Survivor Engagement

Embedding Survivor Engagement in the UK's response to Modern Slavery

People with lived experience of modern slavery bring vital expertise to the UK’s response to exploitation. Their insights help policymakers understand how trafficking occurs, how systems respond to victims, and how support and prevention measures can be improved.

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner believes that survivor voice must be embedded in policymaking, ensuring the UK’s response to modern slavery is informed by those who have experienced exploitation first-hand.

Survivor Advisory Council

To strengthen survivor engagement in policymaking, the Commissioner has proposed the establishment of a UK Survivor Advisory Council.

The Council would provide a structured, trauma-informed forum for people with lived experience of modern slavery to share their expertise with policymakers across government.

Through regular engagement, the Council could help inform:

  • Government policy on modern slavery and human trafficking
  • Legislation and statutory guidance
  • Improvements to victim identification and support
  • Law enforcement responses to trafficking and exploitation
  • Wider prevention efforts

The Council would be convened by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, providing an independent platform for survivor expertise to inform policy development.

International partners have highlighted the importance of structured survivor engagement in shaping anti-trafficking responses, including through survivor advisory bodies that inform government policy.

A Survivor Advisory Council

The Business Case

The Commissioner has submitted a business case to the Home Office outlining how a UK Survivor Advisory Council could be established.

The proposal sets out:

  • the need for a structured mechanism for survivor engagement
  • international examples of survivor advisory councils
  • proposed governance and membership arrangements
  • safeguarding and trauma-informed engagement principles
  • estimated costs and options for delivery

The Council could be established with modest annual funding of around £120,000, enabling survivors to contribute their expertise safely and sustainably.

Business Case: Survivor Advisory Council

Correspondence with Government

The Commissioner has written to ministers to highlight the importance of embedding survivor expertise in policymaking and to seek support for establishing a Survivor Advisory Council.

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