This study is being conducted on behalf of the charity Justice & Care, who work with others to end modern slavery. There is a significant gap in understanding prevention of exploitation before it occurs or early intervention and this study aims to address this. The overarching aim of this study is to better understand risk and/or protective factors that impact on vulnerability to exploitation during and post time in care, understand needs and service provision and provide insights into best practices.
Justice & Care support survivors through a Victim Navigator Programme, which embeds specialist workers (Navigators) in police teams focused on modern slavery or complex crime to help identify and provide direct support to survivors. This support, from the moment of identification and through criminal justice systems provides practical and emotional support to individuals. Recently over 60% of the Programme’s female British national cohort were identified to have been care experienced. Accordingly, this project focusses on the UK and early interventions and prevention in the lives of people who have been in or have left social care.
Governance for this study will be through a consultant group of people with lived experience who will provide a continuous touchpoint throughout the life the research. This includes input into the design and research tools, advice on best practices and recruitment criteria for participants with care experience and a review of the final written outputs of the research.
The study will run between June 2025 and Spring 2026.
To find out more, read the blog by Dr Hannah Miller, Global Research Lead at Justice & Care: We must fill the gaps for children in care before exploiters take advantage.
If you have lived experience of the care system or work with children and young people and would like to share your perspective through an interview, please get in touch with the research team.
Professor Patricia Hynes: p.hynes@shu.ac.uk
Maja Robaszkiewicz: m.robaszkiewicz@shu.ac.uk
