Pro-ActUKPilotReport

SUMMARY

1. Introduction• LabourexploitationintheUK• Policycontext• Theproject:Pro-ActiveIdentificationandSupportofVictimsofTraffickingforLabour

Exploitation(Pro-Act)o Objectiveso Projectpartnerso Projectstructureandtimelineo UKpilotmonitoringandevaluation

• Pilotstrategiesforproactiveidentificationandsupportforvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation

2. PilotimplementationbyUKprojectpartners• Pilotactivitiesandoutcomes

o Strategy1—Accesstoinformation,improveddetectionandremedieso Strategy2—Improveaccesstoexpertlegalcounsellingandredresso Strategy3—Empoweringsupportbasedontheneedsoftraffickedpersonso Strategy4—Tailoredanddiversepsychologicalassistanceo Strategy5—Supportingaccesstobenefitsandappropriateemployment

3. Reflectionsandrecommendations

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1.Introduction

LabourexploitationintheUKTraffickingforlabourexploitationisahumanrightsviolationandseriouscrimepervasivethroughoutthe EU. In the UK, instances of forced labour and human trafficking for the purpose of labourexploitation have been found in awide range of economic sectors and activities. According to theNational Crime Agency,2,340 potential victimsof human trafficking were encountered by theNational Referral Mechanism (NRM) in the UK in 2014, one third of whom had been referred aspotentialvictimsoflabourexploitation.Both British and foreign workers are subjected to trafficking for labour exploitation in the UK,including men, women and children. In recent years, the majority of the victims of traffickingidentified in the UK have been foreign nationals. Prominentcountries of origin of victimsincludeAlbania, Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania, Slovakia, China and Poland.Cases involving highly vulnerableBritish men, who weresubjected to forced labour within the UK or trafficked to other Europeancountries,havealsobeenreported.

PolicycontextInthepasttwoyears,wehaveseenanincreasedinterestinandawarenessofhumantraffickingforlabour exploitation in the UK on the part of the general public and policymakers alike. With thepassageoftheUKModernSlaveryActin2015,newmeasureshavebeenintroducedtoaddresstheissue.While theModern Slavery Act has a strong focus on criminal justice, it has also introducedsomevictimprotectionaspects,aswellasanewmechanismforGovernmentaccountabilitythroughthecreationof theOfficeof the IndependentAnti-SlaveryCommissioner (IASC).The IASChasbeentasked with monitoring the Government’s efforts in addressing modern slavery and producing areporttobepublishedannually.Importantly, thedevelopmentandpassageof theActhasalsoput thespotlightonmodernslaveryandopenedupthedebateonthemeasurestakenbytheUKGovernmenttoaddressthe issueandthe UK’s obligations to protect victims of human trafficking and other vulnerable workers againstlabourexploitation,andtoensurevictimsoftraffickingareadequatelysupported.Asaresultofthisdebate,theGovernmenthasundertakenareviewoftheNationalReferralMechanism(NRM),andapilotNRMmodelisbeingimplementedincertainareasintheUK.ThesepilotsarerunninginparalleltothePro-Actstrategypilots.AnareaofsignificantconcerninthecurrentpolicycontextisthepassageofthenewUKImmigrationBill, which is now at the final stages of the legislative process (entering third reading stage at theHouseofLordsonthe12thofApril).ChangesintroducedbytheBillintheareasoflabourinspectionandimmigrationcontrolareexpectedtoimpacttheidentificationofvictimsofhumantrafficking,andwillincreasetheisolationandvulnerabilityofmigrantworkers,presumablyleadingtoanincreaseinforcedlabourandtraffickingforlabourexploitationintheUK.

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Pro-ActiveIdentificationandSupportofVictimsofTraffickingforLabourExploitation(Pro-Act)ObjectivesAcomprehensive response to trafficking for labourexploitation requirespro-active identificationofpeople who have been trafficked and appropriate support for victims, in accordance with StateobligationsundertheEUTraffickingDirectiveandtheCouncilofEuropeConventiononActionagainstTrafficking in Human Beings (the European Trafficking Convention). Pro-active identification isnecessarytoensurethemosthiddenandvulnerablevictimsaredetectedinthefullrangeoflaboursectors. Support is important for psychological recovery, for legal redress and to ensure thattraffickedpersonsareabletomoveforwardsafelyandavoidre-trafficking.The aim of the Pro-Act project is to improve responses to trafficking for labour exploitationthroughout the EU, by developing effective EU-wide strategies for proactive identification andsupport of victims. The project is centred on engagement with victims of trafficking for labourexploitationandtheirsupportproviders,seekingtobetterunderstandandrespondtotheneedsandexperiencesofvictims.Throughthisengagement, includingprimaryresearch,national focusgroupsandEuropeanworkshops,theprojectseekstobuildunderstandingoftheneedsandexperiencesofthose trafficked for labour exploitation, and develop victim-centred strategies for proactiveidentificationandsupportthataretransferrableacrosstheEU.ProjectpartnersThe project has fiveNGOpartners based in theNetherlands (FairWork), theUK (FLEX, LAWRS andMigrantHelp)andRomania(ADPARE).ThisnationalreportexaminestheimplementationofthepilotstrategiesintheUKbytheUKpartnersandtheresultsobtained,andseekstocapturethereflectionsand lessons learned from the pilots in the UK. Each of the UK partners have specific andcomplementary expertise in different areas including service provision, research, capacity buildingandpolicydevelopment.FocusonLabourExploitation(FLEX)isbasedintheUKandsupportsgovernmentandcivilsocietytotake effective action against labour exploitation. FLEXworks to prevent labour abuses, protect therights of trafficked persons and promote best practice responses to human trafficking for labourexploitationbyundertakingvictim-centredresearch,awarenessraising,advocacyandtraining.As an organisation supporting Latin American migrant women subjected to exploitation anddiscrimination in the UK, the Latin AmericanWomen’s Rights Service (LAWRS) comes into contactwith victims of trafficking for labour exploitation. LAWRS engages with over 4,800 Latin Americanwomeneveryyear,providingfrontlineservicesincludingadviceonimmigration,welfare,employmentand family law; casework on homelessness, housing, money and debts; support and advocacy tosurvivors of VAWG; and counselling and psychotherapy. The work of LAWRS is focused on theprovision of inclusive, gender-sensitive support and on the effective engagement with andparticipationoftheLatinAmericancommunityintheUK.

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MigrantHelp isaserviceproviderofferingpracticalcareandsupport tovulnerablemigrantsacrosstheUK.MigrantHelp isoneof theofficial serviceprovidersunder theUKNRM,andaspartof thiscontract,providessupporttoadultmaleandfemalesurvivors(andtheirdependents)ofallformsofmodern day slavery, including labour exploitation, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, forcedcriminality and other forms of human trafficking. Services provided by Migrant Help include safeaccommodationandmaterialassistance(includingclothing,mealsandotherbasicnecessities),accessto healthcare, access to substance misuse support, psychological supportand mental healthservices,legalaid,advice,asylumhelp,andotherservices.

ProjectstructureandtimelineTheprimaryoutputofthePro-ActProjectisthedevelopmentofstrategiesforproactiveidentificationandsupportforvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation,designedfortheirimplementationacrosstheEU.Inaninitialphaseoftheproject,researchwasconductedanddatawascollatedandanalysedbyPro-Actpartners inorderto identifykeygapsandpotentialstrategies for improvementof identificationandsupportforvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation.ThesedraftstrategieswerediscussedatthePro-ActEuropeanworkshopon2-3July2015.DrawingontheresearchfindingsandEU-wideconsultation,fivestrategieswerefinallyproposedforthepilottobeimplementedbyPro-Actpartners.1ThepilotphaseoftheprojecttookplacebetweenAugust2015andFebruary2016.Aspartofthepilot,thefiveproposedstrategieshavebeentriagedbyprojectpartners.2InthisreportweexaminetheresultsoftheimplementationoftheproposedstrategiesintheUK.ThefinalstrategieswillbepublishedfollowingtheanalysisoftheresultsofthispilotphaseineachofthePro-Actpartnercountries,andthediscussionandrevisionofthestrategiesatthesecondEuropeanWorkshoptobeheldinLondoninApril2016.UKpilotmonitoring&evaluationIntheUK,thepilotstrategieshavebeenimplementedbytheLatinAmericanWomen’sRightsService(LAWRS)andMigrantHelp,withassistancefromFocusonLabourExploitation(FLEX).ThemonitoringandevaluationofthepilotsintheUKhasbeencarriedoutbyFLEXwiththecollaborationofLAWRSandMigrantHelp.1Considerationsindraftingthesestrategiesinclude:

a) Therelevanceandsalienceofidentifiedgapsineachoftheprojectcountries;b) Theabilitytotailorstrategiestothenationalcontext;c) Thelengthofthepilotperiodandabilitytoachievemeasurableoutcomesinthatperiod;d) Theresourcesavailabletopartnersduringthepilotperiod;ande) Theextenttowhichstrategiesrelyonexternalstakeholdersfortheirimplementationandsuccess.

2Noteverystrategyhasbeenpilotedbyeveryprojectpartnerorineverycountry.

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In order to facilitate the collection of data and overall monitoring process, FLEX developed amonitoring framework including project aims, outcomes, relevant activities and indicators. Thisframeworkwasnegotiatedandagreeduponbyprojectpartners.LAWRS and Migrant Help have periodically reported on their implementation of the relevantstrategies,andcontinuouslydiscussedthepilotactivitiesandtheprogressmadewiththerestoftheprojectpartners throughout thepilotperiod.Aspartofstrategies1 (improved identification)and3(empowering support), and with the purpose of identifying any potential patterns, LAWRS haverecordedinformationabouttheexperiencesoftraffickingvictims,anyindicatorsdisplayedaswellastheneedsexpressed.MigrantHelphasalsocollectedharddataontheresultsobtainedbypotentialvictimsoftraffickingusingtheirservicesonvariousareasofinteresttotheprojectbothpriortothepilotsandaspartofthepilotimplementation.Theinformationgatheredincludesquantitativedataonthetakeupofcounsellingservicesbytraffickedpersons,aswellastherangeoflegalroutespursuedbytraffickedpersonsandtheresultsofanyclaims.FLEXhascollectedandanalysedthisinputtoextractinformationabouttheactivitiescarriedoutandtheresultsobtainedthroughthepilotimplementation.Tosupplementthisinformation,primarydatahasbeencollectedbyFLEXthroughone-to-onesemi-structuredinterviewswithserviceusersduringthepilotphaseoftheproject(peoplewhohavebeentrafficked).3Thecontinuousengagementwithvictimsoftraffickingthroughouttheprojectseekstoensuretheirviewsontheirneeds,thesupportreceivedandanyareasforimprovement,areaccuratelyrepresentedandtakenintoaccountforthedevelopmentofthefinalstrategies.

PilotstrategiesforproactiveidentificationandsupportforvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitationThefollowingfivepilotstrategieshavebeenimplementedbyPro-ActProjectpartners:Ø Strategy 1—Access to information, improved detection and remedies: Strategy 1 focused on

increased awareness of rights and remedies among victims of trafficking, as an avenue toenhanceddetectionandsupport.Aspartofstrategy1,projectpartnerssetoutto:

a) Produceanddisseminate informationabout labourrightsandremedies topotentialvictims

oftraffickingforlabourexploitationthat:i. Offeredconcretesolutionstocommonviolations;ii. Providedavenuesforsupporttoclaimrights;andiii. Wasavailableinanunderstandableformatandlanguages.

b) Introduce or expand ‘peer education’ programmes, based on a common ‘peer education’

format,asameansofimprovingdetection.

3Individualinterviewswithtraffickedpersonswereexclusivelyconductedinperson.

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Ø Strategy 2— Improve access to expert legal counselling and redress: Strategy 2was aimed at

improving access to legal rights and redress for victims of trafficking for labour exploitationthrough increased awareness of victims’ legal rights and enhanced access to expert legalcounselling.

Theactivitiesproposedintheframeworkofstrategy2included:

a) Producinganddisseminating informationabout legalrightsandavenuesfor legalredressto

traffickedpersonsinappropriateformats;b) Providingfrontlineworkerswithtrainingonavenuesfor legalredress, legal informationand

signpostingtraffickedpersonstospecialistcounselling;c) Nurturingnetworksofspecialistlawyerstofacilitatethepoolingofresourcessuchassharing

caselawandbestpractice,strengthenremediesandwidenlegalexpertise;andd) Workingwithspecialist lawyerstoprovidetrainingto lawyers inrights-basedapproachesto

legal counselling for trafficked persons, to ensure more victims of trafficking receive highqualitylegalassistance.

Ø Strategy 3 —Empowering support based on the needs of trafficked persons: Strategy 3 was

designed toensure that the support receivedby victimsof trafficking for labourexploitation isempowering,that itengagesvictimsaspartners intheprocessofassistance,and itmeetstheirindividualneeds.Thepilotactivitiesdesignedunderthisstrategyincludethedevelopmentandimplementationof:

a) Needs and risk assessments that are gender sensitive and take into account the particular

supportneedsofvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation.Understrategy3,theseneedsassessments are to be carried out upon entry to support systems and re-evaluatedthroughoutsupport;and

b) Aprotocolthatclearlysetsoutthetermsofassistanceprogrammes,ensuresthatvictimsareawareofthesupporttowhichtheyareentitledandestablishesdutiesandobligationsonthepartofallparties.

Ø Strategy4—Tailoredanddiversepsychologicalassistance:Strategy4focusedonthedeliveryof

tailoredpsychologicalsupportinawaythatisunderstandable,relevantandvaluabletotraffickedpersonsandthatrespectstheirsafetyandintegrity,withtheobjectiveofimprovingthetakeupandimpactofpsychologicalsupportonvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation.Aspartofstrategy4,implementingpartnershaveundertakento:

a) Ensure comprehensive psychological needs assessments are conducted for all trafficked

persons;b) Adoptnewmethodsofintroducingtraffickedpersonstotheconceptofpsychologicalsupport

thathighlightsitsvalue;

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c) Prepare a support framework according to need that includes a range of psychologicalsupport methods for use at different stages of therapy, including: psychotherapy, familycounselling,grouptherapybefriending,copingtechniques,well-beinginformation;

d) Continuouslyevaluatecounsellingoutcomesbasedonatrustedevaluationframework;ande) Applystandardsforethicalandeffectiveinterpretationduringtherapysessions.

Ø Strategy 5— Supporting access to benefits and appropriate employment: Strategy 5 aimed to

empower trafficked persons to enter employment that respects their rights and meets theirneeds,throughtheprovisionoftailoredemployabilityassistanceandsupportaccessingbenefits.

Threekeyactivitieswereproposedunderstrategy5:

a) Supporting trafficked persons to enter appropriate employment by establishing anemployabilitymapofservicestomeettheirneeds,including:

i. CVworkshops;ii. Skillfocusedvolunteerplacements;andiii. ITandEnglishclasses

b)Workingwith local and national government agencies to ensure that trafficked persons areassigneda singlewelfare support case-worker to facilitate access tobenefits andemployment;andc)Developinganemploymentempowermentprogramme thataims tobuild traffickedpersons’self-esteemtoseekemployment.

2.PilotimplementationbyUKprojectpartnersIntheUK,thepilotstrategieshavebeen implementedbyLAWRSandMigrantHelp,withassistancefromFLEX.Aspartoftheproject,LAWRShaspilotedallofthefiveaforementionedpilotstrategies,whileMigrantHelphasimplementedpilotstrategies2,3and4.ThemonitoringandevaluationofthepilotsintheUKhasbeencarriedoutbyFLEX.PilotactivitiesandoutcomesStrategy1–Accesstoinformation,improveddetectionandremediesLAWRS piloted this strategy in the UK with assistance from FLEX. As part of the pilot, LAWRSdevelopedandcarriedoutthefollowingactivities:• Targetedtrainingofstaffandvolunteers:FLEXdeliveredtrainingonhumantraffickingforlabour

exploitation, key indicators of trafficking and identification of victims, as well as the legalremediesavailabletovictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation,to17staffmembers,4culturalmediatorsand2volunteersatLAWRS.Thetrainingwasdesignedtoprovidestaffandvolunteerswith the tools to better understand the issue and to increase their ability to identify andeffectivelysupportvictimsoftrafficking.

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• Production and dissemination of information booklet on employment rights in Spanish andPortuguese:thelackofknowledgeoftheEnglishlanguagewasidentifiedintheresearchasoneofthe greatest barriers facedby LatinAmericanmigrantwomen. To address this crucial need forinformationon labour rightsandentitlements in theirown language,anaccessible informationbooklet, available in Spanish and Portuguese, has been produced by LAWRS. The booklet hasbeendisseminatedamongtheLatinAmericancommunityandviasocialmediaandthroughtheLAWRSwebsite.IthasalsobeendistributedandpromotedatLAWRS’dropinservice,workshops,and community events. LAWRS carriedout 9 visits to different places of gatheringof the LatinAmerican community, distributing 61 booklets on labour rights. 77 copies of the bookletwerealsodistributedatLAWRS’drop-inservice.Asaresultofthedisseminationofthis information,LAWRShasseenanincreaseinrequestsforassistance with employment matters. LAWRS’ legal surgery on employment rights runs everyweek and the appointments are fully booked every week. Through this service, 123 cases oflabourexploitationhavebeenidentified.

• Production and dissemination of a specific information leaflet about trafficking for labour

exploitation in Spanish and Portuguese: the leaflet was designed to be accessible and easilyunderstandablebypotentialvictimsandcommunitymembers.LAWRSreportedthatworking inpartnership proved particularly useful for the design of these flyers, as it allowed LAWRS tobenefit from FairWork’s expertise and their previous experiences designing and disseminatingsimilar informative flyers. The leaflet was disseminated at places where the Latin Americancommunity gathers — including Latin American markets, shopping centres, Latin Americanbusinessesandcommunity centres—aswell as via socialmediaand throughLAWRS’website.LAWRS carried out 9 visits to different places of gathering of the Latin American community,distributing200leaflets.163flyerswerealsodistributedatLAWRS’drop-inservice.

LAWRShasdistributed500informativeflyersabouthumantraffickingand150bookletsorguideson labour rights. The section of thewebsite about the ProAct project has also received 9,104visitsbetweenSeptember2015andMarch2016.This informationwasalsodistributedthroughsocial media, with guidance provided by FairWork on developing social media strategies andsafety guidelines.Due to the shortperiodof time for the implementationof thepilot, it is notpossible to fully ascertain the impact of the dissemination via social media channels, but thisinformationisexpectedtohavereachedatleastLAWRS’1,349Facebookfollowers.

• Talks forcommunitymembersproviding informationabouthumantraffickingand labourrights:

LAWRShasorganisedtalksaboutlabourexploitationandtraffickingforlabourexploitationaspartoftheirdropinsessions,withthepurposeofraisingawarenesswiththewomenthataccessthoseservices.Atotalof162womenattendedthesetalks.

• Recruitmentandtrainingofvolunteers:6membersofLAWRS’staffactedasculturalmediators

throughout the project. Additionally, LAWRS recruited 5 volunteers with the same culturalbackgroundaspotentialvictims,toconductoutreachworkandactaspeereducatorsor“culturalmediators”inreachingdifferentsectionsoftheLatinAmericancommunityintheUK.LAWRShasdevelopedanin-housetrainingprogrammeforculturalmediators,facilitatedbyFLEXandLAWRS,

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focused on the identification and support of victims of human trafficking. In addition to theiroutreachand communityengagementactivities, fourof thesemediatorshavebeen specificallyassignedtoclientsupport,fivemediatorshaveprovidedinterpretingservices,andonemediatorhasprovidedassistancetoasolicitorwhocollaborateswithLAWRSprovidingemploymentadviceatweeklysessions.

• Community members were approached and informed about human trafficking and labour

exploitation: cultural mediators participated in this engagement with community members,disseminating informationabout trafficking for labourexploitationand labour rightsand raisingawarenessinthecommunity.AspartofthisinformationcampaignLAWRSvisitedchurches,LatinAmericanrestaurants,andplaceswhereLatinAmericanpeoplegather.

123casesof labourexploitationwere identifiedbyLAWRSthroughthe implementationof thepilotphaseoftheproject.LAWRSfoundindicatorsoftraffickinginsomeofthesecases,andinfourcases,LAWRSfoundevidenceofabuseamountingtotraffickingforlabourexploitation.LAWRShasrecordedtheinformationregardingidentifiedcasesof labourexploitationandofhumantraffickingfor labourexploitation, inordertoanalysethefactorsaffectingvictimsoftraffickingaswellasanypatternsorgaps.

Strategy2–ImproveaccesstoexpertlegalcounsellingandredressThisstrategywaspilotedintheUKbothbyLAWRSandbyMigrantHelp.Strategy2involved:• Provision of one to one advice and casework support in Spanish and Portuguese for victims

(LAWRS):Inallofthe123casesoflabourexploitationidentifiedbyLAWRS,LAWRSprovidedthevictimswithinformationabouttheirrightsandavailableremedies.Clientswhowereidentifiedaspotentialvictimsoftraffickingwerealsoprovidedwithmorein-depthsupportandadviceabouttheir legalrights,optionsandremedies.ThreeofthefourpotentialvictimsofhumantraffickingidentifieddecidednottobereferredtotheNRM,butreceivedsupportfromLAWRS.Intheothercase,thevictimwasalreadyreceivingsupportfromsolicitors,andsheaccessedLAWRS’supportthroughtheircounsellingandpsychotherapyservices.

• Productionofareferralmapforcaseworkersandvolunteersonspecialistagenciesandsolicitors

fordealingwithcomplexcases(LAWRS):LAWRShaspromotedawarenessamongemployeesandservice users about referral pathways, including solicitors specialised in trafficking. LAWRS alsocreateda flowchartexplaining theNRMprocess to improveawarenessamongstaffandserviceusers.Organisationscontactedaboutspecificcases identifiedduring the implementationof thepilot include FLEX, the Anti-Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU), HESTIA, and ITNSolicitors.

• Legalworkshopfor front lineworkers,counsellorsandvolunteers (peereducators) (LAWRSand

Migrant Help): as part of the training package delivered by FLEX to LAWRS’ staff, front lineworkers, counsellors and volunteers received training on the legal rights of victims of human

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trafficking, covering relevant aspects such as legal aid, access to compensation and the legalremediesavailabletovictims.

Migrant Help staff in Dover and Scotland also received training delivered by FLEX, which theyreported was beneficial in terms of improving the knowledge and understanding of front lineworkers about the legal choices available to clients. The training covered legal remedies andavenues for compensation available to victimsof trafficking.MigrantHelp staff have alsobeenprovided with information about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, and in ScotlandlinkshavebeenestablishedbetweenMigrantHelpandthelocalVictimSupportoffices,whocanassist Migrant Help and its clients with completing CICA forms to apply for this form ofcompensation.However,novictimshadyetbeenreferredtoVictimSupportforthisserviceasofApril2016.LAWRSstaffhavealsoparticipatedinatrainingsessionprovidedbylawfirmLeighDayonlabourrights inMarch 2016. 4 culturalmediators, 13 staffmembers and 13 volunteers attended thistraining.

• Disseminationofinformationonlegalrightsandentitlements(MigrantHelpandLAWRS):MigrantHelp has provided its clients with information about their legal options, as well as the Anti-Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU) phone line.4 While most of Migrant Help’sservice users interviewed by FLEX showed some understanding of the concept of asylum andleave to remain, aswell as a basic understandingof theseprocesses, awareness of other legalremedies suchasaccess to compensationwas limited.Almost all of the victims interviewedbyFLEXreportedknowingnothing,orverylittleaboutcompensation,andanumberofserviceusersstatedtheyhadnotbeentoldaboutitandneverthoughtaboutitbecausetheydidn’tknowwhatitwasorhowitworked.Aspartofthepilot,FLEXhasalsoproducedabookletonthelegalrightsofvictimsoftrafficking.Thebooklethasbeentranslatedto12differentlanguages,and1,200copiesofthebookletaretobedisseminatedbyMigrantHelpandLAWRStotheirserviceusers.

Nocompensationclaimshavebeenrecordedashavingbeenfiledasadirectresultofthepilot.This,however,doesnotmeanthatvictimswhoreceivedinformationabouttheirrighttocompensationwillnotseektomaketheseclaimsinthefuture,asintheimmediateperiodaftertheirescapefromthetrafficking situation, victims tend tobe concernedwith legal aspects related to immigration status,asylum, access to accommodation and welfare, and therefore these urgent needs tend to beprioritised. Furthermore, two victims of trafficking being supported by Migrant Help in Scotlandapproached their solicitor to seek compensation. However, the compensation claims were notpursuedasthecaseswerehistoric.

4 ATLEU is a charity providing legal representation to victims of trafficking and labour exploitation. ATLEUdeliversaspecializedservicetovictims, includingadvicetovictimsontheir immigrationstatusandassistanceapplying for asylum or other forms of lawful residence;securing safe accommodation, financial support andtreatmentfromlocalauthorities,theHomeOfficeorotherstatutorybodies;andobtainingcompensation.

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Strategy3–EmpoweringsupportbasedontheneedsoftraffickedpersonsIntheirroleasserviceproviders,LAWRSandMigrantHelphaveadaptedtheiractivitieswiththeaimofprovidingmoreeffectiveandempoweringsupporttovictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation,based on their specific needs and context. In the context of the pilot, both organisations havereviewed and updated their processes and set up new protocols for the provision of support tovictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation.Asaresult:• LAWRS and Migrant Help have developed improved risk assessment processes: Migrant Help

worked in partnershipwith ADPARE (Romania) to develop a new risk assessment process. Thenewriskassessmentfocusesonthesafetyandwellbeingoftheclient,andisdesignedtoflagupkey information that hadnot previously been consideredbyMigrantHelp, including about thevictim’s relationship to the trafficker, and whether the victim remained in contact with thetrafficker or with other potential victims of human trafficking, or other people they might beafraidof.MigrantHelp has implemented the new risk assessments at theirDover and Scotland services.TheriskassessmenthasbeenusedbyMigrantHelpasabaselinetoreportrelevantinformationto the authorities (police, UKHTC, Home Office, the SA in Dover’s case), when necessary. Forexample,ifapotentialvictimwantstoreturntotheirtrafficker/community/countryoforigin,MigrantHelpwillreportthisinformationtothePoliceandtheHomeOfficeandinformaboutthepossiblerisksassociated.Similarly,MigrantHelpusesthisassessmenttoidentifyanyrisksofselfharmormental health issues, to ensure aGP is contacted and the client receives appropriatecare.InDover,theriskassessmenthasalsobeenusedtostrengthenthecaseforthetransferofclientstoadifferentareawhenthereareriskfactorspresent.MigrantHelp has alsoworked in partnershipwithADPARE to facilitate support upon return toRomania, toensure thatanyRomanianclientswhodecided to return to their countryoforiginwerereturningundersafeconditions,andtominimizetheriskofvictimisationuponreturnandre-trafficking.

• MigrantHelpalsocarriedoutneedsassessmentswithtraffickedpersonsuponentrytoMigrantHelp support, and re-evaluated these needs throughout the provision of support. A follow-upmid-wayneedsassessmentwas carriedouthalfway through the reflectionperiod, andanexitsupport plan was also developed to capture the final clients’ needs and the actions taken toaddressthem.MigrantHelp’sfindingsfromthiscontinuousneedsassessmentprocessshowthatthemainneedsforclientsatthe initialstageofthesupportareaccommodation,financialsupport,medicalandlegalassistance.Theseareconsideredtobeurgentorbasicneedsthatneedtobefulfilledbeforemore advanced support can be offered.Mid-way support planswere focused on future plans,buildingconfidenceandpersonaldevelopment—suchasparticipationinESOLclasses,volunteeropportunitiesand localactivities.Tailoredexit supportplansweredeveloped jointlybyMigrant

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Helpcaseworkersandthevictimoftraffickingconcerned.Theexitplanconsidersthelong-termneedsofclients,andaccordinglyseekstoensureanynecessaryreferralstorelevantagenciesareappropriately made by Migrant Help staff, as well as empowering clients and promotingindependentliving.Clientswererequiredtosignanexitformandwereprovidedwithacopyoftheir personalised exit plan to facilitate the transition and ensure they are aware of the nextsteps.

• Awelcome/carepackwasprovidedbyMigrantHelptoclients intheirnative language,setting

outthetermsofthesupport/careprogramme.Thecarepackincludesawelcomeletteroutliningthe responsibilitiesanddutiesofMigrantHelp towards clients, and informingclientsabout therulestheywererequiredtoadhereto.TofacilitateclientawarenessoftheNRMprocess,MigrantHelpdevelopeda visual aid– the trafficking journey leaflet –explaining thedifferent stagesofmaking a trafficking claim in simple terms. The leaflet represents the journey and stages ofmakingatraffickingclaim,aswellastheclients’entitlementsateverystageofthisjourney.The victims of human trafficking supported by Migrant Help and interviewed by FLEX weregenerallyhappywiththeaccommodationprovided.Ingeneral,victimswereawareoftheirrighttocomplainiftheydidn’tlikesomethingoriftheyneededsomethingthatwasn’tbeingprovided.5They also knew that they could speak to their caseworkers about this. However, victims alsoexpressedsomeconfusionabouttheirentitlements:

“Idon’tknowwhattoexpectsoIcan’tknowwhatcanIask.Wehavebeentoldthatwehavetostayhere45daysandafterthese45dayswewillreceiveanotherlettertoseeifwecanstayanother2weeks.Butwegetsomepaperthenwecangotodoctorsforglasses,teeth,thingslikethese.ButIdon’tknow.”“I’mnotsureaboutservicesavailablebutIwanttolearnEnglishbecausenowIstayathomedoingnothingandwithoutEnglishIcan’tdoanything.”

Most of the victims interviewed by FLEX didn’t knowwhat theNRMwas, but understood thattheywereentitledto45daysofsupport.

5OneofthevictimsinterviewedbyFLEXexpressedfeelingliketheyhadnoonetotalktoiftheyhadissueswiththeaccommodationprovided.

InthecaseoftwomenwhoweretraffickedtotheUKforthepurposeofexploitationinsportstrainingandcompetition,MigrantHelprecognisedtheirneedsasathletesandthe importanceof training and exercise for their mental and physical recovery. Migrant Help provided bothvictims with access to gym membership and training facilities. Both clients found this to behelpfulindealingwiththeanxietyandpsychologicaldistresscausedbytheirexperience:“[Speakingabouttraining]itmakesmefeelgood[…]Wecan’tjustsittherewatchingTV,weareathletesweareusedtogym-ing.”

“Wearenotgood,butaswegotherewecanatleasttryandforgetthingsandbetryingtodosomething.Betterthan[…]sittingintheroomlikethis,toomuchthinking,likeI’mgoingcrazy.”

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Victimswerealsogenerallyreluctanttomakeanycomplaints,statingthatthey“wouldn’twanttocauseanyproblems”.

• LAWRShasdevelopedtailoredactionplansforthevictimsofhumantraffickingidentifiedthroughtheirservices.

• LAWRS has produced new referral forms, client record, consent forms and case file forms toensuretheycapturealloftherelevantinformation,andfacilitatetheproactiveidentificationandsupportofvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation.LAWRSreportedthatadaptingallof theircase filedocumentsandforms,clientrecord, referralforms,andconsentformshasmadeahugedifference intheorganisationand intheirabilitytoidentify cases and support victims of trafficking for labour exploitation. Before these changesweremade,LAWRS’processeswerenotstructuredtorespondspecificallytotheneedsofvictimsof trafficking for labour exploitation and most of their casework was carried out from theperspective of VAWG rather than a trafficking for labour exploitation specific perspective. Thenewprocesses,coupledwiththetrainingandincreasedawarenessofstaffhasallowedLAWRStoidentify4casesoftraffickingand123casesoflabourexploitation.

Victimsofhumantraffickinghavecontinuedtoexpresstheirdesire forsupport that facilitatestheirintegrationintheUKthroughoutthepilotimplementation.VictimshaveparticularlyexpressedtheirneedforEnglishlanguagelessonsandhavesignalleddelaysordifficultiesinaccessingtheseclasses:

“Ingeneralit’sgood.It’sjustIhaven’tbeenacceptedintoanyEnglishclass.Andithasbeenalongtime.[…]IheardthattheyaretryingtofindmeaclassbutI’mnotsureiftherewassomethingavailabletomeyet.”

Similarly,victimshaveexpressedtheirdesiretofindlong-termsolutionsforthemselves,andinsomecasestheirdependants.

“IjustwishIcanfindpermanentaccommodationsothreeofuscanstaytogether[referringtoherchildandherpartner].”

Accesstoadequateaccommodationcontinuestobeakeyconcernforvictimsofhumantrafficking.Victims’needsintermsofaccommodationshouldbeapartofneedsassessmentsandtheprovisionof adequate accommodation tailored to victims’ circumstances and personal needs should be acentralaspectofserviceprovisionundertheNRM.OnevictiminterviewedbyFLEXrejectedNationalAsylum Support System (NASS) accommodation offered to her, due to the fear of dispersal to adifferent region of the country andof starting over again afterworking to overcomepsychologicaldifficultiesandforgerelationshipsoftrustwithothers.Commentingonthis,thevictims’psychologicalcounsellor,interviewedbyFLEXsaid:

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“Somethingwe spoke about this week is her feeling safe in the environment and feeling secure tocome outside and not be isolated. Before she kept the curtains drawn, didn’t communicate withpeople.Sheisalsonowstartingtointegratewithamotherandtoddlergroup[…],andsheisbuildingupherconfidence,herreassurancethatit’sok,evenifsheisstilllooksatthebackofher[…]andtheenvironment issafeforher.Sothat’sthefearofbeingdispersedtoanotherarea,whichwouldhavequiteadevastatingimpactonherpsychologicalstateintermsofpost-traumaticstresspresentations.”Strategy4–Tailoredanddiversepsychologicalassistance• LAWRSprovidesgeneral counselling to vulnerable LatinAmericanwomen in theUK.Aspartof

this strategy, LAWRS carried out an initial psychological assessment of the potential victimsidentified,inordertoidentifyandaddresstheirspecificneeds.

• Aspartof thepilot, LAWRSprioritisedaccess to counselling for victimsof trafficking for labourexploitation,providingonetoonepsychotherapyandcounsellingsessionsconductedinvictims’native language (Spanish/Portuguese). The 4 victims of trafficking identified during the pilotperiodwere offered one to one counselling sessions. Two of these victims decided to receivecounselling.At thetimeof thereport, theprovisionofcounsellingwasstillongoing:onevictimhadreceived2counsellingsessions,andtheothervictimhadreceived11sessions.Thesevictimsalso participated in other therapeutic activities provided by LAWRS, including workshops onhealingandyoga.

• MigrantHelpandLAWRSworkedtoinformvictimsaboutthebenefitsandpurposeofcounselling:

clients’understandingofandattitudestowardscounsellingwasidentifiedasakeybarriertotheprovision of this service during the research phase of the project. In its work with victims oftrafficking, LAWRS highlighted the value of counselling and psychological support in healingtraumaandenablingtherecoveryprocesses.

As part of Migrant Help’s induction process, information was provided and victims wereencouraged todisclose anyneedsduring theirMentalHealthAssessment Interviews. EmphasiswasmadeonreachingMigrantHelp’sclientsintheDoverarea,giventhattheresearchshowedthattheintakeofcounsellingamongthisclientgrouphadbeenparticularlylowpriortothepilot— only 11.5%6 of victims supported, compared to 80.7%7 of the clients supported byMigrantHelpinScotland.Asaresultofthesefindings,andtoensurethatMigrantHelpprovidesasimilarservice inDover,MigrantHelpre-examineditspracticesandthemethodsusedforapproachingclients about counselling at their Dover service. Drawing on its own experiences in Scotland,MigrantHelphasdevelopedandnowusesnewmethodstointroducetheconceptofcounsellingtoclients,raiseawarenessof itsbenefitsandaddressanypotentialsocialmisconceptionsaboutcounselling. One victim interviewed by FLEX reported feeling encouraged by staff to getpsychologicalsupport:

6PercentageofallvictimssupportedbyMigrantHelpinDoverbetweenJanuaryandAugust2015.7PercentageofallvictimssupportedbyMigrantHelpinScotlandbetweenJanuaryandAugust2015.

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“Yes, that [counselling]hashelpedme. InChinanobodycaresaboutyour lifeandyounevergetthehelp.Noonecares,buthereIfeelhope.Theytellme“okayyouneedtogethelp”.

• Improvedaccesstocounselling(MigrantHelp): InScotland,MigrantHelpworkscloselywiththe

charityCrisis,whichprovidescounsellingsessionstoitsclients.Throughthismodel,MigrantHelpfacilitates6weeklycounsellingsessionsforeachclientwiththepossibilitytoextendthenumberofsessionsdependingontheclient’sneeds.Counsellingisprovidedonsiteandmembersofstaffareavailabletodiscussanyconcernswiththeclientsafterorpriortosessions.Pro-Actresearchshowedthatcounsellingtake-upwasrelativelyhighintheMigrantHelpservicesinScotland,evenprior to the pilot implementation (80.7% of all victims supported byMigrant Help in ScotlandbetweenJanuaryandAugust2015werereceivingcounsellingservices).

One of themain constraints onMigrant’s Help ability to provide counselling identified by theresearchwasthelimitedavailabilityoffundingforcounsellingservicesthroughtheNRMsystemin England.Until recently, victims could access up to 6 sessions of counselling under theNRMsystem in England. However, the provision of funding for these sessions has been recentlysuspendedbythemaincontractorresponsibleforthedeliveryofNRMsupport,whichmeansthatsub-contractors are no longer receiving funding from themain contractor for the provision ofpsychologicalcounselling.Accesstocounsellingwasrestrictedduringthepilotperiod,andwaitingperiodswerelong,asthesessions had to be approved by the main contractor (Salvation Army) after a comprehensiveneedsassessment.FLEXunderstandsthatfundingforprivatecounsellinghasbeenwithdrawnasof April 2016. As a result, subcontractors under the NRM system will now have to providecounselling at their own loss or will have to resort to partner organisations with funding toprovide these services. This situation is worrying, as most charities providing psychologicalsupport to vulnerable adults in the UK are overstretched for funding, and there are particulargaps in the provision of support to vulnerable males, who incidentally are the largest groupcurrently not accessing counselling. Access to counselling services through theNational HealthService (NHS) is also not suitable for victims of trafficking, given the long waitlists for theseservicesandthelackofprioritisationofvictimsoftrafficking.

Throughthepilot,alocalcounsellingcentreinDoverandanoutreachcounsellingcentreinLuton(providedbytheRefugeeCouncil)havebeensourcedtoensureaswiftresponsetoclients’needs,which has allowedMigrant Help to receive quick responses to referrals made and to arrange

Victimsoftenhavetowaitforlongperiodsoftimetoaccesscounselling.Forfemalevictims,thisiscompoundedbydifficultiesinfindingavailablefemalepsychologistsandinterpreters.OneofthevictimswhoreceivedoutreachcounsellingthroughthenewreferralmodelimplementedinDoverdescribedherexperiencetoFLEX:“InthebeginningIaskmydoctor[aboutcounselling].Heofferedmewellbeingservices,Ididtwosessionswiththem,butbyphone,notinperson,becauseIwaswaitingforafemalepsychologistandafemaleinterpreter,butIdon'tknowwhathappenedwiththem…soIaskMigrantHelpandtheyreferredmehere[totheRefugeeCouncilcounsellingservicesinLuton].”

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appointmentsforclientspromptly.ThisnewmodelimplementedinDoverhasbeenwellreceivedbyMigrant Help staff and clients alike, due to the reduced amount of paperwork required toobtain consent from the main contractor in England under the NRM (Salvation Army), andreducedwaitingtimesandabilitytoprovideclientswithcounsellingsessionspromptly.

Duringthepilotperiod,MigrantHelpprovidedcounsellingtotwomalevictimsofforcedlabour,who received 6 counselling sessions throughMigrant Help’s local counselling centre in Dover.Onefemalevictimofdomesticservitudealsoreceivedtwocounsellingsessionsthroughthesameservice,andwas later referred tomoresuitable local therapysessionswhensherelocated toadifferentarea.Outreach therapy was also offered to victims by Migrant Help and provided by the RefugeeCouncilTherapeuticServices inLuton.FLEXfacilitatedthecontactbetweentheRefugeeCouncilandMigrantHelp.Theliaisonbetweenthelocalcounsellingprovider inDoverandtheoutreachcounsellor at the Refugee Council has also helped to establish the foundation for futurepartnerships.Twofemalevictimswerereferredto thisservice,andhavebothreceivedover10therapy sessions. Both these clients reported feeling depressed, upset, and had disturbedsleeping patterns before taking up counselling. From the feedback forms collected byMigrantHelp it can be seen that these clients have started to rebuild their lives and trust others, theyhavegainedabetterunderstandingof theirsymptomsandtheiranxiety levelshavedecreased.ThiswasconfirmedthroughinterviewsconductedbyFLEXwithbothvictimsreceivingcounsellingsupportfromtheRefugeeCouncil:

“Ifeelverygoodaboutthissupport.Itishelping,somehow,becausenowIcantrust,Istarttotrustotherpeople,whichformeisaverygoodthingbecauseIamstartingtogetbetter,tofeelmoreconfident,andIamstillhopingthateverythingisgoingtobefineafterthosesessions.SoIamfeelingverygoodaboutthesessions.”

The implementationof thepilotstrategieshas improvedaccess tocounsellingamongMigrantHelpservice users to somedegree. In Scotland, there has been a 7% increase in the number of victimsaccessing counselling during the pilot period. However, the increase in access to counselling byvictims supported by Migrant Help in Dover has been of just 2%, which is insufficient to showsignificantimprovement.Thisislikelyduetotheshortperiodcoveredbythepilotandthereforethelimitedavailabilityofdata.Moreover,someofthenewprocessesandpartnershipsweredevelopedduring the pilot implementation stage and we could therefore expect to see more significantquantitativeresultsintime.On the other hand, the qualitative data collected shows that the experience of the pilots withimprovedaccess to counsellinghasgenerallybeenverypositive.Morevictimsofhuman traffickinghave accessed counselling, and thosewhohave, have reported feeling better,more confident andlessanxious.Thecaseworkersandcounsellorsworkingwithvictimshavealsoreportedimprovementsinthemoodandlevelsofanxietyofvictims,andhavehighlightedtheimportanceofaccesstotheseservices forvictimrecovery.Moreover,accesstocounsellingcanhelpprevent further isolation, thedevelopmentofotherpathologiesanddeepeningofpsychologicaltrauma.Whenaskediftherewasanyoneelseshecouldtalkto,onevictimsaid:

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“Other than her [the counsellor]? No. Evenmy friends they don’t know exactlymy story. Inevertoldthem.”

Anothervictimsaid:“Icanonlyspeaktoher[thecounsellor].Idon'thaveanyotherperson.[…]Counsellingisreallyhelpful.Italktoher,Ifeelrelieved[...]Icomehereandtalk,Ifeelmorehappyandbetter.Likeyesterday,IwasjustcryingtooloudandcomingtodayIfeelbetter."

However,clientsalsoreportedthatmoresessions—morethanthe6maximumnumberofsessionsprovidedbyMigrantHelp—8wouldbehelpful.Whenaskedwhethertheywouldliketoreceivemorecounsellingsupport,onevictimsaid:

“Yes,Ithinkso.Thehealthfrommentalhealthconsultantswouldhelpmefeelhappier,safer…andthathelps.”

Anothervictimsaid:

“Wewouldlikebutourcounselling,theprogramisfinished.Whenweseethecounselling,ithelpsusbecauseitwasadvisingus,tellingusdothis.Butwestillhavethisthinginourheartthatcan’tgoaway,likemeIdon’tsleep,baddreamsalwayswheneverItry.’CosIfightthroughhardlife,whenI’vehadtowashourplatesintheshower,manythingsmanythingsIhavehadtoforget,Idon’tevenfeellikeeating[…]Morecounsellingisbetter.”

Theimportanceofforgingsupportiverelationshipswitheachotherwasalsohighlightedthroughoutthe interviews conducted by FLEX, with a number of victims saying they felt like they could seeksupport from their friends — referring to other victims staying at the same accommodation, orpartner—who had also been exploited alongside the victim. One intervieweewhowas receivingoutreachsupport,andwasthereforenotbeingaccommodatedwithothervictimsoftraffickingsaidthatshewouldhavelikedtobepartofsomeformofpeersupportsystem:

“Therearealotofwomenwhohavethesameexperiencejustlikeme.AndIfeelverysorry,butIneedtospeaksometimeswiththem,tocontact.Nottosharehowexactlyhappened,mystory,butourexperiences…tohavesupport.”

Lackoffundingalsoaffectsthequalityofthesupportprovided;becausevictimsonlygetsupportfor45days,counsellorsareforcedtoworkquicklytostabilisevictimsanddonothaveenoughtimetofully address their problems. Due to the limited amount of time and sessions counsellors cancompletewith victims, they are forced to focusonproviding victimswith copingmechanisms, andcannot address theunderlying trauma throughpsychotherapy sessions. At the endof the 45days,victimsareleftwithoutpsychologicalsupportandareoftennotreadytodealwiththeirtraumaandmentalhealthneedsontheirown.

8ThenumberofsessionsreceivedbyvictimsreceivingpsychologicalassistanceprovidedbytheRefugeeCouncilinpartnershipwithMigrantHelpisnotlimited,anddependsoneachclient’sspecificneeds.

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Strategy5–SupportingaccesstobenefitsandappropriateemploymentAspartof theirwork supportingandadvisingvictims, LAWRSprovidedemployment support to thevictims of trafficking identified. Of the four victims identified, two victims attended employabilitysessions,andonevictimwasreferredtoEnglishlessonsprovidedexternally.Victims supported by Migrant Help have continued to express their need for support findingappropriateanddecentemployment thatempowers themto live independentlyandmoveonwiththeirlives.OnevictimtoldFLEX:

“IwouldliketohaveaproperfulltimejobwhereIwouldn’tbeforcedtowork, IwoulddoitjustbecauseIenjoyit.”

Inthecaseofnon-Europeanvictims,thisaspectiscomplicatedbyimmigrationconsiderationsandthedifficultiestheyfaceinobtainingdiscretionaryleavetoremainonthegroundsofatraffickingclaim.Onevictimfacingthisissuesaid:

“WhatIwantisiftheycanhelpmeandgivemeavisaand[…]ajobIamnotalazyperson.[…]WhatIalwayslovedtodoishelpingpeople.Thelessprivileged,thehandicapped,thesick.IwassayingtomyselfthatifIcouldgetavisaIcouldgotocollegeandmaybedothat…”

Another victim waiting to hear from the Home Office on her trafficking claim and her asylumapplicationtoldFLEX:

“IdidthecollegewhenIwasbackin[X].AndIneverworkedasateacher,becauseIstudytobeateacher.AndI’dliketostudyhere,togetajob,teaching.Tobenormal.[…]FornowIamok, but she is growing up [referring to her child] and I don’t know if I can support herfinancially.”“WhenIgavethebiginterview,theofficer,heaskedme“apartofwhathappenedtoyou,whydoyouwanttostayhere?”Hewasthefirstonetogivemethisquestion,andIsaidbecauseIwanttogiveher,tomydaughter,thelifethatIdidn’thavein[X].Tobefree.Firstofalltobefree,freeforeverything.Freetothink,freetochoosewhatyouwant.”

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3.ReflectionsandrecommendationsTheresultsofthepilotshowthatingeneralterms,astrongerfocusonachievingpositivelong-termoutcomesforvictimsoftraffickingisrequired.ThecurrentsupportavailableundertheNRMsystemishighly limitedand forces serviceprovidersandvictimsalike to focus theirenergiesonmeeting themosturgent,basicneedsofvictimsoftraffickingintheshortperiodoftimeprovided(45days).Asaresult,thereisasignificantriskthattheoverallsystemmightbefailingvictimsoftrafficking,whoarestillhighlyvulnerabletoexploitationandre-traffickingwhentheyleavethesupport.The lack of post-NRM support or follow up, and consequently of official data regarding long-termoutcomes,includinglong-termaccesstokeylegalentitlementsforvictimsofhumantrafficking—i.e.compensation,safeaccommodation—makes it impossibletoassesswhetherthesupportcurrentlyavailable to victims of trafficking is adequate to ensure their protection from further victimisation.However,serviceproviders,migrantcommunityorganisationsandcharitiesworkingwithvulnerableadults (i.e. refugees,homelesspersons) reportsignificantobstaclessupportingvictims in the longerterm,andexpresstheirfearsandanxietyforthefutureofthishighlyvulnerableclientgroup.RecommendationstoGovernment:

ü The ongoing review of identification and support under the NRM system should take intoaccountthefindingsofthePro-Actpilotandthevoicesofvictims.

ü Amend theNRM contract to ensure prompt& comprehensive access to counselling for allvictimsofhumantrafficking:

o AccesstopsychologicalsupportundertheNRMmustbeprovidedpromptlytoallvictims

whorequestitwithouttherequirementofaninitialpsychologicalassessment.Paperworkandprocessesactingasabarrier toaccessmustbe revisedandupdated toensure thetimelyprovisionofpsychologicalsupport.

o The support contract under the NRM must ensure that needs-based counselling is

sufficiently funded, and that victims receive comprehensive integrative psychotherapysessionsratherthanmerelycopingtherapy.

o Fundingforpsychologicalsupportmustbeavailablebeyondthe45-dayperiod,andmust

be tailored individual victims’ ongoing needs, to ensure victims and counsellors cancontinuetoworktogethertowardsvictims’fullmentalrecovery.

o Uptakeofcounsellingandpositivelong-termmentalhealthoutcomesforvictimsshould

beincludedaskeyperformanceindicators(KPIs)forsubcontractorsundertheNRM.

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ü Improveaccesstolegalremediesforvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation:o Ensurevictimspromptlyreceiveinformationabouttheir legalrightsandentitlementsat

the point of identification. Government agencies coming into contact with victims ofhuman trafficking should be prepared to provide this information (i.e. must beadequately trained and have easily understandablematerials for dissemination amonganypotentialvictims).

ü Ensuresupportprovisionisvictim-centredandtailoredtovictims’specificneeds:

o Fundpost-support reintegrationprogramme: the lackof anypost-NRMsupport system

means that often victims lose contactwith the referralsmade or cannot complete thesteps put in place by service providers as part of their move-on plans on their own.Beyondtheformalassistancecurrentlyofferedduringthe45day‘reflectionandrecoveryperiod’, ongoing support is needed to achieve long-term recovery and guard againstfurthervulnerability.

o ThelengthofthesupportentitlementundertheNRM(45days)isarbitraryandnotlongenough. Ensure extensions are promptly granted to victims of trafficking requiringsupportforlongerperiodsoftimeundertheNRM.

o Under the NRM contract, comprehensive needs assessments should be carried outcovering at least: mental and general health needs, access to legal support, access toaccommodation and welfare, integration and employability. Outcomes should bemonitored before exit from the NRM system to ensure needs have been met, andextensionsshouldbegrantedforvictimswhohaven’thadtheirmostbasicneedsmet(i.e.accesstoadequateaccommodation).

o Long-termoutcomesforvictimsshouldbeincludedaskeyperformanceindicators(KPIs)forsubcontractorsundertheNRM,andmonitoredaspartofapost-supportreintegrationprogramme.

Recommendationstoserviceprovidersandcommunityorganisations:

ü Provide information on employment rights tailored to different work sectors and migrantcommunities:theuseofculturalmediatorscanhelpbridgedistanceswithlocalcommunitiesandassistinthedisseminationofinformationanddevelopmentoftrustingrelationshipsandpartnershipsfortheidentificationandsupportofvictimsoftrafficking.

ü Ensuresupportprovisionisvictim-centredandempoweringforvictimsoftrafficking:

o Providetraffickingvictimswithongoinginformationabouttheirrightsandentitlements:ensuretheprovisionofsupportis informed,thatvictimscangiveinformedconsentandareawarethattheycanwithdrawtheirconsentatanytime.

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o Helptraffickedpersonstounderstandhowtocomplain,andplaceapriorityoncreating

andenablinganenvironmentwherevictimsknowwhattheyareentitledtoandfeelliketheycancomplainiftheirneedsarenotbeingmet.

o Carryoutcomprehensiveneedsassessmentscoveringatleast:mentalandgeneralhealth

needs, access to legal support, access to accommodation andwelfare, integration andemployability. Use the ongoing needs assessments to monitor outcomes before theclientsleavetheservicetoensureneedshavebeenmet.Wherepossible,supportshouldbecontinuedifitisconsideredthatanindividualvictim’sneedshavenotbeenmetbytheservice.

ü Improveaccesstolegalremediesforvictimsoftraffickingforlabourexploitation:

o Provide informationandassistance toaccess legal remedies. Ensure staffmembersare

awareofthefullrangeoflegaloptionstovictimsoftraffickingandaretrainedtopassonthisinformationtoserviceusers.Providewritteninformationinvictims’nativelanguageand preferably accompanied by visual aid, to make complex legal concepts moreaccessible, andensure victimshavematerials they can later refer to and askquestionsabout.

o Ensurevictimshaveaccesstothefullrangeoflegalassistancerequired.Setupnetworks

anddevelop relationshipswith lawyers— including immigration,employment, civil andcriminalspecialists—tofacilitateaccesstoexpertlegalassistanceforserviceusers.

ü Provideintegration&employmentsupport:

o Develop robust models of ongoing support and assistance with move-on options that

promotevictims’long-termintegrationandaccesstodecentjobs.

ü Provideaccesstocounsellingforallvictimsoftrafficking:o Provide psychological support tailored to victims’ needs. Counsellingmust be aimed at

long term positive mental health outcomes, and not limited to a specific number ofsessionsortoofferingcopingmechanismsforvictims.Psychologicalsupportmustincludeintegrative psychotherapy, and victims should receive as many sessions as deemednecessary. Termination of the support must be agreed upon by the mental healthprofessionalprovidingsupportandtheindividualvictimthemselves.

o Develop partnerships with other organisations providing counselling services to

vulnerable adults. Working in partnership with others — i.e. other NGOs and mentalhealth clinicsor independentprofessionals— todevelopnewmodels forpsychologicalsupport can help ensure victims have timely access to the support they need. Thisstrategycanproveparticularlyusefulwherevictimsarereceivingoutreachsupport,and

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workinginpartnershipwithlocalorganisationscanfacilitateaccesstocounsellinglocallyforvictims.

ThisprojecthasbeenfundedwithsupportfromtheEuropeanCommission.Thispublication

reflectstheviewsonlyoftheauthor,andtheEuropeanCommissioncannotbeheldresponsibleforanyusewhichmaybemadeoftheinformationcontainedtherein.