This study explored the importance of cultural competence and impact of culture both in terms of service delivery in the UK and prevention efforts centered on Albania. Considering the focus of Albania as a case study, this report is structured in three discrete sections. First the methodology outlines the research strategy, data collection, and approach to analysis. Second, a review of migration from Albania over recent years highlights key issues in precarious journeys, supplemented by findings and analysis of data collected from focus groups with families and young Albanian nationals in Albania, and a shared learning event that took place in October 2023 in Albania with professionals from a range of sectors. Third, a literature review of definitions of cultural competency and related terms in use is provided and contextualized with the MSHT sector. Findings from a survey of UK practitioners, consultations with stakeholders and survivors are then presented.
The project included desk research and empirical data collection conducted between July 2023 and November 2023. The desk research phase involved an in-depth literature review focused on two distinct overlapping topics: migration trends from Albania that intersect with modern slavery and human trafficking, including an examination of the role of the family in decision-making processes related to migration, which provided a framework for subsequent discussions with Albanian stakeholders during the field research phase; and cultural competence within the context of modern slavery in the UK that aimed to identify understandings of cultural competence in the sector, and to identify the existence and standard of approaches employed to deliver culturally competent support.
