Potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery will be
able to access more flexible support under an improved
service.
The new Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract, awarded to The
Salvation Army today (Monday 29 June), will provide a
service that better meets the needs of each victim,
including those with specialist and complex needs.
As part of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), it will
ensure the safeguarding and protection of victims as well
as provide tailored support to individual recovery needs,
lifting victims out of situations of exploitation and
putting them in a position where they can begin to rebuild
their lives.
The new contract will go live later this year, following a
period of transition from the current service.
Safeguarding Minister
said:
The government is a world leader in tackling modern
slavery, but we are always striving to improve support
for victims so that they can get their lives back on
track.
The new Victim Care Contract builds on the wide-ranging
support the government already provides and ensures that
people affected by this abhorrent crime receive
personalised, professional care.
Under the current service, victims of modern slavery who
have been referred by a designated First Responder, such as
a specified charity worker or a law enforcement officer,
can access support.
This includes accommodation, where needed, as well as
financial support and access to a support worker.
The new contract will continue to provide this support and
will also introduce new services for victims. For example,
during the first year of the contract the government will
work with law enforcement partners to test the set-up and
operation of a new provision of Places of Safety.
This new service is aimed at the most vulnerable victims
rescued from exploitation and will provide them with a safe
place for up to three working days to consider if they want
to enter the NRM.
Commissioner Anthony Cotterill, leader of The Salvation
Army in the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of
Ireland, said:
The Salvation Army has been privileged to work alongside
our partners to support thousands of victims of modern
slavery as they rebuild their lives.
We are grateful for the opportunity to not only continue
to serve these most vulnerable people but that through
the new Victim Care Contract we can extend the support
available to them at all stages of their recovery.
Working closely with the Home Office and our partners, we
will build on the improvements and partnerships we have
delivered over the past nine years, continue to add value
to the entitlements survivors of slavery receive and
ensure their needs are properly managed and respected.
The Salvation Army will remain at the forefront of the
fight to help today’s survivors overcome the challenges
they face and protect other vulnerable people from
becoming the victims of the future.
As with the existing contract, all victims’ needs will be
individually determined on entry to the service,
continually re-assessed throughout and considered again
when they are preparing to leave.
But the new contract will allow for more specialised
services to meet those needs, including varied
accommodation and improved support for those with complex
requirements.
In addition, the new contract will introduce journey plans
to help victims work with their support worker to recover
from and reflect on their experiences, and then begin to
move on to independence outside of the service.
The new contract is part of the government’s ongoing
efforts to improve the system of identification and support
for modern slavery victims.
