Unseen UK

Unseen is an award-winning charity which was founded in 2008 to work towards a world without slavery. Unseen has a decade’s experience in supporting survivors, runs the UK-wide Modern Slavery Helpline, and was instrumental in the passing of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in the UK.

Modern Slavery

Someone is in slavery if they are forced to work through mental or physical threat, owned or controlled by an ‘employer’, usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse; dehumanised, treated as a commodity, or bought and sold as ‘property’; and physically constrained or have restrictions placed on their freedom.

Human trafficking is defined in the UK as the movement of a person or people with the intent to exploit them, and is closely linked to modern slavery..

Exact numbers are hard to define, but according to the International Labour Organisation, there are an estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 million in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriage.

The UK National Crime Agency estimates that there are potentially tens of thousands of victims in the UK. In 2017 5,145 victims entered the National Referral Mechanism (the UK’s system for identification and support of victims), including 2,118 child victims.

Human trafficking is one of the biggest international illegal trades, bringing in upwards of $150 in profits a year

Aims

Unseen’s vision is a world without slavery.

To achieve this, Unseen is working in three core areas:

• To support survivors and vulnerable people through specialist services, helping them to recover safely and develop resilient independent lives;
• to equip healthcare workers, the police, frontline agencies, businesses and others with training, advice and resources to better identify and support potential victims;
• to influence government and society to inspire change in legislation, policy and consumer choices.

Supporting Survivors

Unseen runs safehouses for men, women and child survivors of trafficking, and outreach services for those ready to rebuild their lives in the community.

The Unseen Women’s Safehouse was the first project opened by the charity in 2008, and offers support to up to eight female survivors of trafficking aged over 18 at a time. The Unseen Men’s Safehouse followed in 2016, and has provision to support up to five survivors. Both safehouses provide for the survivors with the highest levels of trauma, and offer specialised support to help them start overcoming their experiences and building a life without slavery.

The Unseen Children’s House launches in 2018, able to accommodate up to four children. Around 60% of suspected child victims of trafficking in local authority care go missing and not subsequently found. The level of specialist support and supervision at the Unseen Children’s House is designed to keep children safe and prevent them disappearing and being re-exploited, while helping them access counselling, education, and other key services they need. Unseen takes referrals from across the UK.

Unseen’s Resettlement, Integration and Outreach project (RIO), offers a range of services for survivors, whether they are transitioning from safe house accommodation and require support to resettle and integrate into local communities, or whether they need outreach support rather than emergency accommodation whilst awaiting a decision from the authorities surrounding their trafficking experience.

All four projects support survivors to access a range of services including: medical care and treatment, counselling; legal advice and assistance; holistic therapy sessions; education; financial assistance; immigration advice; assistance to return home or to reside in the UK. In the case of RIO, we also offer housing and practical support and link-ups to community groups and volunteering opportunities.

Modern Slavery Helpline and Resource Centre

If you think you have spotted the signs of trafficking and exploitation, call Unseen’s Modern Slavery Helpline now on 08000 121 700. If you want to learn more about the signs of slavery, download the free Unseen App now.

The Modern Slavery Helpline and Resource Centre was launched in October 2016 after Unseen was selected to operate it. The Helpline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is confidential and independent. Helpline Advisors are able to signpost callers to relevant services or refer cases to responders who have access to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

In 2017, its first full calendar year of operations, the Helpline received over 3,700 calls and over 700 online reports, opening over 1,200 cases of modern slavery and indicating 4,886 potential victims.

Through the Helpline, potential victims are able to speak to fully-trained Advisors who can help them access relevant services, including government-funded support through the NRM. Statutory agencies can call to gain support in dealing with potential victims, and to receive guidance in accessing all the information and tools available through the Helpline’s associated Resource Centre. Businesses are able to call for information, advice and to report concerns they may have about potential instances of modern slavery in their business. Members of the public and frontline professionals can also report suspicions or concerns.

In addition, the Helpline publishes data and statistics, alongside themed reports concerning modern slavery in different sectors and locations, and shares the data with relevant statutory agencies, the government, press and members of the public, to support the efforts in tackling modern slavery and helping to prevent further instances occurring.

In July 2018, Unseen launched the Unseen App, allowing smartphone users to download the free app, enabling them to understand the types of modern slavery, spot the signs and report it to the Helpline.

Anti-Slavery Partnership

Unseen was instrumental in establishing the Anti-Slavery Partnership (ASP) with Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council. The Partnership is chaired by Unseen alongside Avon and Somerset Police.

The purpose of the ASP is to support and enable the discovery of and response to incidents of modern slavery through a victim-centred, multi-disciplinary and collaborative community effort.

The scope of the ASP is based upon three broad areas of activity with the ultimate aims of supporting victims, disrupting criminal activity and prosecuting perpetrators:

• Proactive work that aims to assist frontline staff to recognise victims of modern slavery
• Proactive activity that increases intelligence gathering so more victims can be identified and helped, while perpetrators are brought to justice
• Training and educating frontline staff, local communities and professionals about modern slavery, with the knowledge of the key indicators and where to get help.

Unseen also set up an ASP in Bedfordshire, ensuring collaboration and coordination across the country.

Training

Unseen offers modern slavery and human trafficking training to equip others to take action to identify and prevent modern slavery in their sectors, and to recognise and support survivors. As well as working with businesses on the issue of slavery in supply chains, Unseen trains professionals whose work may bring them into contact with potential victims of slavery, including Local Authorities, Police, Fire and Rescue, Housing Associations, Environmental Health Officers, Social Workers, NGOs, businesses and many other sectors.

Working with Business

The ILO estimates that 24.9 million people are trapped in forced labour around the world. Much of this type of exploitation takes place in the lower tiers of the supply chains of businesses. Unseen works with businesses to help them understand the modern slavery risk involved in their enterprises and how to combat it.

Modern Slavery Act 2015

Unseen’s CEO, Andrew Wallis OBE led and chaired The Centre for Social Justice report: ‘It Happens Here – Equipping the United Kingdom to fight Modern Slavery’. Acknowledged by the UK’s Home Secretary as the catalyst for the Modern Slavery Act, its recommendations have heavily influenced the new Government strategy to tackle modern slavery.

Unseen was instrumental in helping formulate the Act, which included giving evidence to the pre-legislative committee, and Unseen’s CEO gave evidence in Parliament to the Pre-Bill committee, and was also on the committee chaired by Frank Field MP.

The Act received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015 with the initial package of Modern Slavery Act provisions coming into effect on 31 July 2015. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 gives law enforcement the tools to tackle modern slavery, ensure that perpetrators can receive suitably severe sentences for these appalling crimes, enhance support and protection for victims, and ensure large businesses report annually on what they doing to stop modern slavery occurring in their supply chains.

You can read the whole of The Modern Slavery Act 2015 here.

Awards

2018

GSK IMPACT Award

2017

DSC Social Change Awards – The Influencer Award for Kate Garbers, Unseen’s Managing Director

2015

Charity Times Awards – Charity of the Year, with an income of less than £1 million

Charity Times Awards – Shortlisted for Rising CEO Star for Andrew Wallis

Lloyds Bank Foundation Charity Achievement Awards – Highly Commended

CEO Andrew Wallis awarded the OBE for services to the Eradication of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery

GSK IMPACT Award – Runner Up

2013

DSC Social Change Awards – The Influencer Award for Andrew Wallis, Unseen’s CEO Centre for Social Justice Award

2012

The McWhirter Foundation – The Good Citizenship Award – Kate Garbers, Unseen’s Managing Director

Further Information

More information is available on the Unseen and Modern Slavery Helpline websites, including the 2017 Impact Report.

References

This article "Unseen UK" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Unseen UK. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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