Stable Futures: Improving Participation, Life Chances and Outcomes for Children and Young People following Human Trafficking and/or Modern Slavery
Lead Research Organisation:
Sheffield Hallam University
Department Name: College of Social Sciences and Arts
Abstract
The trafficking of children and young people is a worldwide phenomenon. Human trafficking has been defined within international law under the Palermo Protocol 2000 and, within the UK, 'modern slavery' is defined within the Modern Slavery Act 2015. In the UK, legal, policy and practice frameworks around child trafficking have been built up around multiple, and at times, competing discourses which are not always neutral or apolitical (O'Connell-Davidson, 2006). Therefore, trafficked and exploited children's experiences of care, support and protection are often shaped by political discourses rather than by their actual needs or experiences. Research highlights how human trafficking or 'modern slavery' can be embedded in multiple forms of exploitation beyond the historic focus on sexual exploitation. However, the views of 'survivors' are often left out of the formulation of policies and in the UK children's insights have been missing from anti-trafficking work. In this context, bringing young people's views, knowledges and experiences into the centre of policy and law is vital for ensuring their experiences of protection and care are not lived out in the gaps between discourses, laws and policies.
This proposal by the Institute of Applied Social Research at the University of Bedfordshire (UoB) and Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT UK) seeks to identify which outcomes of care and protection are most important from the perspectives of young people themselves, and what the pathways towards these outcomes might look like. It aims to work with different groups of young people who have experienced trafficking and/or exploitation and bring more visibility to different experiences, needs and outcomes. The overarching aim of this proposal is to extend and enhance understandings of survivor-led research with young people which focusses on their care and protection needs, short-, medium- and long-term outcomes, hopes and aspirations.
Key objectives include the use of participatory principles and tools for the co-creation of an arts- and multi-media-based research project young people (n=40), based on priorities identified by young people themselves. This will capture different trafficking experiences and explore themes of protection, recovery, inclusion and empowerment through 'themed' research projects and outputs, framed by a participatory and trauma-informed methodology and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). An outcomes framework for what short-, medium- or long-term positive outcomes might look like in a UK context will be devised with young people. We will carry out an international scoping review of academic literature around processes and outcomes of protection, recovery, and empowerment, and 'what works' across other complex social problems, such as violence against children, and will involve young people in relating the findings to their own knowledge and perspectives of care and support. A global call for grey-literature on best practice and participation with trafficked children and the meaning of empowerment in practice, will be distributed through ECPAT's global network and other relevant child-centred organisations.
The literature review, global call and peer-research with young people will be used in multiple ways, including informing policy and practice. We also plan to influence professional university curricula and will pilot in the University of Bedfordshire's social work, policing and social care courses prior to extending to other HE institutions. We will develop a 'Stable Futures: Good Outcomes' website designed by young people to inform key stakeholders of the findings and give them access to project outputs. Other outputs from young people may include podcasts arts-based outputs. Anticipated stakeholders are legislators, policy-makers, operational and strategic stakeholders, statutory services, civil society, international organizations, academics and media.
This proposal by the Institute of Applied Social Research at the University of Bedfordshire (UoB) and Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT UK) seeks to identify which outcomes of care and protection are most important from the perspectives of young people themselves, and what the pathways towards these outcomes might look like. It aims to work with different groups of young people who have experienced trafficking and/or exploitation and bring more visibility to different experiences, needs and outcomes. The overarching aim of this proposal is to extend and enhance understandings of survivor-led research with young people which focusses on their care and protection needs, short-, medium- and long-term outcomes, hopes and aspirations.
Key objectives include the use of participatory principles and tools for the co-creation of an arts- and multi-media-based research project young people (n=40), based on priorities identified by young people themselves. This will capture different trafficking experiences and explore themes of protection, recovery, inclusion and empowerment through 'themed' research projects and outputs, framed by a participatory and trauma-informed methodology and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). An outcomes framework for what short-, medium- or long-term positive outcomes might look like in a UK context will be devised with young people. We will carry out an international scoping review of academic literature around processes and outcomes of protection, recovery, and empowerment, and 'what works' across other complex social problems, such as violence against children, and will involve young people in relating the findings to their own knowledge and perspectives of care and support. A global call for grey-literature on best practice and participation with trafficked children and the meaning of empowerment in practice, will be distributed through ECPAT's global network and other relevant child-centred organisations.
The literature review, global call and peer-research with young people will be used in multiple ways, including informing policy and practice. We also plan to influence professional university curricula and will pilot in the University of Bedfordshire's social work, policing and social care courses prior to extending to other HE institutions. We will develop a 'Stable Futures: Good Outcomes' website designed by young people to inform key stakeholders of the findings and give them access to project outputs. Other outputs from young people may include podcasts arts-based outputs. Anticipated stakeholders are legislators, policy-makers, operational and strategic stakeholders, statutory services, civil society, international organizations, academics and media.
Organisations
Publications
Hynes Patricia
(2022)
Creating stable futures: Human trafficking ,participation and outcomes for children
Hynes, P
(2022)
Creating Stable Futures: Positive Outcomes Framework
Hynes, P.
(2023)
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking: The Victim Journey
| Title | Creating Stable Futures: Positive Outcomes Framework |
| Description | The Positive Outcomes Framework was developed following participatory workshops with 31 young people during 20 participatory workshops across England and Scotland. |
| Type Of Art | Image |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | There has been considerable interest in this Positive Outcomes Framework from social care professionals. It is a little early to describe notable impacts as it was only published in late 2022. |
| URL | https://www.ecpat.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=9b159cee-80fb-4add-8460-2135889ae6a3 |
| Title | Creating Stable Futures: Practice Tool |
| Description | The Creating Stable Futures Practice Tool has been developed and designed to enable frontline practitioners to hold better conversations with children and young people affected by human trafficking. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | This Practice Tool will be rolled-out during 2024 in Regional Learning Events across the four nations. |
| Description | 1. There is limited inclusion of children's views in research, policy, service design or delivery. In addition, a focus on achieving positive outcomes for children and young people who have experienced or are at risk of trafficking and modern slavery is currently absent from debates in the UK. The findings of this participatory research study address these gaps with the views of 31 young people detailing outcomes that are important for them and how barriers to achieving these are structural, systemic, and discriminatory. 2. For the first time, young people have identified 25 outcomes as important and meaningful to them as set out according to the four General Principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child - non-discrimination (Article 2), the best interests of the child (Article 3), the right to life, survival and development (Article 6) and the right to participation (Article 12). Young people highlighted being safe and feeling safe, stability and peace, having trust in professionals and systems, being believed, and listened to, freedom, equality, access to quality legal advice and interpreters as important rights-based outcomes. 3. Young people have identified what they would need to see for positive and meaningful change to happen in their lives, through a Positive Outcomes Framework which is anchored in their own words, ideas and priorities. Young people described outcomes as interconnected, difficult to disaggregate, rarely linear and interlinked with the wider contexts and structures of their lives. The outcomes identified were all seen as important for achieving a positive long-term future, with individual outcomes not confined within particular timeframes. |
| Exploitation Route | The Positive Outcomes Framework devised at the end of the project was based on what young people identified as what they would need to see for positive and meaningful change to happen in their lives. This is specific to children and young people and there is also a modern slavery core outcome set specifically for adults. This Positive Outcomes Framework for children and young people who have experienced human trafficking and could be taken forward by professionals and practitioners in social care, criminal justice, immigration and other sectors to ensure these young people move towards creating stable futures. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Education Government Democracy and Justice |
| URL | https://www.shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy-centre-international-justice/research-and-projects/all-projects/stable-futures |
| Description | The Final Report and Positive Outcomes Framework were launched in October 2022 and impacts to date reflect this early timeframe. Since this launch there have been a number of welcome developments which include: - This research has brought the language of young people together with the language of outcomes and human trafficking for the first time in the UK. - In addition to the policy and practice impact, the project has a significant positive impact on the individual young people who participated. Many report increased confidence following their participation, and have expressed significant interest in further project of co-creation in the research space. The production and publication of the creative outputs has also been a source of pride for the young people who developed them, with three expressing significant interest in receiving training and support to engage with policy and advocacy work to ensure systematic changes to the structures identified in the research which prevent them from achieving positive outcomes. - Following the completion of the project and the publication of the Creating Stable Futures Positive Outcomes Framework launch in the Houses of Parliament, we received very positive feedback from policy makers. One of the speakers who leads the Modern Slavery Unit in the Home Office was very receptive to the findings and some of the recommendations. Her teams were, at the time, working towards the implementation of the Nationality and Border's Act provisions on modern slavery, many of which are extremely harmful to the identification and support of children, likely influencing their outcomes negatively. The most important result of this influence is the exclusion of children for consideration to disqualification of identification under the 'bad faith' provision set out in the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance version 2023. The findings also informed the development of the new reasonable grounds standard for identification based on 'objective evidence' which despite being a regressive policy with regards to children, its impact was mitigated as far a reasonably possible by the evidence obtained through the findings of this research. - We have also seen very positive engagement with the framework by both local authority staff practitioners and inspectors. In the former, we have had productive conversations with children's social work managers on how to utilise the framework in their individual practice with children at Islington, Camden, Kent and Buckinghamshire. - The research team that developed the Positive Outcomes Framework were invited in 2023 to join a King's College London and Helen Bamber Foundation 'Community of Practice' comprised of survivor leaders, academics, multi-disciplinary practitioners and frontline service providers to advise of how this framework and an alternate framework for adult survivors of human trafficking can be adapted and championed for wider use. - In February 2024 a Symposium was held with these two teams - one from the Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set 'Community of Practice' and the other from the Creating Stable Futures Positive Outcomes Framework team. The overlapping age group of 18-25 years old young adults was the key focus. The Symposium attracted 90 participants which included survivors of trafficking and representatives across national (particularly Scotland and Wales) and local government, the charity sector, the police, health workers, social workers and other practitioners as well as representatives from the Dutch National Rapporteur. - In 2023 the research team was invited to speak about the research and framework at the British Sociological Association, the International Labour Organization and at two events at the Bakhita Centre for Research on Slavery Exploitation and Abuse, St Mary's University, Twickenham. - Presentations of the findings of the research and the Positive Outcomes Framework have also been given to the Children's Commissioner for England during a workshop on Outcomes for Children; Professor Tomoya Obokata, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery; the Welsh governments Anti-Slavery forum; and to internal Sheffield Hallam University colleagues. - As a result of the award a member of the research team as ECPAT UK was invited in 2023 to present at the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) London inspector conference on migration because the research findings, drawn directly from the experiences of children and young people in migration who have experienced trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation, will resonate with inspectors. The conference on the theme of migration will involve inspectors across the range of these inspection remits who are keen to learn more about the experiences and challenges for refugee and asylum-seeking children, young people and adults, and for the providers and services who are doing so much in London to support them. OFSTED have expressed significant interest in applying their framework to statutory inspections of services for unaccompanied migrant children. - The award has also resulted in initial conversation with Local Authority children's services from Islington Council on way the positive outcomes framework can be piloted in their area with two members of the research team scoping additional funding sources to support these potential pilots. Therefore, to take this Positive Outcomes Framework from a welcomed concept to a more widely accepted and utilised framework embedded in daily practice within social care and other legal procedures, we have taken the following next steps: - Two Local Authorities - Islington and another local authority in the north of England have shown an interest in helping us test the feasibility of the Positive Outcomes Framework in practice. To explore this we continue to seek support. - In October 2023, an application to the AHRC's Follow-on Funding for Impact and Engagement was granted to provide Regional Learning Events to Strategic Migration Partnerships, Local Safeguarding Partnerships and/or Modern Slavery Partnerships across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from which a structured training pack will be made available. - A Creating Stable Futures Practice Tool is under development and design that will be rolled out during these Regional Learning Events so that frontline practitioners can hold rights and outcomes-focussed discussions with young people affected by human trafficking, exploitation and/or forms of modern slavery. - Further policy engagement is set take place during 2024 before the end of the follow-on project in September 2024. - Discussions are ongoing to influence the policing curriculum in Sheffield Hallam University. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | Ongoing discussions with Barnardo's Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | Follow-on Funding for Impact and Engagement |
| Amount | £81,800 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/Y001826/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Description | Article in The Conversation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Article in The Conversation about children and young people going missing from unregulated hotels in the UK and how the adoption of a Positive Outcomes Framework can help children feel safe and be safeguarded. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/migrant-children-in-the-uk-are-going-missing-from-care-heres-how-to-prot... |
| Description | Invitation to comment at International Labour Organization launch of report |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invitation to comment at International Labour Organization launch of report: Hynes, P. (April 2023) invited speaker, What Works in Reducing Vulnerability to Forced Labour and Human Trafficking of Migrant Women Workers? Implications of the ILO Work in Freedom 10 Year Programme, International Labour Organization and UK Aid, Bush House, Kings College London. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/what-works-and-does-not-work-in-reducing-vulnerability-to-forced-labour... |
| Description | Launch of Final Report in House of Lords |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The Final Report from the project, plus a visual Positive Outcomes Framework, was launched in the House of Lords on 19 October 2022. This included 31 young people who had been part of the research and 10 young people spoke about their experiences of contact with services in the UK. Other attendees included MPs, the Metropolitan Police and the Welsh Government. There were also Responses to the research from the Children's Commissioner's for England, the Children's Commissioner for Scotland, the Modern Slavery Unit at the Home Office, and the former Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy-centre-international-justice/research-and-projects/all-projects... |
| Description | Love in Action - article written by young people with experience of child trafficking and exploitation - in Children & Young People now |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Young people who were involved in the participatory workshops decided that they wanted to write an article for Children & Young People Now which is the magazine and website for all professionals who work to improve the life chances of children, young people and families in the UK. The article - entitled Love in Action - explained how young people wanted to share with professionals the fundamental importance of love as a doing word, shown (or not shown) by those working with them. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.cypnow.co.uk/blogs/article/love-in-action |
| Description | Ongoing collaboration to discuss the 18-25 year old age group who are affected by human trafficking |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Ongoing discussion pre- and post-Symposium to explore the experiences and needs of the 18-25 year old age group of young adults affected by human trafficking. Launch of a UK-wide project to develop practical tools and approaches |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.mscos.co.uk/relevant-frameworks-for-children-and-young-people.html |
| Description | Presentation at British Sociological Association conference 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at British Sociological Association conference 2023 Hynes, P. (April 2023) Creating Stable Futures: Human Trafficking, Participation and Outcomes for Children and Young People, British Sociological Association Annual Conference, University of Manchester. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.britsoc.co.uk/media/26099/ac2023_abstract_book_day1.pdf |
| Description | Presentation at St Mary's University Twickenham Equality Diversity and Inclusion launch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at St Mary's University Twickenham Equality Diversity and Inclusion launch Hynes, P. (July 2023), invited panelist, Improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Publicly Funded Modern Slavery Research in the UK, UK BME Anti-Slavery Network and St Mary's University, London. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://modernslaverypec.org/research-projects/edi-modern-slavery-research |
| Description | Presentation at St Mary's University Twickenham annual conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at St Mary's University Twickenham annual conference Hynes, P. (May 2023) invited speaker, Creating Stable Futures: Human Trafficking, Participation and Outcomes for Children and Young People, Bakhita Centre for Research on Slavery, Exploitation and Abuse, St Mary's University, London. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/events/2023/modern-slavery-research-creative-practices-and-innovative-inte... |
| Description | Presentation of Positive Outcomes Framework at Children's Commissioner for England Workshop on Outcomes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A presentation of the research and the Positive Outcomes Framework was made at a Children's Commissioner for England workshop looking at Outcomes and Outcomes Frameworks for children on 15 November 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2022/11/16/the-family-review-developing-an-outcomes-framewo... |
| Description | Presentation to Anti-Slavery Wales Forum, Victims and Survivors Group meeting, Welsh Government, Cardiff |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to Anti-Slavery Wales Forum, Victims and Survivors Group meeting, Welsh Government, Cardiff Hynes, P. (September 2023), invited speaker, Anti-Slavery Wales Forum, Victims and Survivors Group meeting, Welsh Government, Cardiff. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.gov.wales/anti-slavery-wales-forum |
| Description | Presentation to colleagues at Sheffield Hallam University, 2 November |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to colleagues in the Law and Criminology Department, Sheffield Hallam University, on 2 November 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Press release of study findings |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Press releases from ECPAT UK, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Bedfordshire were issued. Each of these discussed the findings of the research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.shu.ac.uk/news/all-articles/latest-news/child-experiences-of-trafficking-final-report |
| Description | Subsequent broad and wide dissemination to appropriate professional and safeguarding organisations |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Subsequent email dissemination of the findings from this study have been sent during the scheduled final month of the project and subsequent to the launch of the final report and Positive Outcomes Framework to the Department for Education, the Scottish Government, the Modern Slavery Unit at the Home Office, UKVI, OFSTED, Office of the Children Commissioner for England, the Children and Young People Commissioner Scotland. the Refugee and Migrant Children's Consortium, the Missing Children Forum, the Metropolitan Police, the Department of Justice, the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS), ATLEP, NWG and 12 members of the Expert Reference Group involved in the project. Details of the research has also appeared in newsletters from Research in Practice, Making Research Count, the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, South Africa, the Human Trafficking Foundation, Migration Yorkshire, the NSPCC and across various social media. Additional dissemination through the Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre to various listserves, including the Modern Slavery Research Consortium, Freedom Fund Research bulletin, Human Trafficking Research Network (ECR network), Monitoring & Evaluation of Trafficking in Persons (METIP), IMIX and the Refugee Legal Group and Local Authority umbrella groups such as the LGA, WLGA, NILGA, COSLA and Local Government Information Unit. Follow-up activities and future meetings are in planning with a number of these organisations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://nwgnetwork.org/resource/creating-stable-futures-human-trafficking-participation-and-outcomes... |
| Description | Symposium organised in partnership with the Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set Community of Practice |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Symposium organised in partnership with the Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set Community of Practice. This Symposium attracted 90 participants to a formal set of presentation in the morning and then 25 participants to a discussion workshop in the afternoon. The key intention was to bring together the Creating Stable Futures Positive Outcomes Framework with the Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set to consider the overlapping age group of 18-25 year olds who have experience human trafficking, exploitation or a form of modern slavery. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creating-stable-futures-for-young-adults-who-have-experienced-trafficki... |