THE Salvation Army is pleased to announce the appointment of the specialist partners which it will work with to manage the support of adult victims of modern slavery in England and Wales through the Government’s new Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC).
The new and extended contract goes live in Winter 2020/2021, following a period of transition from the current service. It enables The Salvation Army and its partners to build on relationships and expertise developed since 2011 when the church and charity was first appointed to manage the wide-ranging specialist support services needed to help survivors of slavery recover and move on with their lives.
The organisations are now working together to be ready to transfer and expand the support existing survivors already receive to all stages of their recovery from the point of rescue and as they journey towards independent living.
Agreements are in place with the following organisations, including The Salvation Army’s own specialist services, which provide people with a safe place to stay, where required, and a dedicated support worker to help them access the help they need: Ashiana; Bawso; BCHA; Black Country Women’s Aid; City Hearts; Hestia; Medaille Trust; Migrant Help; Saint John of God Hospitaller Services; Snowdrop Project; Palm Cove Society; Unseen UK.
Major Kathy Betteridge, Director of Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery for The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland, said:
“We are pleased to welcome our partners, some for the first time and others we have worked with for nearly a decade. All bring important expertise and a shared passion to change the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
“We are looking forward to working together in the coming months and years as we introduce new services to meet the increasing numbers of people being referred to us for help.
“Together we will ensure that services are delivered to the highest standards, with the needs and voices of survivors at the centre of all we do.
“We believe that working in partnerships with those engaged in the fight to end slavery is the best way to continue to help survivors overcome the challenges they face as they rebuild their lives.”
The new MSVCC runs for an initial five year period. During this time The Salvation Army will review its services and consider new partnerships so that its services can respond to demand in a fair and dynamic way.
For more information, please visit: www.salvationarmy.org.uk/modern-slavery
