Anti Slavery Day - Modern Slavery Updates

Today is Anti-Slavery Day, and here are your key updates for October. Thank you for all your hard work and for getting in touch to discuss cases or request support from partners – it is really appreciated.

Birmingham Data

• There were 21 children and 19 adults referred into the NRM or identified by Duty to Notify in Birmingham in September. Birmingham City Council was the First Responder for 11 of the children and 0 of the adults.

General updates

• SIFA Fireside have just launched their new modern slavery pathway and casework toolkit, in partnership with Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network. If you are working with a homeless adult over the age of 25, and you have modern slavery concerns, you can call SIFA to check whether they can be seen there: 0121 766 1700 or check https://sifafireside.co.uk/need-help/
• The Slavery Adult Safeguarding Case Conference (SASCC) is always there to support you with cases, referral form attached and information here too. This is a case conference for adult survivors of modern slavery. If you are working with an adult survivor and they consent to have their case referred into a conference, please fill out the referral form and refer them into the SASCC. This will ensure that a case conference is convened within 48 hours that will bring together the police, local authority, potential support providers, and legal advice if needed, to safeguard the person pre-NRM.
• The Medaille Trust Moving On project can provide casework support, NRM referrals, and ABE interviews for female survivors at any stage in their journey. Information attached, website here, and please refer to them any adult female cases that need support.
• A reminder that you can always access NRM booklets here in 12 different languages that can help someone understand exploitation and the support available https://westmidlandsantislavery.org/nrm-explanatory-booklets/
• Reminder that you can access casework advice and advocacy support from the West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network SafePlace project – information attached and here.

Internal training

The Modern Slavery Champions training is running once more before the end of the year. Dates and signup links are here:

• Session One: Introduction to Modern Slavery, 26 November
• Session Two: Exploring the National Referral Mechanism, 3 December
• Session Three: Working with Survivors, 10 December

Upcoming external training and events

• There are lots of events happening this week to mark Anti-Slavery Day – check out this Calendar from the Human Trafficking Foundation
• Thursday 21st October: Mind Your Language – Exploitation and Victim Blaming Webinar (NWG) - Sign up here.
• Wednesday 27th October, 2 – 3.30pm: CSJ Event on Organised Child Sexual Exploitation. Sign up here
• Wednesday 27 October, 11am -12pm: Know Your Rights - Exploitation and Employment, FLEX and Migrants’ Rights Network
• Tuesday 2 November, 2.00pm – 3.45pm – LGA Webinar: Working with partners to tackle modern slavery in your area
• Wednesday 10 November, 2.00pm – 3.45pm – LGA Webinar: Modern Slavery: Effective first responders and quality referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM)

Policy, reports and news 

• A landmark judgement last week stated that recognised trafficking survivors should be granted leave to remain. Tuesday’s ruling ordered that this group of trafficking survivors who have asked for leave to remain in the UK be granted it en masse. This will apply to thousands of recognised survivors of trafficking. If the Home Office decides to appeal it must lodge an application seeking permission to do so by 19 October.
• FLEX (Focus on Labour Exploitation) just released this 28 minute documentary. It highlights the tensions between modern slavery and immigration enforcement, and the barriers to migrant women reporting abuse and exploitation. Very well worth a watch!
• With the announcement of 10,000 short-term visas to help tackle UK labour shortages, FLEX have also published a statement warning of the risks and need to learn from existing schemes and migrant workers’ experiences.
• Hestia: Underground Lives: Forgotten Children.  The intergenerational impact of modern slavery. Read it here: https://bit.ly/3oGiskg
• The UK government has announced it will publish a new Modern Slavery Strategy, replacing the existing strategy published in 2014
• Nottingham Rights Lab have produced a briefing on the Nationality and Borders Bill, and the impact on potential victims of modern slavery. Read it here:
• This briefing by Institute for Public Policy Research highlights how NRPF policy impacts the everyday lives of people who are subject to immigration control and explores potential impacts of the proposed extension of the NRPF condition in the Nationality and Borders Bill, calling for reform of the current system. 

Job Vacancies

• Vacancy: Policy and Research Officer, Hope for Justice. Deadline: Thursday 28 October 

Support provisions

If your query is in regards to a potential survivor of exploitation in Birmingham, please check the Birmingham City Council Website for some initial information, or see below for support provision and advice that may be applicable:

• Slavery Adult Safeguarding Case Conference
• Lists of local support provision: West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network Directory or VRU West Midlands Support Directory