Anti-trafficking and modern slavery

Volunteer and help us help others

Our anti-trafficking work takes place on an international scale. We have been protecting and caring for victims of modern slavery since The Salvation Army’s early beginnings in the 1880s, and since July 2011 we have delivered the UK government’s contract to manage support services for adult victims of modern slavery.

There are a number of ways in which we are supporting survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking, including financial, legal and medical support, a safe place to stay and access to counselling and educational opportunities when needed. In many of these programmes our specialist staff who deliver them are also supported by volunteers.

A banner that reads Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevent Protect Progress

Volunteering roles:

We currently have three main volunteer roles however, we are always looking for new and innovative volunteer opportunities. If you do have a particular skill that you feel could be utilised, please do get in touch. Our three main volunteers roles are: First Responder Volunteer, Transport Volunteer and Mentoring Volunteer, we have provided more information about each role below.

First Responder Volunteers will conduct an NRM interview with a potential victim of Modern Slavery and/or Human Trafficking. NRM interviews are the first step in a potential victims journey of recovery, to survivor. By completing the NRM interview, survivors can access their support entitlements if they receive a positive decision from the Home Office.

NRM interviews can be conducted over the phone, via video link or face to face. First Responders will have access to interpretation services if required. The purpose of the NRM interview is to obtain as much factual information as possible so the Home Office can make a decision on the survivors case.

Transport Volunteers will transport survivors from a place of safety to one of our contracted safe houses. On all our journeys we have a Driver and a chaperone, so if you do not drive or prefer not to, you can still act as a chaperone.

The Transport Volunteer role comes after the First Responder role and after the NRM interviews has been completed. Once the survivor has been entered into our service, if they require accommodation support, it is our transport volunteers that support our service by moving the survivor to one of our contracted safe houses. Transport Volunteers are often the first people from The Salvation Army that a survivor meets. They are the first people to show the survivor kindness, compassion and empathy.

Mentoring Volunteers support survivors to establish goals as well as provide practical guidance and support for the survivor to achieve them. Mentors will be trained with tools and techniques to be able to navigate a pathway to ensure the survivor achieves their goals.

Mentoring volunteers can really help a survivor stand on their own two feet and can transform the lives of survivors. Mentoring support can be offered to survivors who are in our contracted safe houses, who are in outreach support or to survivors who want to drop back in to the service.

Interested in any of our volunteer roles?

Browse our full range of anti-trafficking and modern slavery voluntary opportunities below. Email ATMSVolunteering@salvationarmy.org.uk to discuss the roles or any specialist skills you feel we could utilise in a new innovative role.

Visit our Facebook page here.

I find the reception the survivor receives on reaching a safehouse uniformly brilliant - the concerns they show on being collected melt away into a smile and realisation they are now in a place where they can start a new, better part of their lives. We are just a tiny part of that, but it's so worth it.

Neil

Want to learn more about Modern Slavery?

The Anti-Trafficking & Modern Slavery Team are on the road! During 2023 we are visiting 9 locations across the country to celebrate and champion our amazing volunteers, but also, to raise awareness of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in your communities.

Do you want to learn more about Modern Slavery? Do you want to help and support survivors of Modern Slavery? Why not attend one of our roadshow events to learn more?

Reserve a free ticket to one of our roadshows here

*Data entered when reserving your ticket will be processed by Eventbrite for the purposes of ticketing and won’t be used by The Salvation Army for any other reason.