New survivor care standards

The aim of the care standards to improve overall service provision and ensure that adult survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery receive high quality care wherever they are in the UK and whatever support route they are going through.  

First published in 2014, the Care Standards were developed by a group of anti-trafficking practitioners and coordinated by the Human Trafficking Foundation. Since then, the modern slavery landscape has changed significantly. The 2025 iteration has once again been led by the Human Trafficking Foundation and has received input from more than 150 people with lived and learnt experience of modern slavery as well as frontline workers, police officers, civil servants, legal advisers, health and social care providers.  

Over the last ten years, these standards have made a huge impact on the improvement and importance of support provided in the UK. They have been recognised by the government and have helped to form the basis of other national guidelines as well. 

The new edition  

• expands on care for survivors who are not in the National Referral Mechanism 
• includes a new chapter on Work, Skills and Education 
• a children’s annex 
• provides clarity on the differences between the UK jurisdictions 
• provides information on supporting survivors with disabilities 
• has an emphasis on cultural responsiveness 
• inclusion of co-working with people with lived experience 
• and much more 

The Care Standards act as an anchor to good practice and set out the level of care that every survivor should expect and how these standards can be implemented. They are for professionals who work for specialised antitrafficking NGOs, third sector, voluntary and faith-based organisations, the National Health Service (NHS) and healthcare providers, the police, criminal justice professionals, legal advisers, and local authority staff. They aim to equip these individuals, regardless of the context and existing knowledge on modern slavery. They consist of six overarching principles that guide and underpin the work of any organisation or professional interacting with, or providing support services for, survivors.  

The Care Standards can also be used by survivors to advocate for their own care and support.  

If you are supporting survivors, do familiarise yourself with these best practice guidelines. If not, it might be valuable reading to understand the context and needs of survivors, how to pray, support and advocate for them in future.