18th September 12pm-1pm Forced Criminal Exploitation: The Legal Context (Southwell & Partners) 21st October 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]. Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking: Prevent and Protect  Hosted by the London Metropolitan University, this hybrid event will include an overview of Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking, types of exploitation, the National Referral Mechanism, spotting the signs of exploitation and how to report any concerns. The event is online and in person at the London Metropolitan University, 166-220 Holloway Road London N7 8DB. Wednesday 24th July 2pm-5pm. Register here.  Exploring a Deeper Understanding of Child Soldiers Everybody Stands Together is hosting an online event exploring the reality of Child Criminal Exploitation. This is a great opportunity to learn from Award Wining, Expert by Experience Consultant Sosa Henkoma, about the challenges faced by children at risk of exploitation and the key steps needed to safeguard effectively. Wednesday 21st August 7-9pm. Register here.      Vacancies The Medaille Trust 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 Senior Modern Slavery Case Worker Assistant in Thanet (Deadline: 10am Thursday 25th July). Find out more and apply here. Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) FLEX work to bring about change by carrying out research, influencing policy, engaging businesses, running training programmes, and working together with workers and other organisations. They are currently recruiting for an Outreach Worker in Northeast Scotland who are Tagalog or Cebuano, Fante, Twi, Tamil, Hindi, or Asante speakers (Deadline: 22nd July), and a Business and Workers Rights Officer (Deadline: 28th July). 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].

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