Could you tell us about yourself and the work of the policy and research team?
I’m Hilary Agg, Unseen’s Senior Policy and Partnership Manager. Our team produce evidence-based modern slavery research to influence change in policy and practice. Drawing on expertise from our frontline, the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, business and partnership teams, we inform academics and policy makers about how to prevent exploitation and deliver meaningful recovery to survivors. Vital to our work is collaboration with Unseen’s survivor consultants—individuals with lived experience of modern slavery—to ensure that our research is deeply rooted in survivor insights. We integrate survivor expertise and diverse data sources to bridge the gap between research, policy, and practice.
How do you hope your research will shape policy or industry practices?
Real, sustainable change in tackling modern slavery starts with amplifying the voices of survivors, who best understand the impact that policies have on real lives. They know what matters, where the gaps are, and what supported them out of exploitation.
Unseen support individuals who have experienced modern slavery, but we’re equally focused on prevention. We want a world in which modern slavery cannot function, so all our projects are geared towards making this vision a reality. Survivor insights are vital to this goal. Integrating their knowledge about modern slavery into policy priorities and research development is central to the work of our team.
Could you give us an example of change you’re hoping to influence through your policy work?
Our modern slavery research is designed to directly influence policy and legislation to ensure that UK laws are fit for purpose and that survivors are not harmed by legal frameworks. The UK’s current immigration legislation (The Illegal Migration Act, Nationality and Boarders Act, and Safety of Rwanda Act) causes significant barriers to support for victims of modern slavery. By working alongside Unseen’s survivor consultants, frontline staff, and partners, we’re addressing the harms of this legislation and advocating for its reform – evidencing why separating modern slavery from immigration issues is critical to ensure a more effective response to this crime.
What’s next for your team- what are you working on this year?
We have ambitious goals for the year ahead! As a result of a £1m grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, we’re beginning a five-year initiative to engage hard-to-reach communities. We’ll raise awareness of modern slavery and inform individuals of how to find help if they may be stuck in situations of exploitation. This project will be co-produced with the survivor consultants group. Their insights, combined with data from our Helpline, will identify underrepresented groups in victim identification and support services, and inform strategies to ensure they are better supported. Again—survivor voice is vital to this work.
What’s important for potential partners to know about working with you?
Unseen’s ambitious approach to tackling modern slavery has created a wide range of expertise and data sources within our team.
As mentioned earlier, we collaborate with survivor consultants who bring valuable insights, and our Helpline team holds the second-largest dataset on modern slavery in the UK.
Our frontline teams have over 14 years of experience supporting survivors with complex needs. They also provide unique data on trafficking routes and support within the National Referral Mechanism (NRM)—the UK government’s process to identifies and supports victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.
Our business services team specialise in tackling risk of exploitation in corporate supply chains and work directly with major UK companies and retailers to address issues.
Lastly, we work with a significant range of statutory and non-statutory partners to improve responses to modern slavery across sectors.
Our 360-degree approach—combining survivor insights, extensive data, and cross-sector collaboration—makes us a well-resourced and effective partner in advancing policy and research on modern slavery.
We invite researchers and academic partners to join us in this crucial work, bringing their expertise to amplify our collective impact.
See Unseen’s latest research and learn more about working with the policy and research team.
Join us for a webinar on 17 March to learn more about our policy priorities, survivor-led research and opportunities for collaboration.
About Hilary
Hilary Agg is Unseen’s Senior Policy and Partnerships Manager. She works closely with survivors, co-producing survivor-led research and incorporating the voices of those with lived experience into evidence-based, solutions-oriented policy and research. Through the South West Anti-Slavery Partnership, Hilary also works with stakeholders across the region to promote collaborative and innovative responses to Modern Slavery.
