The Moving On Project provides long-term, community-based support to men and women affected by or at risk of human trafficking and modern slavery.
It focuses on meeting the multiple and changing needs of vulnerable survivors, many of whom are from ethnic minority, refugee, and asylum backgrounds.
It is available in Manchester, West Midlands, Wiltshire, Hampshire and London, and acts as a safety net and aims to prevent vulnerable survivors from falling back into exploitive situations. We do not duplicate government-funded services but ensure that no survivors are left involuntarily without support.
Our community-based team work directly with clients and support them in relation to their self-identified needs. This can include accommodation, access to other services, mental health, physical health, money management, employment and training support, personal safety, engaging with police, legal issues repatriation/resettlement and community integration.
Our aim is to build trusting relationships, so survivors have the security they need to take steps towards a better life. To do this, our team focus on the following activities:
- Building referral pathways with other service providers and agencies and raising awareness of the project in order to facilitate self-referrals
- Providing support, advocacy and casework, engaging with clients at their own pace, often on a weekly basis, particularly at the beginning when a great deal of emotional and practical support is required
- Acting as advocates and, where necessary, as chaperones, for clients as they navigate the complex landscape of services and entitlements and brokering support from external specialist services.
- Organising regular workshops, activities and drop-ins for clients and dependent children. We also support clients to access other community activities as a way of building friendships, learning new skills and hobbies, and reducing feelings of isolation.
“Life is hard for people without papers. When I first left the safe house and I didn’t have a caseworker, I was so depressed I called every day asking for my support worker. When I was brought to MOP it was like the stress in my head was taken away.”
Quote from service user (London Hub)
