Anti-Slavery Lived Experience Advisory Panel Summit: Next Steps

Across the UK there are LEAPs, made up of experts with lived experience of modern 
slavery and human trafficking and co-ordinated by NGOs, to advise on organisational 
practice and external policy matters relating to modern slavery. The Lived Experience 
Advisory Panels Summit (‘the Summit’) was held in London on 17th March 2026 to bring 
together thirteen representatives of these different panels to share their Panel’s priorities and 
recommendations for action to guide the work of the Independent Anti-Slavery 
Commissioner (IASC).  The IASC commissioned the Human Trafficking Foundation to 
organise and facilitate the Summit.

Representatives were selected independently by their respective Panels, ensuring that the 
views and priorities of the wider group were clearly brought to the attention of the IASC 
and reflected in the Summit discussions. Each representative worked with their Panel in 
advance to identify the key issues and priority areas they believed the Commissioner should 
raise with Government. This report captures the full range of priorities highlighted during 
the day, alongside the actions the Commissioner intends to take in response. A readout of 
the priorities raised by each Panel is available in Annex A.

The feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive, with all representatives agreeing 
that the day itself was impactful. Representatives provided constructive feedback on how to 
improve such meetings if held in the future, including: allowing more time allocated for 
each representative to share their Panel’s views so that their points could be discussed with 
other Summit attendees; and ensuring meetings are prepared with long lead-in times so 
Panels have time to prepare. Representatives reported that they appreciated the chance to 
network, meet representatives from other Panels (providing peer-to-peer learning), and to 
speak directly with the IASC. Representatives felt that their voices were heard, that the day 
was trauma informed and that similar meetings should be arranged.  

You can read the full report from the summit here.