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Empowering society to eradicate modern slavery: our 2023 impact

This Unseen impact report highlights the scope of our achievements in 2023, thanks to your support. Discover the key highlights and see how we're fighting slavery together.

Eradicating slavery requires collective effort. Unseen’s latest impact report, Empowering society to eradicate slavery, delves into our comprehensive efforts and achievements in 2023. All of it is made possible through the unwavering support and collaboration of individuals, businesses, and organisations.

This report provides an in-depth look at how your support drives meaningful change. By exploring our stories of survivor support, business partnerships, and collaborative advocacy, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the real-world impact of our work and the crucial role you play in our mission.

read the report
Empowering individuals through communication

Our communications activities empowered individuals to report their concerns on potential cases of exploitation to our Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline. Notably, our work highlighting exploitation in the care sector shone a light on the vulnerability of migrant workers caring for our most vulnerable members of society. Our widely read report, ‘Who Cares?’, sparked a national conversation and prompted collaboration with key stakeholders to develop solutions.

Elevating survivor voices

The voices of those with lived experience of modern slavery are central to our mission. Unseen’s Survivor Consultant Group, comprising 13 individuals who have lived experience of modern slavery, ensures that survivors influence and guide our work. Their unique insights drive meaningful change and inform the development of more effective anti-slavery laws and policies. One highlight in 2023 was the group’s contribution to the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the UK’s response to human trafficking.

Influencing business practices

Throughout 2023, our business services team collaborated with companies of all sizes, equipping them with strategies and practices to eradicate forced labour from their operations and supply chains. This culminated in the inaugural Unseen Business Awards at The Oval, celebrating businesses at the forefront of ethical practices.

Advocacy and legislative successes

Despite an increasingly hostile political climate, Unseen secured a significant advocacy victory in 2023. Our collaboration with partners led the Home Office to withdraw and reconsider new regulations that hindered victims’ access to support. Additionally, our advocacy efforts with partners played a crucial role in shaping the Health and Care Act. This Act banned the NHS from purchasing goods produced by forced labour.

Moving forwards

While the fight against modern slavery continues, every step brings us closer to a world free from exploitation.

Read our impact report to discover the scope of Unseen’s achievements in 2023 and learn how together we are creating lasting change, one life story at a time.

read the report

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• Registered charity number 1127620
• Unseen UK is a registered charitable company limited by guarantee in England and Wales
• Registered company number 06754171

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Justine Currell

As I came to understand more about the issue, including through a visit to an Unseen safehouse, I knew I needed to do more to stop this abuse and exploitation.

For the last five years of my Civil Service career, I was the Modern Slavery Senior Policy Advisor in the Home Office and led on development of the Modern Slavery Act, including the transparency in supply chains provision and business guidance.

I joined Unseen to lead the development of the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, and Unseen’s work with businesses. I am regularly called upon to present at national and international conferences and use my experience of working with Ministers to influence other governments internationally to take action to address modern slavery and, in particular, business supply chain issues.

In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit, music, reading and travelling.

Andrew Wallis

What ultimately compelled me to act was a report on how people from Eastern Europe were being trafficked through Bristol airport to the USA. Kate Garbers, who went on to be an Unseen Director, and I wrote to all the city councillors, MPs and the Police Chief Constable challenging them on the issue. The challenge came back to us: this city needs safe housing for trafficked women. And so Unseen began.

But we never wanted Unseen to be just about safe housing. We wanted to end slavery once and for all, and that remains our driving focus.

I chaired the working group for the Centre for Social Justice’s landmark report “It Happens Here: Equipping the United Kingdom to Fight Modern Slavery”. This is now acknowledged as the catalyst behind the UK’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015. It was a great honour to be awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours that year. On the other hand, I’ve also been described as “the loveliest disrupter you could ever hope to meet”.

This job has taken me from building flat-pack furniture for safehouses, to working with businesses to address slavery in supply chains, to delivering training, raising awareness and advising governments around the world.

When not at work, I enjoy travelling, spending time with my dog Harley, cooking, supporting Liverpool and Yorkshire CC, music (I’m a former DJ) and endurance events such as the Three Peaks Challenge and Tribe Freedom Runs – which I vow never to do again. Until the next time.