Medaille Trust research reveals many trafficking survivors failed by UK system.
Poor quality referrals, dehumanizing systems and widespread difficulties in accessing legal aid and quality psychological support are among a number of factors which are failing survivors of trafficking and modern slavery, according to a new report published this week by the Medaille Trust, one of the leading providers of survivor support services in the UK.
Research carried out in partnership with the think tank Theos, and drawing on interviews with survivors, staff, and statutory bodies, revealed that many survivors struggle to access support through the government’s National Referral Mechanism due to poor quality referrals from statutory agencies. Others, even having received support through the NRM, found themselves facing a cliff edge of support after their case had been resolved, with many struggling with destitution and an inability to access adequate housing, psychological support or help to access the workplace.
The results have often left survivors feeling disconsolate and isolated, or as one interviewee put it:
“Clients have come to our sessions in tears, feeling very dehumanised with some current processes.”
The report Moving On Project: Wraparound Survivor Support calls for a new wider approach that better supports all survivors of trafficking, not only those who are identified through the government’s National Referral Mechanism. It highlights the work done by Medaille's ‘Moving On Project’ as a model for a more flexible and trauma-informed charity approach.
Download the full report here.
For media enquiries regarding this report, contact comms@medaille-trust.org.uk
