The Power of Curiosity and Connection in Anti-Slavery Work

A joint blog by Daniel Absolon, Independent Social Worker and Antony Botting, Anti-Slavery Consultant.

Curiosity 

I’ve known young people who have been trafficked and each of their experiences is different, yet with similarities. In my role as an independent social worker conducting assessments, I have the privilege of hearing a young person’s life story over the course of a day or two. 

As professionals we have our own feelings about when something doesn’t feel right, which a close colleague of mine describes as his ‘Spidey-sense’ going off. For me it’s these brief moments that allow us an opportunity to support the person to share difficult parts of their story. I’ve found that it's the questions that are rooted in curiosity and an interest in the person’s narrative that are most likely to bring out disclosures, which otherwise are so easily missed.

First responders have a duty to refer to the National Trafficking Mechanism but before making a referral practitioners need to have insight into the person experiences. There are three set criteria for the NRM which are ‘action (i.e. movement or harbouring), ‘means’ (i.e. force or coercion) and ‘purpose’ (i.e. forced labour, sexual exploitation etc). Indicators of trafficking help give us an idea that a person has been vulnerable to trafficking, which is really important as encourages us to stay with subjects and explore certain points, but indicators in themselves are not enough! I know that if I wasn’t curious about young people’s experiences and their relationships that they held enroute to the UK I could quite easily have missed that they had been trafficked.

Trauma Informed Approach 

There is a wealth of knowledge and experience within the social work arena around using a trauma informed approach to help young people explore and recount experiences of abuse, and these same skills should be brought to the fore in sessions with potential victims of trafficking. These might include:

· Make an effort to build rapport – developing trust is vital.

· Get a sense of the persons expectations and be clear about what you can and can’t do.

· Encourage the person to have choice within the session – i.e.  where do they want to sit, what do they want to talk about first, when do they want a break.

· Show appreciation – “ thank you for telling me that” ?. 

· Avoid questions that can create further shame – “ why didn’t you tell someone”? 

·  Show the person how you can collaborate with others to provide them with support.

· Empower the person to see their strengths and how they can play an active part in safety planning. 

Antony Botting is an Anti-Slavery Consultant who works with organisations to improve how they respond to modern slavery. Building on the reflections above, he explores how curiosity, collaboration, and shared learning can strengthen our collective response to exploitation.

As an anti-slavery consultant, I’m often struck by how much effective practice in this field relies on the same core principles. Curiosity, empathy and trust. These are just as vital when working with victims directly as they are when supporting the organisations and systems that surround them.

Supporting Organisations – Modern Slavery Act In my work, I help organisations understand what modern slavery looks like in their specific context, whether that’s within supply chains, recruitment practices, or the delivery of frontline services. Often this begins with honest conversations about risk and responsibility. Policies and procedures are important, but they only work when they’re grounded in real experiences and shaped by people who understand what exploitation actually looks and feels like.

I’ve seen how easy it can be for organisations to meet the legal requirements of the Modern Slavery Act yet still miss the human reality behind the words. Embedding genuine understanding means going beyond compliance. It means training staff to recognise indicators, encouraging open dialogue about ethical practice, and ensuring that survivor voices are heard in decision making.

Collaboration What stands out most is the need for connection. The insights gained through careful assessment and trauma informed engagement can inform better organisational responses and in turn, well-designed systems can make it easier for practitioners to do their work effectively. When those two perspectives come together, the individual and the structural, we start to see meaningful progress.

Modern slavery doesn’t exist in isolation, and neither should our efforts to tackle it. Collaboration across professions, sectors, and disciplines is where real change happens.

Daniel Absolon is an independent social worker and founder of Social Work Immigration Matters www.swimms.co.uk, providing independent social work assessments.

Antony Botting is the founder of Botting Anti-Slavery which raises awareness of trafficking, and provides assistance to organisations to meet obligations under the Modern Slavery Act at www.bottingantislavery.co.uk