Victim navigators are providing a lifeline to help people exploited in Essex to find freedom and a positive future
The specialist workers are deployed with Essex Police to provide knowledge and support to victims from the moment they are discovered by officers.
Working with charity Justice and Care, the victim navigator we spoke to has 20 years of experience working with vulnerable people who found themselves homeless or working in the sex industry, both in the UK and abroad.
She spoke at the Exploited into Essex conference about her work for the last 18 months as a victim navigator with the county’s dedicated modern-slavery team.
Hosted by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex (PFCC) and Essex Police, along with Justice and Care, the conference shone a light on modern-day slavery, human trafficking and organised immigration crime.
The victim navigator said: “We go in and speak with the potential victims, using interpreters if needed. We let the police do their job and we focus purely on the people. We build a rapport, explain to them why the police are there – our main priority is making sure they are safe and to support them through the process.
“We remain in contact, on what can be a daily basis, to answer their questions and concerns. We make sure they have somewhere safe to live, clothes to wear, food to eat and a way to communicate.”
Held at the London Cruise Terminal at Tilbury, the event highlighted the work already being done, the challenge the county faces and what can be done together to build resilience against these forms of crime and stop exploitation in Essex.
With an estimated 100,000 victims in the UK, Justice and Care helps to rescue victims of slavery and human trafficking and empowers them to rebuild their lives.
The charity also works with the police to pursue and dismantle criminal networks and to bring perpetrators to justice, as well as securing communities at risk from traffickers and sparking systemic change.
Chief executive Christian Guy believes the work going on in Essex will “set the standard for the rest of the country”.
He said: “We know that exploitation is everywhere. Yes, it is a problem with borders, but the biggest number of victims are British; it is not all about immigration. I am shocked every day at what’s going on across the UK.
“The most important thing we need to remember is that this is beatable.
“The challenge is enormous and the scale is daunting. If we commit ourselves to this, work together and push ourselves to innovate, I think Essex will be on the front foot. If we get it right, the rest of the country will look to Essex and take a steer from what we are doing.
“Essex is a special county. There is a real determination here. The force is open to innovation; it is not standing still.
“Maybe in another decade, we will come together, look each other in the eye and say ‘we got the job done’.”
Christina Huddleston, Justice and Care director of European operations, urged delegates to look to their communities and to report anything that does not appear right.
She said: “If it doesn’t sit right, it is not right. Do something about it.
“Modern-day slavery is aligned to murder. It takes away the identity of human beings and takes away their freedom. They are completely controlled. They become a commodity to be used and reused. It takes away their very being.
“That is why the work we are doing is very important.”
