Salvation Army Safe House restoring dignity, rights, agency and choice
BY CLAUDIA CUMMINS
In 2007, General Shaw Clifton, then international leader of The Salvation Army, called on the movement to establish an International Day of Prayer for victim-survivors of human trafficking. Since then, the day has been observed globally each September, reflecting a growing recognition of one of the world’s most hidden human rights violations.
At the same time, Major Paul Moulds, who was leading The Salvation Army’s Social Services Department in the Australian Eastern Territory, was exploring emerging areas of need where The Salvation Army could make a meaningful difference. As awareness grew that slavery and human trafficking were occurring within Australia, it became clear that a dedicated response was urgently needed.
Reflecting on that time, Major Moulds recalls: “I knew The Salvation Army must do something about it. So, we began researching and listening and learning as much as we could. This included becoming involved in an anti-trafficking taskforce in Sydney that was meeting to create collaborative service responses for people impacted by trafficking and slavery. There we learnt there was an urgent need for specialised, safe emergency accommodation, particularly for women who were victims of human trafficking.”
The Salvation Army operated a women’s refuge in the heart of Sydney, and in response to the identified gap, one floor of the service was repurposed and dedicated as a specialised refuge for 10 women recovering from trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices.
In late 2008, Australia’s first Safe House for survivors of modern slavery was opened.
Demonstrating a strong commitment to this specialised work, The Salvation Army initially funded the service from its own resources and recruited Jenny Stanger, who brought international experience supporting survivors of human trafficking, to establish and lead the new program. In late 2008, Australia’s first Trafficking and Slavery Safe House was officially opened by Tanya Plibersek, then Minister for Housing and Minister for the Status of Women.
Bold advocates over the years – (from left) Jenny Stanger (in 2008), Major Paul Moulds and General Shaw Clifton, who was promoted to glory in 2023.
Meeting a hidden need
When the Safe House first opened, public understanding of modern slavery in Australia was limited. Human trafficking was often viewed narrowly through the lens of sexual exploitation, while other forms of exploitation remained largely invisible.
As awareness grew and frontline workers became better equipped to identify exploitation, the diversity of experiences among survivors became increasingly apparent. Women were referred to the Safe House after experiencing trafficking, domestic servitude, debt bondage and forced labour in settings ranging from private homes and family businesses to commercial workplaces. The more outreach the service did, the more referrals which were received.
In those early years, almost all residents were migrants to Australia. Many spoke little English, had uncertain visa status, and were ineligible for income support or other government assistance. Most faced complex legal, migration and recovery journeys.
Survivors often arrived with significant unmet health needs, including injuries, chronic health conditions, and untreated medical or dental concerns. Many had gone without access to healthcare for months or even years. In response, the Safe House developed partnerships with healthcare providers committed to delivering trauma-informed and culturally responsive care.
It quickly became evident that survivors of modern slavery required a different model of support than traditional crisis accommodation services. The systemic barriers many people experience has meant that longer-term support was often required to achieve stability. Many women remained at the Safe House for 12 months or longer as they navigated complex systems and built safety and recovery again.
The development of the transitional housing program provides a stepping stone to long-term housing by supporting survivors with navigating independent housing pathways and increasing their knowledge and confidence in tenancy-related goals.
A survivor-centred model
From the beginning, the Safe House recognised that meaningful recovery required more than safe accommodation. The service developed around a survivor-centred model focused on safety, dignity, choice and empowerment. Twenty-four hours access to specialist workers through extended staffing or on-call support provided support to survivors managing ongoing safety concerns, trauma, isolation and unfamiliarity with Australian services and community systems.
Recognising the need for specialist trauma recovery support led to the early engagement of a Safe House consultant psychologist, who provided therapeutic support to residents and guidance to staff on culturally responsive, trauma-informed care. This laid the foundation for the therapeutic approach that continues to underpin the service today, combining complex case management with opportunities for healing, connection and recovery.
Today the service compliments traditional goals-focused case management with staff and survivor-led activities aimed at supporting the healing journey, for example the therapeutic art program. Today activities such as therapeutic art programs, group initiatives and community-building opportunities have become important elements of the recovery journey.
Community connection has also been a defining feature of the service. Through chaplaincy, volunteers, peer support opportunities and culturally inclusive activities, the Safe House has helped reduce the profound isolation many survivors experience. Friendships and new support networks have often emerged, extending well beyond a resident’s stay.
One resident described the impact of the service this way: “I have hope again to survive, to have independent life again. It’s not easy but it's possible to survive. My mental health is more stable now than before the first time I came to the Safe House. I know how to regulate my emotions.
“I think this program will be helpful for someone who doesn’t have experience living independent life before. I think this can be an inspiration.
“I feel safety here at The Safe House, but at the same time I feel freedom.”
The Salvation Army’s Safe House service model is flexible. This enables supporting survivors in a needs-based way, especially for those who may have had no other options accessible to them. This support flexibility has been extended to include people who may not be eligible for other modern slavery supports or who were highly vulnerable to worsening exploitation, adopting an early intervention approach to escalating harm. This survivor-centred approach has remained one of the service’s defining strengths.
Restoring rights and agency
The experience of modern slavery is fundamentally a violation of human rights. For this reason, restoring choice and autonomy has always been central to Safe House practice.
“The Safe House team make sure they name the violence and human rights violations a person has experienced as part of their casework engagement. This supports survivors to take time to reflect on what concepts such as self-determination, agency, choice, freedom, boundaries mean to them. This is a key part of their recovery journey and the journey looks different for each individual depending on their culture, values, belief systems,” said Melina Matthia, Safe House Program Manager.
Building understanding and confidence to exercise rights is foundational to Safe House casework, which has always included exploration of human rights, employment rights, relationship rights and socio-cultural rights. This knowledge empowers survivors to make informed decisions and advocate for themselves long after they leave the service.
As one resident reflected, “Case workers at The Safe House helped me to understand if someone touches you without your consent, I can report this. My case worker helped me to report to police and showed me how to do that in the future. Before this I did not know about this. Now if that happens again, I know what to do in the future.”
The cornerstone of a national movement
While the Safe House was established to provide refuge and support, its influence has extended far beyond its walls. Over nearly two decades, the lessons learned through supporting survivors have informed an expanding range of Salvation Army anti-slavery initiatives across Australia. The Safe House became the foundation upon which broader prevention, advocacy, education and systems-change efforts were built.
In 2011, The Salvation Army established Freedom Advocates, an innovative initiative focused on survivor leadership, advocacy and peer mentorship. This work laid important foundations for the Lived Experience Engagement Program and contributed to the establishment of Australia’s first Survivor Advisory Council to government in 2022.
In 2014, the Freedom Partnership program expanded efforts to prevent exploitation through community education, awareness raising and sector training. Initiatives included workplace rights education for groups vulnerable to exploitation, such as regional agricultural workers and international students. Today, training frontline workers and community organisations remains a critical strategy for improving identification of modern slavery across Australia.
The Freedom Network further strengthened this movement by bringing together faith leaders from diverse religions and denominations to stand united against slavery and exploitation.
Insights from Safe House practice and the expertise of survivors have informed policy submissions, consultations, roundtables and advocacy efforts that helped build momentum toward the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Commonwealth) and continue to shape responses today.
Advocacy for social justice is part of The Salvation Army’s core mission, and since the Safe House’s establishment in 2008, The Salvation Army has grown a movement towards ending modern slavery across Australia. The Safe House has pioneered a survivor-centred model of care built on safety, dignity, healing, community and the restoration of choice.
Since its inception, the service has supported hundreds of survivors in a residential and outreach capacity, while providing the knowledge, partnerships and lived-experience insights that have shaped broader anti-slavery responses across Australia.
*Claudia Cummins is the National Family Violence and Modern Slavery Specialist for The Salvation Army Australia, and former manager of the Safe House.
