Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre’s Post

NEW RESEARCH! Children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) are at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation due to gaps in policies and little recognition of their vulnerability. Opportunities to protect children and young people with SEND from being groomed and exploited in what amounts to modern slavery are being missed by services meant to protect them because of the lack of funding, of little recognition of their vulnerability in the official guidance, and of the strategic approach to prevent it. ➡ Many children are waiting years for recognition of their needs, diagnosis and the right support. ➡ This leads to isolation, segregation within or being excluded from school, and periods of missing, exposing children to greater risks of grooming and exploitation. ➡ Despite the parents’ desperate efforts to get support, this is leading to devasting consequences such as attempts by children to take their own lives and self-harm, enforced house moves and children placed away from home. Many families are living in fear of violence and with intense levels of stress, sometimes leading to family breakdown. The research was carried out by The Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Portsmouth, in partnership with Portsmouth City Council, and funded by the Modern Slavery PEC, which in turn is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Read the full story on our website at https://lnkd.in/es-H9kyD

TODAY - LUNCHTIME SEMINAR! Last chance to sign up to our lunchtime seminar: 🖼️ Framing modern slavery – how to talk about modern slavery to improve its public understanding in the UK. 📅 Today (Thursday 17 Oct), 12.30 (UK time) Marking this year’s Anti-Slavery Day, James Robertson, an Associate at PIRC, will share the findings of the research aimed to develop narratives and frames’ that could be more effective at increasing the understanding of modern slavery amongst the British public. He will also share practical tips on what to think about when communicating about modern slavery, Sign up below: https://lnkd.in/eHFD8HK7

Congratulations to Jane Lasonder for winning the 'Outstanding Contribution to the fight against modern slavery' award in the ‘Empowering survivor voices’ category at the The Human Trafficking Foundation's annual Anti-Slavery Awards last night in the Parliament! We are proud to be able to work with Jane as a member of our Lived Experience Advisory Panel and enjoy her excellent expertise and big contributions to our work. Jane regularly says, "I've never done it before, so I’m sure I’ll be able to do it” and that probably best captures her spirit. She is a constant source of inspiration for us at the PEC. Well deserved! Congratulations to all award winners on the night as well! ❤️

It's the #AntiSlaveryWeek in the UK, created to raise awareness of all forms of exploitation associated with modern slavery and human trafficking. Our research (carried out by the Public Interest Research Centre - PIRC) shows that the phrase 'modern slavery' can be confusing for the public, for two main reasons: ☝ people aren't immediately sure what exactly it means ☝ it triggers associations with historical slavery and with the commonly used narrative, where the main solution to it appears to be 'cracking down on organised crime', leaving out a more complex picture of the issue. The research found that when we talk about specific forms of exploitation, for example 'men forced for little or no money in terrible conditions in our fields, factories or building sites', allows the members of the public immediately imagine what we mean. You can read more about the research about communicating modern slavery to increase the understanding of modern slavery by the British public here: https://lnkd.in/eiaqsUB8

It's the #AntiSlaveryWeek in the UK, created to raise awareness of all forms of exploitation associated with modern slavery and human trafficking. We like talking about awareness raising, but what would people with lived experience of modern slavery like the public to know about? We posed this question to a group of survivors and the themes that emerged were: ☝ That’s it’s happening now in the UK 🌍  That it’s not only happening to migrants or people of colour 🙏 That it’s not the survivors’ fault that it happened to them. 🫶That it has nothing to do with who you are – i.e. your age or level of education or migration status, but rather with an external situation you are in ✋ That modern slavery is a removal of choice, freedom and control over their lives 🫂 That recovery takes a lifetime and that people shouldn’t be put in harm’s way again You can read more about the research about communicating modern slavery to increase the understanding of modern slavery by the British public here: https://lnkd.in/eiaqsUB8

Today starts #AntiSlaveryWeek in the UK, in the run up to Anti-Slavery Day on Friday 18 October, created to raise awareness of all forms of exploitation associated with modern slavery and human trafficking. What can learn about modern slavery? The first question we often get is about the scale of it. It is challenging to accurately quantify the prevalence of modern slavery in the UK. While a range of prevalence estimates exist, the scale of modern slavery IDENTIFIED across the UK is continuing to increase: ➡️ Between 2015, when the Modern Slavery Act was introduced, and 2023, there has been a 421% increase (from 3,263 to 17,004) in the number of potential victims identified by First Responders and referred to the UK’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the identification and support system for survivors of modern slavery.

NEW PODCAST! 🎙️ How should the new UK Government address modern slavery? After twelve years of the Conservative Government, we have the new Labour Government in place. In this podcast, we’re talking to the Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC's Head of Policy Impact Liz Williams to answer some questions: ❓ What’s the state of the UK’s response to modern slavery that the new Government is inheriting? ❓ What can we realistically expect from the new Government? ❓ What should the new Government do to address modern slavery? The conversation is based on the policy report we published earlier this week, which urges the new Government to incorporate modern slavery prevention into its missions and priorities, for example addressing sponsored visas for agriculture and care sectors, or including modern slavery in the Fair Work Agency and in the homelessness strategy. Listen to the podcast on our website or in all main podcast platforms: https://lnkd.in/eydViq4q

Today is Mental Health Day. For people with lived experience of exploitation and modern slavery, mental health issues can have a huge impact on their wellbeing after often traumatic experiences. Some survivors describe wellbeing as the ability to function and manage the impact of trauma on a day-to-day basis. Which is why a comprehensive mental health support has to be a key element of support for people affected by modern slavery, often essential to their recovery. For the latest evidence on the support survivors needs, read the briefing summarising findings from our funded research in this area: https://lnkd.in/e-RJfu9Y

📢 PUBLISHED TODAY! 📝 Policy report: Modern slavery policy in the UK: priorities for the UK Government   Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre’s new policy report urges the new Government to incorporate modern slavery prevention into its missions and priorities in order to effectively address modern slavery. Examples include: ➡️ addressing sponsored visas for agriculture and care sectors, ➡️ including modern slavery in the Fair Work Agency and in the homelessness strategy ➡️ developing safeguarding strategies to prevent children with SEND being excluded from school and put at risk of grooming by drug gangs. It also pointed to immediate improvements to the protections and support for survivors, which should also contribute to improving traffickers’ prosecutions, as well as committing to a new long-term prevention focused strategy. Read the full story, the report and the summary on our website 👇   https://lnkd.in/eW8SG-nB Modern Slavery and Homan Rights PEC, part of the University of Oxford, is funded and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

NEW VACANCY! 👩💻 Policy Impact Manager. The Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC), part of the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford, has an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Policy Impact Manager. You will play a key role in maximising the impact of the Centre’s research on laws and policies to address modern slavery, and will work collaboratively with researchers, practitioners, policymakers and law-makers as part of the University of Oxford’s only dedicated Policy and Evidence Centre. All the details on our website, with links to the University of Oxford online application portal 👇 https://lnkd.in/gSbeHQE