Developing and Implementing a Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set (MS-COS)

Lead Research Organisation: King's College London
Department Name: Health Service and Population Research

Abstract

This research aims to help survivors of modern slavery to recover from their experiences, by improving how we collect and analyse data from programmes that work to support survivors.

We know that survivors of modern slavery experience serious and long-term health, social, and economic consequences. We know much less about what works to help survivors recover from their experiences. This holds back efforts to improve services for survivors of modern slavery. This is an important problem for survivors, as well as for the professionals delivering the services and the policymakers deciding what services to commission and pay for.

If we want to understand what works to support the recovery of survivors of modern slavery, we first need to agree on what recovery means and how it should be measured - i.e. what are the core outcomes and indicators of recovery? We then need researchers and professionals to agree to collect data on the same outcomes and indicators. Doing this means that we can compare the effectiveness of different programmes and services. This is what we will do during this project, by developing a Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set (MS-COS). The MS-COS will set out a minimum standard set of outcomes that should be measured and reported when assessing the effectiveness of programmes that support survivors. Items included in the MS-COS will have been identified as important to the recovery of survivors of modern slavery. They will also have been prioritized for inclusion by survivors, service providers, researchers, and policymakers.

This project builds on methods developed by the COMET initiative, which brings together people interested in the development and application of agreed and standardized sets of outcomes, known as "core outcome sets". The project is divided into two phases:
(1) In phase one, we will identify possible recovery outcomes and indicators. We will do this in three ways. First, we will examine previous research, to identify the outcomes that they measured. Second, we will interview survivors of modern slavery about what recovery outcomes are most important to them. In particular, we will want to speak to survivors who have been under-represented in previous research. Third, we will hold a workshop with survivors, professionals, academics, and policymakers, to discuss outcomes of interest together.
(2) In phase two, we will prioritize outcomes and indicators for inclusion in the MS-COS. First, we will use an e-Delphi to ask people to rate the importance of outcomes and indicators. In a Delphi study, multiple rounds of questionnaires are sent to panels of experts. The anonymous responses are combined, and shared with the panels after each round. Panelists are allowed to change their answers after each round, based on what they think about the group responses. This study will use a two-round, three-panel online Delphi. Our three panels will be made up of survivors, professionals and policymakers, and academic researchers. Second, we will bring together survivors, professionals, academics, and policymakers in a consensus workshop to discuss, vote, and agree on the final MS-COS.

Alongside this, we will be doing work to raise awareness of the MS-COS and embed it into research and practice, including through our national and international links with academics, practitioners, and policymakers, and a new group, called a "community of practice".

The project is led by Dr Sian Oram, at King's College London, who has over ten years' experience of collaborating with survivors, professionals, policymakers and other academics to conduct modern slavery research. Members of the research team (from Uni. Nottingham, Uni. East London, Helen Bamber Foundation, and Survivor Alliance) have expertise in research, practice, and clinical care in relation to the recovery of survivors of modern slavery; survivor leadership and engagement; and expertise in core outcome set development.
 
Description This consensus-driven participatory research project identified seven core outcomes that should, as a minimum standard, be reported on in interventions for adult survivor recovery, healing, well-being and reintegration. This core outcome set provides a framework for research, policy and service design, development and evaluation. Each of the outcomes are an important result and endpoint in the recovery and well-being of survivors:
• Secure and suitable housing
• Safety from any trafficker or other abuser
• Long-term, consistent support
• Compassionate, trauma informed services
• Finding purpose in life and self-actualisation
• Access to medical treatment
• Access to education.
The core outcomes were developed via a consensus-led e-Delphi method, which was survivor-driven and informed by the opinions and experiences of several hundred participants including survivors, policymakers, service providers, regulators, professional health associations and politicians. The core outcomes are not an exhaustive set and further outcomes should be used to recognise the specificities of survivor experience and tailor a service or policy to the people stakeholders are working with. The longlist of 38 outcomes developed in this research can also be used in the design, development and evaluation of interventions. The project team has developed a Community of Practice that will offer practical training and guidance for the adoption of the core outcome set.

Our research found that outcomes for people with lived experience of modern slavery must be considered in a way that is multi-level and holistic, encompassing outcomes across a variety of areas that have traditionally been viewed as separate interventions. an effective way to work with survivors is to combine effective components from a range of potential interventions into multi-level or multi-layered interventions that can address a variety
of challenges faced by survivors in a holistic way. The MSCOS adopts this multi-level and holistic approach encompassing outcomes across a variety of domains that have traditionally been segregated in interventions.
Exploitation Route The findings and recomendations from this project can and should be taken forward by researchers, service providers and policy makers. Specifically, the MSCOS should be referred to as the minimum standard set of outcomes to be used in research, service and intervention design, evaluation and development, and policymaking. Using the MSCOS should prompt researchers, policymakers and service providers to think about interventions holistically. This means considering all MSCOS outcomes in intervention development and evaluation. If an intervention for survivors doesn't cover all the MSCOS outcomes, policymakers, researchers and service providers should either consider amending it or partnering with services or interventions that do. Researchers and service providers should also use the MSCOS to think about interventions on many different levels, including the individual, organisational, governmental and societal levels. Service providers, researchers and policymakers should consider the importance of structural factors in intervention evaluations.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice
URL https://modernslaverypec.org/resources/core-outcome-set
 
Description The findings of the MSCOS project have been fed into the development of a community of practice. The Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set (MSCOS) Community of Practice is comprised of 150 individuals working in nearly 100 organisations worldwide (including USA, England, Scotland, Ireland, India, Tanzania, and international organisations). This includes survivor leaders national and international), senior academics within anti-trafficking and other related fields, UK Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) subcontractors, anti-slavery hubs, independent charities and NGOs (including umbrella organisations), and services that are specifically focused on delivery of the MSCOS core outcomes. The Community of Practice stakeholders can cultivate a deep level of understanding of the MSCOS at scale, advising on how it may be adapted for use in their specific practice and area of work, and championing it to others. To date, over 1500 people have visited our Community of Practice website. We have featured, with permission, with 15 relevant practice models and frameworks which span wide interpretations of the Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set. These include Skills for Care Course at St Mary's University, Independent Modern Slavery Advocate model by Hope for Justice, Snowdrop and British Red Cross, VITA Training, Victim Navigator Programme by Justice and Care. Working with a wide range of stakeholder experts including academics, survivors and practitioners, the community of practice utilises these and other practice models as well as discussion forums on www.mscos.co.uk, online expert workshops, and podcasts to work towards a better understanding of practical, measurable standards for MSCOS that can be applied across different disciplines.
First Year Of Impact 2022
Sector Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Adult Victim Support MSSIG membership and consultation on the Nationality and Borders Bill
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
 
Description Membership on the NHS England and Home Office Mental Health Subgroup on Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Presentation to Home Office Modern Slavery Unit
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or Improved professional practice
 
Description Presentation to Home Office Modern Slavery Unit
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or improved professional practice
 
Description Trauma Informed Code of Conduct Training
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
URL https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/short-courses/modern-slavery/identification-of-victims.aspx
 
Description MS COS Community of Practice 
Organisation Helen Bamber Foundation
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We coordinate this multi-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together disparate organisations and institutions to discuss how to create and ultimately implement a core outcome set for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. We have developed close links with a range of migration and anti-trafficking organisations to begin establishing a community of practice in order to achieve this. We have been building this network throughout the project and are forging relationships with new groups all the time. We have developed and implemented communication channels and events to engage and grow our network throughout the project thus far, including via meetings and sharing findings. We have provided training on workshop facilitation to help establish and strengthen our community of practice, we also provide regular updates on progress and reporting on the findings of our research to inform practice in NGO practice and government policy work. We have invited our growing network to participate in the exploratory workshops and E-Delphi voting exercise to make sure they have a strong voice in deciding the final outcomes. As part of our community of practice work, we help link the organisations in our network to one another as well as to academics to help ensure that their work has the most positive impact possible, and shared our literature review and workshop summaries with them.
Collaborator Contribution Our core team collaboration helped design and facilitate workshops on creating a core outcome set, commented on outcomes produced from the research, helped recruit participants and workshop facilitators, supported the development of presentations on different issues around core outcome sets, and advised on the strategic direction of the project. Our broader community of practice collaborators have been invaluable in our efforts to engage the anti-trafficking field and ensure our outcomes are widely accepted, adopted, and ultimately influence policy and practice. Our network of collaborators within the community of practice have written letters of support for this project; contributed to the exploratory workshop discussions and E-Delphi voting exercise; supported in the recruitment for the E-Delphi Survey, exploratory workshops, and survivor research advisory board; supported the recruitment of several high-profile supporters who form an expert steering committee; and, amplified our wider engagement efforts online through various media channels.
Impact Our core team collaboration and our network of collaborators within the community of practice have led to the successful development and implementation of two multi-disciplinary and cross-sector stakeholder engagement workshops; the establishment and successful running of our survivor research advisory board; the launch of our e-Delphi survey; the establishment and running of our expert advisory group; presentations to policymakers for direct policy input and ongoing collaborations with policymakers in the Home Office to ensure the impact of the project outcomes; and the amplification of our online networking and communication efforts to expand our community of practice further and continue to clearly communicate the state of the art for non-academic uses.
Start Year 2021
 
Description MS COS Community of Practice 
Organisation Justice Resource Institute
Country United States 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We coordinate this multi-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together disparate organisations and institutions to discuss how to create and ultimately implement a core outcome set for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. We have developed close links with a range of migration and anti-trafficking organisations to begin establishing a community of practice in order to achieve this. We have been building this network throughout the project and are forging relationships with new groups all the time. We have developed and implemented communication channels and events to engage and grow our network throughout the project thus far, including via meetings and sharing findings. We have provided training on workshop facilitation to help establish and strengthen our community of practice, we also provide regular updates on progress and reporting on the findings of our research to inform practice in NGO practice and government policy work. We have invited our growing network to participate in the exploratory workshops and E-Delphi voting exercise to make sure they have a strong voice in deciding the final outcomes. As part of our community of practice work, we help link the organisations in our network to one another as well as to academics to help ensure that their work has the most positive impact possible, and shared our literature review and workshop summaries with them.
Collaborator Contribution Our core team collaboration helped design and facilitate workshops on creating a core outcome set, commented on outcomes produced from the research, helped recruit participants and workshop facilitators, supported the development of presentations on different issues around core outcome sets, and advised on the strategic direction of the project. Our broader community of practice collaborators have been invaluable in our efforts to engage the anti-trafficking field and ensure our outcomes are widely accepted, adopted, and ultimately influence policy and practice. Our network of collaborators within the community of practice have written letters of support for this project; contributed to the exploratory workshop discussions and E-Delphi voting exercise; supported in the recruitment for the E-Delphi Survey, exploratory workshops, and survivor research advisory board; supported the recruitment of several high-profile supporters who form an expert steering committee; and, amplified our wider engagement efforts online through various media channels.
Impact Our core team collaboration and our network of collaborators within the community of practice have led to the successful development and implementation of two multi-disciplinary and cross-sector stakeholder engagement workshops; the establishment and successful running of our survivor research advisory board; the launch of our e-Delphi survey; the establishment and running of our expert advisory group; presentations to policymakers for direct policy input and ongoing collaborations with policymakers in the Home Office to ensure the impact of the project outcomes; and the amplification of our online networking and communication efforts to expand our community of practice further and continue to clearly communicate the state of the art for non-academic uses.
Start Year 2021
 
Description MS COS Community of Practice 
Organisation London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We coordinate this multi-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together disparate organisations and institutions to discuss how to create and ultimately implement a core outcome set for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. We have developed close links with a range of migration and anti-trafficking organisations to begin establishing a community of practice in order to achieve this. We have been building this network throughout the project and are forging relationships with new groups all the time. We have developed and implemented communication channels and events to engage and grow our network throughout the project thus far, including via meetings and sharing findings. We have provided training on workshop facilitation to help establish and strengthen our community of practice, we also provide regular updates on progress and reporting on the findings of our research to inform practice in NGO practice and government policy work. We have invited our growing network to participate in the exploratory workshops and E-Delphi voting exercise to make sure they have a strong voice in deciding the final outcomes. As part of our community of practice work, we help link the organisations in our network to one another as well as to academics to help ensure that their work has the most positive impact possible, and shared our literature review and workshop summaries with them.
Collaborator Contribution Our core team collaboration helped design and facilitate workshops on creating a core outcome set, commented on outcomes produced from the research, helped recruit participants and workshop facilitators, supported the development of presentations on different issues around core outcome sets, and advised on the strategic direction of the project. Our broader community of practice collaborators have been invaluable in our efforts to engage the anti-trafficking field and ensure our outcomes are widely accepted, adopted, and ultimately influence policy and practice. Our network of collaborators within the community of practice have written letters of support for this project; contributed to the exploratory workshop discussions and E-Delphi voting exercise; supported in the recruitment for the E-Delphi Survey, exploratory workshops, and survivor research advisory board; supported the recruitment of several high-profile supporters who form an expert steering committee; and, amplified our wider engagement efforts online through various media channels.
Impact Our core team collaboration and our network of collaborators within the community of practice have led to the successful development and implementation of two multi-disciplinary and cross-sector stakeholder engagement workshops; the establishment and successful running of our survivor research advisory board; the launch of our e-Delphi survey; the establishment and running of our expert advisory group; presentations to policymakers for direct policy input and ongoing collaborations with policymakers in the Home Office to ensure the impact of the project outcomes; and the amplification of our online networking and communication efforts to expand our community of practice further and continue to clearly communicate the state of the art for non-academic uses.
Start Year 2021
 
Description MS COS Community of Practice 
Organisation Public Health England
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We coordinate this multi-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together disparate organisations and institutions to discuss how to create and ultimately implement a core outcome set for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. We have developed close links with a range of migration and anti-trafficking organisations to begin establishing a community of practice in order to achieve this. We have been building this network throughout the project and are forging relationships with new groups all the time. We have developed and implemented communication channels and events to engage and grow our network throughout the project thus far, including via meetings and sharing findings. We have provided training on workshop facilitation to help establish and strengthen our community of practice, we also provide regular updates on progress and reporting on the findings of our research to inform practice in NGO practice and government policy work. We have invited our growing network to participate in the exploratory workshops and E-Delphi voting exercise to make sure they have a strong voice in deciding the final outcomes. As part of our community of practice work, we help link the organisations in our network to one another as well as to academics to help ensure that their work has the most positive impact possible, and shared our literature review and workshop summaries with them.
Collaborator Contribution Our core team collaboration helped design and facilitate workshops on creating a core outcome set, commented on outcomes produced from the research, helped recruit participants and workshop facilitators, supported the development of presentations on different issues around core outcome sets, and advised on the strategic direction of the project. Our broader community of practice collaborators have been invaluable in our efforts to engage the anti-trafficking field and ensure our outcomes are widely accepted, adopted, and ultimately influence policy and practice. Our network of collaborators within the community of practice have written letters of support for this project; contributed to the exploratory workshop discussions and E-Delphi voting exercise; supported in the recruitment for the E-Delphi Survey, exploratory workshops, and survivor research advisory board; supported the recruitment of several high-profile supporters who form an expert steering committee; and, amplified our wider engagement efforts online through various media channels.
Impact Our core team collaboration and our network of collaborators within the community of practice have led to the successful development and implementation of two multi-disciplinary and cross-sector stakeholder engagement workshops; the establishment and successful running of our survivor research advisory board; the launch of our e-Delphi survey; the establishment and running of our expert advisory group; presentations to policymakers for direct policy input and ongoing collaborations with policymakers in the Home Office to ensure the impact of the project outcomes; and the amplification of our online networking and communication efforts to expand our community of practice further and continue to clearly communicate the state of the art for non-academic uses.
Start Year 2021
 
Description MS COS Community of Practice 
Organisation Survivor Alliance
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We coordinate this multi-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together disparate organisations and institutions to discuss how to create and ultimately implement a core outcome set for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. We have developed close links with a range of migration and anti-trafficking organisations to begin establishing a community of practice in order to achieve this. We have been building this network throughout the project and are forging relationships with new groups all the time. We have developed and implemented communication channels and events to engage and grow our network throughout the project thus far, including via meetings and sharing findings. We have provided training on workshop facilitation to help establish and strengthen our community of practice, we also provide regular updates on progress and reporting on the findings of our research to inform practice in NGO practice and government policy work. We have invited our growing network to participate in the exploratory workshops and E-Delphi voting exercise to make sure they have a strong voice in deciding the final outcomes. As part of our community of practice work, we help link the organisations in our network to one another as well as to academics to help ensure that their work has the most positive impact possible, and shared our literature review and workshop summaries with them.
Collaborator Contribution Our core team collaboration helped design and facilitate workshops on creating a core outcome set, commented on outcomes produced from the research, helped recruit participants and workshop facilitators, supported the development of presentations on different issues around core outcome sets, and advised on the strategic direction of the project. Our broader community of practice collaborators have been invaluable in our efforts to engage the anti-trafficking field and ensure our outcomes are widely accepted, adopted, and ultimately influence policy and practice. Our network of collaborators within the community of practice have written letters of support for this project; contributed to the exploratory workshop discussions and E-Delphi voting exercise; supported in the recruitment for the E-Delphi Survey, exploratory workshops, and survivor research advisory board; supported the recruitment of several high-profile supporters who form an expert steering committee; and, amplified our wider engagement efforts online through various media channels.
Impact Our core team collaboration and our network of collaborators within the community of practice have led to the successful development and implementation of two multi-disciplinary and cross-sector stakeholder engagement workshops; the establishment and successful running of our survivor research advisory board; the launch of our e-Delphi survey; the establishment and running of our expert advisory group; presentations to policymakers for direct policy input and ongoing collaborations with policymakers in the Home Office to ensure the impact of the project outcomes; and the amplification of our online networking and communication efforts to expand our community of practice further and continue to clearly communicate the state of the art for non-academic uses.
Start Year 2021
 
Description MS COS Community of Practice 
Organisation University of East London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We coordinate this multi-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together disparate organisations and institutions to discuss how to create and ultimately implement a core outcome set for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. We have developed close links with a range of migration and anti-trafficking organisations to begin establishing a community of practice in order to achieve this. We have been building this network throughout the project and are forging relationships with new groups all the time. We have developed and implemented communication channels and events to engage and grow our network throughout the project thus far, including via meetings and sharing findings. We have provided training on workshop facilitation to help establish and strengthen our community of practice, we also provide regular updates on progress and reporting on the findings of our research to inform practice in NGO practice and government policy work. We have invited our growing network to participate in the exploratory workshops and E-Delphi voting exercise to make sure they have a strong voice in deciding the final outcomes. As part of our community of practice work, we help link the organisations in our network to one another as well as to academics to help ensure that their work has the most positive impact possible, and shared our literature review and workshop summaries with them.
Collaborator Contribution Our core team collaboration helped design and facilitate workshops on creating a core outcome set, commented on outcomes produced from the research, helped recruit participants and workshop facilitators, supported the development of presentations on different issues around core outcome sets, and advised on the strategic direction of the project. Our broader community of practice collaborators have been invaluable in our efforts to engage the anti-trafficking field and ensure our outcomes are widely accepted, adopted, and ultimately influence policy and practice. Our network of collaborators within the community of practice have written letters of support for this project; contributed to the exploratory workshop discussions and E-Delphi voting exercise; supported in the recruitment for the E-Delphi Survey, exploratory workshops, and survivor research advisory board; supported the recruitment of several high-profile supporters who form an expert steering committee; and, amplified our wider engagement efforts online through various media channels.
Impact Our core team collaboration and our network of collaborators within the community of practice have led to the successful development and implementation of two multi-disciplinary and cross-sector stakeholder engagement workshops; the establishment and successful running of our survivor research advisory board; the launch of our e-Delphi survey; the establishment and running of our expert advisory group; presentations to policymakers for direct policy input and ongoing collaborations with policymakers in the Home Office to ensure the impact of the project outcomes; and the amplification of our online networking and communication efforts to expand our community of practice further and continue to clearly communicate the state of the art for non-academic uses.
Start Year 2021
 
Description MS COS Community of Practice 
Organisation University of Nottingham
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We coordinate this multi-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together disparate organisations and institutions to discuss how to create and ultimately implement a core outcome set for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. We have developed close links with a range of migration and anti-trafficking organisations to begin establishing a community of practice in order to achieve this. We have been building this network throughout the project and are forging relationships with new groups all the time. We have developed and implemented communication channels and events to engage and grow our network throughout the project thus far, including via meetings and sharing findings. We have provided training on workshop facilitation to help establish and strengthen our community of practice, we also provide regular updates on progress and reporting on the findings of our research to inform practice in NGO practice and government policy work. We have invited our growing network to participate in the exploratory workshops and E-Delphi voting exercise to make sure they have a strong voice in deciding the final outcomes. As part of our community of practice work, we help link the organisations in our network to one another as well as to academics to help ensure that their work has the most positive impact possible, and shared our literature review and workshop summaries with them.
Collaborator Contribution Our core team collaboration helped design and facilitate workshops on creating a core outcome set, commented on outcomes produced from the research, helped recruit participants and workshop facilitators, supported the development of presentations on different issues around core outcome sets, and advised on the strategic direction of the project. Our broader community of practice collaborators have been invaluable in our efforts to engage the anti-trafficking field and ensure our outcomes are widely accepted, adopted, and ultimately influence policy and practice. Our network of collaborators within the community of practice have written letters of support for this project; contributed to the exploratory workshop discussions and E-Delphi voting exercise; supported in the recruitment for the E-Delphi Survey, exploratory workshops, and survivor research advisory board; supported the recruitment of several high-profile supporters who form an expert steering committee; and, amplified our wider engagement efforts online through various media channels.
Impact Our core team collaboration and our network of collaborators within the community of practice have led to the successful development and implementation of two multi-disciplinary and cross-sector stakeholder engagement workshops; the establishment and successful running of our survivor research advisory board; the launch of our e-Delphi survey; the establishment and running of our expert advisory group; presentations to policymakers for direct policy input and ongoing collaborations with policymakers in the Home Office to ensure the impact of the project outcomes; and the amplification of our online networking and communication efforts to expand our community of practice further and continue to clearly communicate the state of the art for non-academic uses.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Peer researcher development program 
Organisation Survivor Alliance
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We have employed and mentored three peer researchers with lived experience of human trafficking in our research project through this collaboration. We meet with peer researchers weeks as a group and in one-to-one development sessions. We contributed to the training course for peer researchers by running a session on the research methods used in our project (45mins) and on how to conduct literature reviews (90mins). We work in partnership with the training providers at Survivor Alliance, the rights Lab and the University of Birmingham to ensure that the peer researchers have the best chance of contributing to ongoing research projects in meaningful and impactful ways as well as having support systems in place for their professional development. We have contributed detailed feedback for continued development and improvement of the peer researcher training course design as well as created an extensive bespoke training programme to onboard peer researchers into our project.
Collaborator Contribution The programme has trained and found us peer researchers to work with. They support peer researchers with further research skills training and IT equipment throughout the project. Our partners exchange lessons with us on best practice around meaningful survivor involvement in research.
Impact This collaboration has resulted in the employment and involvement of survivors of human trafficking in research projects and research environments (specifically our project). As a result of this, we have been able to embed lived experience perspectives in our research systematically and our outputs are co-produced with survivors across multiple levels in the research, including co-developing rapid review outputs and taking a leadership role in developing outputs from the stakeholder engagement workshops run for the project. The involvement of peer researchers in this project has been of particular interest in our engagements with policymakers, funders, and service providers - we have been asked to provide ongoing advice and support for policymakers and funders in particular on survivor inclusion based on our experiences from this collaboration.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Peer researcher development program 
Organisation University of Birmingham
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have employed and mentored three peer researchers with lived experience of human trafficking in our research project through this collaboration. We meet with peer researchers weeks as a group and in one-to-one development sessions. We contributed to the training course for peer researchers by running a session on the research methods used in our project (45mins) and on how to conduct literature reviews (90mins). We work in partnership with the training providers at Survivor Alliance, the rights Lab and the University of Birmingham to ensure that the peer researchers have the best chance of contributing to ongoing research projects in meaningful and impactful ways as well as having support systems in place for their professional development. We have contributed detailed feedback for continued development and improvement of the peer researcher training course design as well as created an extensive bespoke training programme to onboard peer researchers into our project.
Collaborator Contribution The programme has trained and found us peer researchers to work with. They support peer researchers with further research skills training and IT equipment throughout the project. Our partners exchange lessons with us on best practice around meaningful survivor involvement in research.
Impact This collaboration has resulted in the employment and involvement of survivors of human trafficking in research projects and research environments (specifically our project). As a result of this, we have been able to embed lived experience perspectives in our research systematically and our outputs are co-produced with survivors across multiple levels in the research, including co-developing rapid review outputs and taking a leadership role in developing outputs from the stakeholder engagement workshops run for the project. The involvement of peer researchers in this project has been of particular interest in our engagements with policymakers, funders, and service providers - we have been asked to provide ongoing advice and support for policymakers and funders in particular on survivor inclusion based on our experiences from this collaboration.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Peer researcher development program 
Organisation University of Nottingham
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have employed and mentored three peer researchers with lived experience of human trafficking in our research project through this collaboration. We meet with peer researchers weeks as a group and in one-to-one development sessions. We contributed to the training course for peer researchers by running a session on the research methods used in our project (45mins) and on how to conduct literature reviews (90mins). We work in partnership with the training providers at Survivor Alliance, the rights Lab and the University of Birmingham to ensure that the peer researchers have the best chance of contributing to ongoing research projects in meaningful and impactful ways as well as having support systems in place for their professional development. We have contributed detailed feedback for continued development and improvement of the peer researcher training course design as well as created an extensive bespoke training programme to onboard peer researchers into our project.
Collaborator Contribution The programme has trained and found us peer researchers to work with. They support peer researchers with further research skills training and IT equipment throughout the project. Our partners exchange lessons with us on best practice around meaningful survivor involvement in research.
Impact This collaboration has resulted in the employment and involvement of survivors of human trafficking in research projects and research environments (specifically our project). As a result of this, we have been able to embed lived experience perspectives in our research systematically and our outputs are co-produced with survivors across multiple levels in the research, including co-developing rapid review outputs and taking a leadership role in developing outputs from the stakeholder engagement workshops run for the project. The involvement of peer researchers in this project has been of particular interest in our engagements with policymakers, funders, and service providers - we have been asked to provide ongoing advice and support for policymakers and funders in particular on survivor inclusion based on our experiences from this collaboration.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Presentation to Home Office Modern Slavery Unit 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact 10 high-level and critical policymakers in the Home Office attended our bespoke presentation on modern slavery outcomes and survivor involvement in research, which sparked questions and an intense discussion. Policymakers reported increased interest in survivor involvement in policymaking and created a new funding call linked to this ('Survivor Engagement in Modern Slavery Strategy Review'). As a result of our presentation, policymakers have also been eager to contribute to our E-Delphi voting exercise and we have a point of contact in the Home Office for ongoing policy impact from our project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Project Website and Social Media 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Our website and online outputs are essential for project transparency and continuing community engagement, and we have developed and disseminated resources that clearly communicate the state of the art for non-academic uses. We have built an extensive website that includes detailed information about who is on our team, resources (including a modern slavery FAQ guide, glossary of modern slavery terms, and all our participant information sheets), and summaries or descriptions of our research activities (the literature reviews, supplementary interviews, secondary analysis of survivor data, and the exploratory workshops). Our website is regularly accessed by 70 unique visitors each week and has produced several inquiries about our work. In addition to this, to increase our impact and redirect traffic to our own project website, we are writing lay descriptions of our work for the Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre website and blog - with a project update blog feature accepted for publication on 21 March.

We regularly post updates on our Twitter account (@mslaverycos), which currently has 136 followers. Our Twitter video for anti-slavery day has had 595 views, was liked by many anti-slavery organisations, including Hope for Justice and Anti-Slavery International. This has led to their participation in the E-Delphi voting exercise on modern slavery outcomes.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022
URL https://www.mscos.co.uk/
 
Description Stakeholder Engagement Workshops 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact We hosted two exploratory workshops with stakeholders in Autumn 2021. The first aimed to understand and discuss what is meant by modern slavery and trafficking, what counts as an outcome, the nuances and feasibility of "recovery", who defines recovery, and to generate a very broad list of outcomes. In our second workshop, we looked at what should be in the scope of our research, how stakeholder outcomes differed with the outcomes identified thus far in our research, how we should group outcomes together and what happens once we have a core outcome set.

The MS-COS stakeholder engagement workshops brought together experts in the anti-trafficking field such as leading academics, lived-experience experts, NGO professionals, and policymakers. We had representatives from academic institutions, including the University of Nottingham, King's College London, University College London, the University of Liverpool, Queen Mary University and the University of Bedfordshire. Also attending are experts by lived experience from organisations including the Survivor Alliance and the Voice of Domestic Workers. Government representatives from the Home Office, Department for Health and Social Care, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and from the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner's office will be attending. Finally, we had many participants representing non-profit groups including Snowdrop, the Helen Bamber Foundation, the Salvation Army and the International Organisation for Migration.

The workshops were designed with meaningful input from human trafficking survivors, who were included in planning, facilitating, and establishing a survivor-informed space. The first MS-COS workshop was held on the 1st of October 2021. There were 44 participants in attendance, supported by 15 facilitators from our project team and survivor peer researchers. The purpose of the workshop was to think creatively about the possible outcomes that could be included in a core outcome set. We discussed challenges or concerns around the definition and creation of a core outcome set. The second MS-COS workshop was hosted on the 8th of October 2021. There were 40 attendees supported by 12 facilitators. The primary purpose of this workshop was to group the outcomes identified in the previous workshop.

Participants raised questions and sparked discussion on how we measure outcomes for survivors in policy and interventions, and attendees reported increased interest in reconsidering the outcome measures used in interventions, practice, and policy based on their engagement with people with lived experience.

We created a workshop summary explaining our project, what we did, the topics we discussed (e.g., the use or not of the Palermo Protocol definition and "recovery"), the 60 outcomes produced in the first workshop, a summary of the outcome comparisons discussion in the second workshop, a map of how different outcomes relate to each other, a visual description of our outcomes grouping exercise in the second workshop, and an explanation of how we are using workshop findings.

In our workshop evaluation, 10 of 13 respondents rated the first workshop as 'very or extremely helpful' and 12 of 17 respondents rated the second workshop as such. All respondents rated the workshops as at least 'somewhat helpful'. There is, therefore, evidence to suggest that our work is influencing the thinking of stakeholders across the board. Evaluations from participants at the workshops also showed that participants felt that a space had been created in which they were listened to - a remarkable outcome given the mix of policymakers, academics, survivors, and practitioners we brought together and their varying power levels. This is an important outcome in itself for this project - providing a space for survivors to speak truth to power (academic and policy). We credit this to the work we did with Survivor Alliance creating a safe space for survivors in the online workshop format with clear ground rules for respecting survivors explained at the start of the workshops, and by including a survivor-led debrief space after the workshops.

The workshops also led to an increase in attention for and interest in the project. Following attendance at the workshops, Policymakers have contacted us to brief their departments on the project, and NGOs have reached out to discuss continued involvement in the project and possible future collaborations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.mscos.co.uk/exploratory-workshops.html
 
Description Survivor Research Advisory Board 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The SRAB is coordinated by Survivor Alliance and comprises seven survivors of modern slavery / human trafficking with a broad range of experiences from Survivor Alliance and the Voice of Domestic Workers. The purpose of the SRAB is to provide lived experience expertise and insight to guide and shape the research project including, for example: reviewing ethics applications and study documentation (including the draft e-Delphi survey); the outcomes framework and categories, and the draft core outcome set; and, advising on the recruitment of survivors and the write-up of outputs. We have provided several accessible overviews of our project through presentations and written information, ensure there are multiple points through which members can contribute to our research in the meeting agenda, and make swift changes to our work based on their recommendations. We have worked with the Survivor Alliance to set up ground rules for the group so that everyone feels like they can contribute. All seven survivors attend each board meeting and change the research team's outlook on what survivor outcomes should look like. Our team, for instance, changed all outcomes in the taxonomy of outcomes generated for the e-Delphi survey to have a positive framing, rather than a deficit-based one. They've also suggested many new outcomes that have been overlooked in the current literature base and advised on how we can make our work more accessible (particularly for those who are visually impaired).

Meeting 1, October 2021: We discussed exploratory workshop findings, whether any outcomes were missing, if the workshop summary wording was clear and appropriate, what are the possible outputs for the projects, discussion topics for our supplementary interviews, and recommendations for good interview techniques and practices.
Meeting 2, January 2022: We reviewed the E-Delphi process, format and content. We discussed issues around informed consent, outcome descriptions and missing outcomes. We had an in-depth discussion on how the language used around outcomes could be triggering and enforce stereotypes around survivors.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022,2023
URL https://www.mscos.co.uk/survivor-research-advisory-board.html