Medaille Trust has launched a new pilot programme providing safe accommodation and tailored reintegration support for women who have survived modern slavery and human trafficking.
The programme supports women who have received a positive Conclusive Grounds decision from the government, formally recognising them as victims of modern slavery. Despite this recognition, many survivors experience a sharp reduction in support once this decision is made. They are often required to leave their existing accommodation and lose access to vital casework and wraparound services.
This sudden move towards independence can seriously undermine recovery and leave survivors at risk of homelessness or re-exploitation. With a chronic shortage of suitable housing and limited outreach support available, many survivors struggle to cope at this critical stage. Many survivors report feeling failed by the system.
To address this gap, Medaille Trust, with the generous support of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, is piloting a new model of survivor support in Southampton, where Medaille Trust started. The pilot will provide affordable accommodation alongside holistic support with access to Medaille Trust’s community-based Moving On Project (MOP). The programme is designed to support a safe transition into independence and provide a strong foundation for survivors to rebuild their lives.
There are an estimated 122,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK, and over 19,000 people were referred into the National Referral Mechanism last year — the highest number on record. While improved identification is welcome, many survivors continue to be failed once they are formally recognised. Medaille Trust hopes this pilot will demonstrate a more effective, survivor-centred approach to long-term recovery and reintegration.
Medaille Trust is one of the UK’s leading providers of modern slavery survivor
support services and one of the largest Catholic charities in the fight against human
trafficking and modern slavery. They work to support more than 600 survivors a year
through safe house and outreach projects in addition to awareness raising in the UK,
prevention work in Albania, and pursuit work that helps survivors to engage with
police and the justice system to secure convictions against their abusers.