Modern Slavery Survivor Pathways

Book excerpt: This book presents a critical chronology of the modern slavery survivor journey in the UK, from intervention by the authorities to long-term recovery. The work examines the modern slavery survivor pathway and assesses the support systems available to survivors throughout this process. It also explores links to other traumatic crimes and investigates how the role of ‘witness’ in the criminal justice system impacts survivors’ experiences. The work showcases findings from interviews with frontline practitioners alongside analysis of government publications and independent reports. It emphasises the importance of holistic care pathways with a consistent, benchmark standard of support across all services, including advocacy for each individual. It further argues that the UK government needs to extend its anti-slavery efforts towards long-term support and understanding of survivor needs, which should include a focus on survivor narratives and input. It is argued that this would not only improve recovery outcomes but would advance the criminal justice process in this area through witness retention and stronger evidence. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers and policy-makers in the areas of human rights, criminal justice, social justice and victimology. Based on international legal instruments, the work will appeal to an international readership.