Support victims and survivors of honour based abuse, modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation and stalking

This standard is for workers who have a responsibility for supporting victims and survivors of crimes in relation to: 

• Modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation
• Stalking
• Honour Based Abuse

It covers what you must do, know and understand in relation to the provision and review of support.

This support includes safety planning, issue specific risk assessing and advocating for the rights, wishes and entitlements of the individual through a trauma informed response. Victims and survivors of these crimes may be adults or children. The support must include referring to independent specialist services and advocacy services and other services the victim requests.

Workers will need to be able to identify if someone is a potential victim of one or more of these crimes and will need to recognise that these crimes and forms of violence may co-present. 

The term `victims and survivors’ is taken to refer to the people to whom you are providing support.

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1. comply with the rights and requirements of confidentiality when working with victims and survivors.
2. gather relevant information from victims and survivors using trauma informed practice, supporting them to gather evidence if required.
3. seek and review all available information on victims’ and survivors’ cases.
4. gather all available information from your own and other organisations detailing actions carried out to date in support of potential victims / survivors.
5. involve professionals and independent specialist organisations at the earliest stages of engagement
6. establish working relationships with victims and survivors in line with current good practice.
7. identify local and national specialist help and support services, including independent issue-specific specialist services and advocacy services, that may be able to meet victims’ and survivors’ needs.
8. ensure victims and survivors have access to an independent, specialist support and advocacy services and the relevant legal advice
9. review completed reports and assessments of potential victims’ needs.
10. conduct issue-specific dynamic, ongoing risk assessments informed by multi-agency collaboration.
11. facilitate access to support and services, including independent specialist and advocacy services, in line with organisational procedures.
12. present available options to victims and survivors in a format they can understand and in line with their identified needs.
13. confirm that victims and survivors understand presented courses of action including potential outcomes.
14. support victims and survivors to develop safety plans that meet their needs in conjunction with independent specialist and advocacy services.
15. advise victims and survivors on personal safety, including online safety, in line with current good practice.
16. contribute to the review of victims’ and survivors’ safety plans in line with your role and responsibilities and seek support for the victim from independent, specialist support and advocacy services and organisations.
17. take immediate appropriate action, including alerting the relevant emergency service, where there is a risk of harm to yourself or others in conjunction with independent specialist and advocacy services working with the victim.
18. liaise with other agencies in line with legal requirements and the needs of victims and survivors
19. support victims and survivors through criminal proceedings, if required, within remit and in line with organisational procedures and in conjunction with any independent, specialist, support service
20. maintain an informed overview of support received by victims and survivors
21. record all findings in line with legislation and organisational procedures
22. ensure victims and survivors have access to a professionally accredited translator if required
23. ensure your own safety, discuss with colleagues as appropriate, and seek external counselling, support and supervision in relation to vicarious trauma

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1. the legislation, guidance, policies and procedures, specific to your jurisdiction, which are relevant to your area of work and to which you must adhere
2. key definitions, relevant to your legal jurisdiction, used in relation to honour based abuse, modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation and stalking
3. different crime specific behaviours (online and offline), patterns and typologies
4. that someone may be a potential victim of one or more of these crimes and recognise that these crimes and forms of violence may co-present.
5. the environments in which these crimes may take place.
6. the different impacts these crimes can have on victims and survivors based on both the nature of the crime and the victim’s intersectional characteristic, including mental health impacts.
7. your role, responsibilities and competence, and who to seek assistance and advice from when necessary.
8. how to communicate effectively with victims and survivors, including through the use of active listening and trauma informed response, and a professionally accredited translator
9. how to determine the age of the victim or survivor and follow appropriate procedures where a child is identified or an age is disputed.
10. the importance of being empathetic, non-judgemental and professional, and working with cultural humility.
11. the importance of believing the victims’ and survivors’ stories.
12. the importance of seeing victims and survivors as individuals.
13. the importance of working with and referral to, local and national, independent specialist organisations, including the National Referral Mechanism for victims of modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation.
14. the dynamic nature, function and practice of targeted, issue-specific and dynamic risk assessment including the use of professional judgement, management methodologies and engagement with specialist organisations.
15. how to assess victims’ and survivors’ holistic needs, including health and welfare needs.
16. how to work in a person-centred environment, respecting consent and potential victims’ choices whilst managing risk through specific risk assessments conducted by or with expert input from independent specialist services, including referral into an appropriate safeguarding or a specialist multi agency risk forum
17. the associated risks for potential victims of honour based abuse, modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation and stalking particularly in the context of gender-based violence and abuse and how these risks are related and overlap
18. the types of support and independent advocacy services, including local and national independent specialist services, and other services, that may be needed by victims and survivors.
19. how to work with specialist organisations for the relevant area to develop appropriate dynamic safety plans
20. how to facilitate access to identified support services in line with potential victims’ needs and your role and responsibilities.
21. the importance of confidentiality and discretion when working with victims and survivors and what information can be safely shared in relation to cases, with whom and how to do this.
22. the importance of gaining permission before sharing any information in line with legislative requirements.
23. safeguarding risks and when an immediate response is required and in reference to victims and survivors' safety plans, as developed by or in conjunction with independent specialist services.
24. the actions you must take and those you must avoid in order to protect the integrity of evidence.
25. recording requirements of your organisation, including how to store recorded information securely.
26. how to record documentation in an accurate and non-judgemental way and be aware that notes, records, may form the basis of civil and/or criminal proceedings

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2

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2031

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Current

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Original

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Skills for Justice

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SFJBI502

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All Occupations across the Justice sector, Crisis Worker, Customs Officers, Education and Training, Government and Related Organisations, Health and Social Care, Health, Public Services and Care, Helpline Workers, HR Staff, Immigration Officers, Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA), Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA), Independent Sexual Violence Advocate, Interpreter, Managers in Justice sector services, Police, Police Community Support Officers, Police Officers, Prison Staff, Probation Staff, Public Service and other Associate Professionals, Public Service Interpreter, Public Service Professionals, Public Services, Public Services Professional, Refugee Worker, Social Worker, Volunteers, First Responder Modern Slavery, First responder stalking, First responder honour based abuse, Independent Human Trafficking Advocate (IHTA), Independent Modern Slavery Advocate (IMSA), Independent Stalking Advocacy /Caseworker (ISA/C)

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3229

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1st responder; Abuse; age dispute; Communities; compulsory labour; Crime; criminal exploitation; Cultures; domestic abuse; domestic servitude; domestic violence; Exploitation; Female Genital Mutilation; FGM; First responder; forced criminality; forced labour; forced marriage; harmful cultural practices; HBV; honour based abuse; honour based violence; human trafficking; initial response; labour exploitation; modern slavery; organ harvesting; Provide; Reduction; Servitude; sexual abuse; sexual exploitation; sexual violence; Stalking; stalking survivor; stalking victim; stalking witness; Support; Survivor; Survivors; Victim; Victims; Violence; Witness

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