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Responding organisation: West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network Date of submission (online and by email): 6th May 2021 Response The West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network connects the various agencies involved in tackling modern day slavery in the West Midlands and beyond. Our regional multi agency Network works in partnership across statutory and third sectors to raise awareness, reduce the threat and harm of slavery, and rescue and support survivors in the West Midlands...

West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network: NRM Explanatory Document: With funding from the West Midlands OPCC via the Modern Slavery Police Transformation Unit in 2019, West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network have produced a multi lingual explanatory document which explains in detail, the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for use by First Responders for survivors of Modern Slavery at the point of identification in the West Midlands. It will include realistic and accurate information from professionals about...

Explore the links below for coronavirus information and materials in a variety of languages: Posters and information (Polish and Romanian) https://www.gov.je/Health/Coronavirus/Pages/CoronavirusFlyersAndPosters.aspx Doctors of the World COVID-19 information in a number of languages: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/193qQN9l04Dvf0N9L5zeWTiXK_DRbrAxg COVID-19 Posters (multiple languages): https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uSZWn001zT7BhU2fa1Z0gegdENm1gIRy     Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash

From 14 - 18 October 2019, the West Midlands Anti Slavery Network, Public Health England, and the Modern Slavery Police Transformation Programme joined forces to deliver a series of webinars for Modern Slavery Awareness Week.   The webinars included an introduction to modern slavery and spotting the signs, wider criminality and vulnerability, links between homelessness and modern slavery, technology and cybercrime, and the importance of public sector colleagues making every...

The West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network is celebrating its 10 Year Anniversary this year and we are inviting partners to join us in both celebrating this achievement and reflecting on the progress the network and its partners have had over the last 10 years to meet our aims. The event takes place on: Thursday 12th December, 2pm to 5pm at Carrs Lane Conference Centre, which is located in The Church at...

Read our May 2019 Newsletter here to learn about: The progress of our Homelessness/Modern Slavery Task Group Our new project with partners on mapping regional victim care and support services started last month An update from the West Midlands Police on Project Aidant and their new pilot project with the National Data Analytics Solution Team. How Transforming Communities Together is teaming up with the Big Issue to develop a training...

  The West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network (WMASN) are hosting a volunteer interest morning to discuss the upcoming opportunities in our 'Place of Safety' safe house and the wider network.   This is an informal event consisting of a short presentation of who we are, what the projects are and how you can get involved. Please feel free to come along to hear about who we are and what we're up...

  We're delighted to announce that the West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network has been awarded oer £320,000 of National Lottery funding by the Big Lottery Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.   The West Midlands has the highest numbers of modern slavery victims in the UK outside of London, with over 400 victims identified in the region so far this year. The number of people being found and...

  2018 has flown by yet so much has been achieved by Network members and the wider West Midlands Modern Slavery and Exploitation structure. The Pan West Midlands Strategy has now been in place over a year, with each of the 7 Local Authority areas having a Modern Slavery Partnership which feed into the PVVP Strategic Board Chaired by WMP.   Read our December 2018 Newsletter here, to find out...

'Health inequalities and health equity challenges for victims of modern slavery'   Read our new report in the Journal of Public Health (published 2 November 2018), written by Coral J Dando, Robin Brierley, Karen Saunders, and Jay-Marie Mackenzie.   Background Modern slavery is a serious organized crime, with severe consequences for the physical and mental health of victims, and so has public health implications. Anecdotally many victims of sex slavery...

  WMASN Newsletter August 2018, to learn the latest news and updates from the Network and work going on in tackling modern slavery in the West Midlands; including more details on the following: West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network Structural Change WMASN Homelessness and Modern Slavery Task Group WMASN Homelessness and Modern Slavery Conference – Monday 15th October 2018 Donations WMASN was able to make to 4 different organisations working with trafficking...

  Check out our WMASN Newsletter April 2018 for the latest news and updates on the Network and anti-slavery efforts in the West Midlands. WMASN Newsletter April 2018, and see the introductory letter by our Network chair, Robin Brierley, below:   "Thank you all for your continued support and contributions to the WMASN. NRM referrals continue to rise in the West Midlands and that’s in part to all the work...

John Hunter previously worked for Birmingham City Council as their Modern Slavery Coordinator, and he is a poet and playwright in his spare time. On retiring, he was asked to write a poem linked to Modern Slavery, which was read out at our recent WMASN meeting. You can read the poem in full below. Its title, 'Liberate' is the name of the West Midlands response to Modern Slavery.    ...

  The Snowdrop Project has created a tool for professionals to understand possible living scenarios for adult survivors of trafficking in the UK after a positive conclusive grounds decision from the National Referral Mechanism. Click here to read the PDF document.  

The RCN has produced a new guide to modern slavery, aimed at nurses and midwives, that teaches how to spot the signs of trafficking and examines the role these professions can play in tackling the issue of modern slavery in the UK. Click here to read the guide.

A number of important datasets were released on the 22 February 2018 from the Home Office and ONS. Among the releases are the quarterly Home Office Immigration Statistics, the ONS International Migration Statistics and the UKVI asylum transparency data. The West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership has attempted to extract the key information from each of these datasets with particular reference to asylum and resettlement in the West Midlands Region. Read...

  There are an estimated 40.3 million people living in slavery today, and the Home Office estimates that up to 13,000 of those are based in the UK. The help which councils are able to give, bolstered by the passing of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, is crucial.   Council employees are already working incredibly hard, rescuing and caring for victims while reducing the risk of repeat trauma. From the identification, referral and support of victims...

The National Referral Mechanism is a framework for identifying victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive appropriate support. Read more about it in our Guide to Modern Slavery here.   The newly-released statistics from the National Crime Agency show how it has been working from July to September 2017. The West Midlands has had a total of 137 referrals, second only to the Metropolitan Police Region. In terms of victim care...

  This year has again seen us all achieve so much including the production of a Pan West Midlands Modern Slavery Policy and Procedure, a MS Table top Exercise and a MS Conference on Anti-Slavery Day.   Moreover, all network members have consistently enhanced the response to the many aspects of modern slavery and we have ensured that the victim is put at the centre of all our work.  ...

The role of public health in addressing modern slavery has not been fully articulated in the UK. A new briefing from Public Health England has addressed this gap by asking: 1. What is the case for public health engagement in addressing modern slavery? 2. What are the components of a ‘public health approach’ to modern slavery? 3. What are the gaps in understanding, approach and practical action in public health...

Councils have a key role to play in tackling modern slavery and the Local Government Association's new workshops will provide support to councils in identifying and supporting victims and working in partnership. The workshops will provide practical examples of work that has been undertaken already and members will hear from experts in their field about tackling the issue. Modern slavery is a shocking crime, often hidden in plain sight in...

The new briefing from leading children's rights organisation, ECPAT UK, shows the results of their survey into professionals’ attitudes towards the UK’s current framework for identifying victims of human trafficking or modern slavery, the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), specifically in regard to children’s cases. The online survey was sent to frontline practitioners working with children who may have been trafficked, including local authorities, police and immigration services, criminal justice, health...

The University of Nottingham's Rights Lab, along with the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner of the UK have together produced an interactive map detailing the anti-slavery efforts taking place in the UK. Check it out to find out what is being done and where: iascmap.nottingham.ac.uk

Read the Greater London Authority's round-up of the latest UK-based and international news, comments and analysis on modern slavery below: Main Stories ‘I’m free... and now I am treated as a human being’: modern slave freed during Standard campaign 22 November 2017 Anne will never forget what it was like living as one of Britain’s hidden slaves. Brought into the country by a Saudi family she believed would look after...

Modern slavery is an umbrella term that encompasses the offences of human trafficking and slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, as set out in the different anti‑slavery legislation in place in the four UK countries (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Modern slavery frequently involves multiple victims, offenders and places, and it is often hidden and involves or takes place alongside a wide range of abuses and other criminal offences....

  The West Midlands Anti Slavery Network and Partners are holding a conference on Anti Slavery Day - 18th October 2017.   It will take place from 09.00hrs - 13.00hrs with excellent speakers with a wealth of knowledge from all three sectors and finishes with networking and tea, coffee and cakes.   If you would like to know more about the legislation (Section 54 Modern Slavery Act), how to identify...

The Royal United Services Institute has released a new report on the role of financial institutions in disrupting human trafficking, which makes for an excellent read for anyone interested in tackling Modern Slavery. To find out more click here.

A joint event was held on 15th November 2016 at Public Health Offices, Birmingham. It was a fantastic and informative event including awareness raising, sharing good practice, identifying current gaps and agreeing on actions to address these in order to tackle modern slavery in the region. Click Here for the Public Health England report of the event, including links to the presentations given on the day.  

The Independent Anti Slavery Commissioner's Office, in conjunction with The Passage, have released a report into understanding and responding to modern slavery and homelessness. Read it here  

On 20th January 2017 the Anti-Slavery Commissioner has published his letter to Minister Sarah Newton MP calling for radical change and reform to the National Referral Mechanism. In the letter the Commissioner has provided recommendations for improvement in identification, referral and support of victims of modern slavery in the UK. You can read the full letter here.  

IOM's counter-trafficking projects are offering return and reintegration assistance to victims of trafficking identified in the UK. The projects vary slightly but generally provide pre-departure assistance (arrangement and payment of return travel and travel documents), travel assistance in the UK and country of destination through to short and long term assistance including accommodation and psychosocial support. Read this summary of IOM's Voluntary Return and Reintegration Assistance Projects for Victims of...

The PGCert/PGDip/MSc programme in Safeguarding is designed for multi-disciplinary professionals from social care, health, police, education, voluntary and charitable organisations, private hospitals and other organisations with an interest in safeguarding children, young people and adults. This programme aims to equip students with an up to date, in-depth knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the legal, ethical, and practice issues which underpin practice in both adult, young people and child safeguarding,...

The UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner's office has launched its website and blog. Take a look here: www.antislaverycommissioner.co.uk to learn about the UK's fight against modern slavery.

  We have produced our first network newsletter with updates from our events, partners and modern slavery info. This instalment includes a short article on our Victim's Journey Conference held to mark Anti-Slavery Day on October 18th, a piece by Public Health England and their contribution to the fight against modern slavery and much more information. Read the first WMASN Newsletter now!   Photo by Branden Harvey on Unsplash

The network continues to grow and is now aligned to the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) Modern Day Slavery Threat Group, chaired by the NCA. We have recently welcomed a number of new members including the Black Country Housing Association. The latest member to join us is Simon Jennings representing Business in the Community. This is an exciting step forward for the network as it now brings on...