Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre

NEW REPORT! Child trafficking: a synthesis of PEC-funded research. ☝ The synthesis of the research on child trafficking and exploitation funded so far by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) points to systemic challenges in preventing child trafficking and gaps in evidence underpinning prevention efforts. ✅ The report highlights the absence of children’s voices from debates and research on trafficking, which may reduce the relevance of existing policies and practices. ✅ Using the BETR prevention continuum, the study identified gaps in understanding of some prevention areas such as re-trafficking, children going missing, deterrence and disruption, and multi-agency collaboration. 👉 Recommendations for future research include enhancing child participation, leveraging longitudinal data, and refining ethical approaches. Read about the report on the PEC website: https://lnkd.in/eT6VcRxd The research was carried out by SPARK (Social Science Research Park) at Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd. It was commissioned by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre, which is part of the University of Oxford. The PEC is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

VACANCY! Policy Impact Manager (readvertised) Salary: £38,674 - £46,913pa Hours: Full time or 0.8 FTE Term: Fixed term to 31 March 2026 The Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC), part of the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford, has an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Policy Impact Manager. You will play a key role in maximising the impact of the PEC’s research on laws and policies to address modern slavery, and will work collaboratively with researchers, practitioners, policymakers and law-makers as part of the University of Oxford’s only dedicated Policy and Evidence Centre. All details on our website with a link to the University of Oxford application portal: https://lnkd.in/gSbeHQE

LUNCHTIME SEMINAR! Ethics in modern slavery research - challenges and the way forward. Tuesday 17 December 2024, 12.30 - 1.15 pm Speaker: Dr Wendy Asquith, University of Liverpool. Research published this week examined ethical challenges in modern slavery research and explored how inclusive, trauma-informed, and ethically robust practices can enhance both research quality and outcomes for participants. Dr Wendy Asquith, who led the study, will present the findings and open up a conversation on how to improve the ethics of the modern slavery research. Register: https://lnkd.in/gFpat6uf

"I think it's absolutely critical that we have people who have lived experience of these issues in the room and a part of the conversation in a really meaningful and ethical way because they make our efforts stronger" The PEC's Partnership Manager, Owain Johnstone, recently attended the Worker Support Centre 'Worker Power' event. The event brought together migrant agricultural workers with policymakers, researchers and practitioners to discuss working experiences in the agricultural sector, as well as strategies for change. Watch the video from event discussing the engagement of people with lived experience of exploitation in the event. https://lnkd.in/e3APF95V

Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre led by the University of Oxford led this research which was carried out by the University of Liverpool and the University of Nottingham to examine the current landscape and evaluate research ethics and appropriateness of ethics in research on modern slavery. “The study, commissioned by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) draws on the extant body of evidence about approaches to research ethics in the field of MSHT as well as original empirical data collection with three key objectives. Firstly, to take stock of current practice and consider its appropriateness. Secondly, to share an understanding of what it means to conduct research on MSHT ethically from a range of perspectives and, thirdly, to make targeted recommendations for a range of research stakeholders. These include research funders, research organisations (e.g. universities), research ethics committees, research teams, NGO partners and lived experience experts engaging in research.” As a result of ongoing campaigning of activists and non-profits, funders are showing an appetite to fund research on understanding the true scale of modern slavery and trafficking as well as understanding the lived experiences of survivors. Research on this subject when working with survivors who have exploitation experiences must be handled very sensitively and given a high-ethics focus as with all other research. This report expands on how this can be achieved in a subject of research where there aren't high volumes of existing work in place. With our CEO Sema Gornall taking part as an advocacy expert stakeholder consultant to this important research, The Vavengers proudly contributed to this report and fed in the lived experiences of our communities and how intersectional modern slavery is with other forms of violence and why these extreme vulnerabilities must be considered in the research field while conducting research. Source and full report on the link below.

Ethical research is vital in addressing complex and sensitive issues like modern slavery. This report by Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre examines current practices, shares diverse perspectives, and offers targeted recommendations for funders, organizations, and researchers. A must-read for anyone committed to ethical modern slavery research.

Sign up for the last in our series of public lectures before Christmas. Louise Gleich will talk about 'Slavery in our Communities' tomorrow, Wednesday 4 December, at 16.30 GMT. Click here to join us at the Wilberforce Institute or online: https://lnkd.in/e7DhpSch Refreshments served from 16.15 and there is a chance to meet the speaker after the event. Louise Gleich is a Senior Policy Researcher in the Joint Modern Slavery Policy Unit led by the anti-slavery charity Justice and Care and think tank the Centre for Social Justice. In this talk, she will explore the evolving nature of modern slavery in the UK, with a particular focus on criminal and labour exploitation. She will consider the wider impact of exploitation on communities and discuss the need for policy change to prevent exploitation and improve the response to perpetrators and survivors. Book now: https://lnkd.in/e7DhpSch

If we're going to do impactful research on issues such as #modernslavery, then we have to be prepared to collect data from people with lived experience and to really 'see' what we're studying. To do that, we need to ask ourselves - and be asked - some difficult questions about the nature of those data and the subject. This is an important piece of research which helps us do those things.

Really pleased to be able to share this new report on ethics in modern slavery research published by Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre. It was a pleasure to lead this team and co-author the report with colleagues Bethany Jackson Kimberley Hutchison Helen Stalford and Edmira Bracaj from University of Liverpool and University of Nottingham and a massive thank you to all those who engaged with the project, shared their views and experiences of partnering in research on #modernslavery #humantrafficking #exploitation It's clear there are shared challenges that all those engaging in research on modern slavery need to be mindful of to ensure a truly #ethical #equitable and #inclusive approach is embedded in their work. Beyond individual research teams it is also crucial that the organisations surrounding research - funding bodies, universities and external partners - are attentive to creating the conditions in which ethical research can happen so that all can experience benefits of taking part in research.

It was a pleasure to be part of this (ongoing!!) research into the challenges faced in the #antislavery research space to ensure that research practices are truly ethical for all involved. The views of the participants were extremely insightful and it was a privilege to work alongside them to ensure this work can be a step-change for the sector. Key takeaways - #transparency, #access, #equitability. Thank you to all of those who took part in the research through the consultations and to the rest of the research team (Wendy Asquith, Kimberley Hutchison, Helen Stalford and Edmira Bracaj) Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, University of Nottingham School of Geography