Commonweal supports Slavery and Trafficking Survivor Care Standards

Commonweal is pleased to have supported The Human Trafficking Foundation's work updating the Slavery and Trafficking Survivors Care Standards, which aim to provide consistent, quality care for adult trafficking survivors across the UK.

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The situation

Modern slavery and exploitation affects thousands of adults and young people in the UK. Last year, a record 19,125 potential victims were referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) – the UK’s identification and support system for victims of modern slavery.

This figure is up 13% from 16,990 in 2023 and marks the highest rate since records began in 2009. Alarmingly, nearly one-third of those referred were children (5,999). The most reported form of exploitation was labour exploitation at 32% (6,153), rising by 8% on the previous year.

So far this year, over 10,000 potential victims have been referred to the NRM between January and June. The latest figures for April to June (5,690) represent a 32% rise from the same quarter last year and a 7% rise on the 5,297 referrals recorded in the first quarter of 2025. This trend suggests that the total number of referrals for 2025 will likely exceed last year's total.

However many survivors across the UK remain hidden and trapped in exploitation. It is estimated that on any given day, over 100,000 people endure exploitation in various forms, including forced labour, sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, and domestic servitude.

For those able to escape exploitation, homelessness and destitution are almost inevitable (for both UK and non-UK nationals), as their housing and employment are often tied to their exploitation. Housing insecurity is one driver of re-trafficking, where survivors return to perpetrators out of desperation.

The Slavery and Trafficking Survivor Care Standards

The UK has made legislative and institutional progress addressing modern slavery in the last decade, and ensuring that policies and measures reflect the current landscape is crucial for ensuring survivors are best supported.

Initially published in 2014 and reissued in 2018, the Slavery and Trafficking Survivor Care Standards were coordinated by the Human Trafficking Foundation alongside an expert working group made up of frontline practitioners.

The original Care Standards aimed to ensure that adult survivors of trafficking in the UK receive consistent, high-quality care in the NRM. Since their inception, the Care Standards have been endorsed by the Government and incorporated into policy and practice within the anti-slavery sector.

Following recommendations from two reports, reflecting on changes in the modern slavery policy landscape since the 2018 update, the Care Standards have undergone a comprehensive update.

Over the last year, the Human Trafficking Foundation has collaborated with over 150 individuals with lived and learnt experience, ensuring that the Care Standards remain an anchor for good practice in supporting survivors. Commonweal is pleased to have played a small role in funding the Human Trafficking Foundation's project coordinating this work.

The Care Standards feature new principles, standards and chapters – including guidance on accessing employment – and have been made applicable across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This new edition also includes a children's annex, which is fundamental given the high number of children facing exploitation.

Links to housing

Much of the 2018 Care Standards focused on the support provided in government safehouses offered after a survivor receives a positive reasonable grounds decision via the NRM. But in 2023, Commonweal-funded research by the Human Trafficking Foundation revealed the difficulties survivors face in accessing safe and secure housing.

The Key Issue report noted that in September 2023, only 13% of adult survivors (1,000) were in government safe houses, while 87% (6,837) received outreach support. As stated in the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance, an individual is likely to be housed in asylum accommodation or local authority housing if eligible, or may live with family or friends.

To reflect this, the new Care Standards have been revised to ensure that the expected support provision applies to a range of accommodations available to survivors, including asylum accommodation and local authority housing.

Launch event

The new Care Standards will be launched in a 1-hour webinar hosted by Human Trafficking Foundation on Thursday 6th November from 12-1 pm. This session will feature the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and the authors of the new Standards, who will discuss the key changes made in this edition.

Register your place here.