St Mary’s University welcomes visit from the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC)

St Mary’s University, Twickenham recently welcomed the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) Eleanor Lyons to campus, sharing with her the University’s work and expertise on slavery, exploitation, and abuse.

Eleanor and her colleagues met with St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Anthony McClaran and Bakhita Centre Director Carole Murphy to hear about the work of St Mary’s Bakhita Centre, and learn more about the University’s short courses aimed at professionals working in the modern slavery sector.

As a leading centre for research on slavery, exploitation, and abuse, The Bakhita Centre will be supporting the IASC with developing her strategy around victim support, prevention, and protection.

The Centre’s mission is to produce high quality applied research that makes a difference, advancing knowledge that informs practice and policy. The Centre is committed to improving understanding and responses to survivor care, as well as support that addresses issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency.

Centre Director Carole shared with the IASC how the Centre is committed to developing resources for practitioners on the frontline, leading on the development of National Training Standards for supporting adults and children affected by modern slavery, as well as conducting impactful research including the Centre’s most recent studies on cultural competency in modern slavery prevention and protection, EDI in modern slavery research and on British victims pathways to support.

The Centre team has also developed MA level modules that are offered as standalone short courses in Identification, Support and Care of Victims and Survivors of Modern Day Slavery, Tackling Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery: Delivering Change, and Resources for Trauma Informed Practice.

All of St Mary’s Modern Slavery short course can be found at www.stmarys.ac.uk/short-courses/modern-slavery/overview.aspx