What is modern slavery?
Modern slavery is a serious crime that violates human rights. The term ‘modern slavery’ captures a whole range of types of exploitation including:
- sexual exploitation: including sexual abuse and forced prostitution
- domestic servitude: victims being forced to work or perform domestic chores
- forced labour: can happen in construction, hospitality and beauty
- criminal exploitation: making another person commit a crime
- other forms of exploitation such as organ removal, forced begging, forced marriage and illegal adoption
Your role
Everyone can help to identify and reduce the amount of Modern Slavery in the borough by being aware of the signs that someone might be a victim of modern slavery.
These include:
- having unexplained gifts, clothing, money or new/additional phones
- living in poor conditions eg dirty or overcrowded
- a change in their physical appearance (malnourished, unkempt, withdrawn, anxious)
- a restriction in their freedom; does not have access to a passport or bank account
- a change in their behaviour, they avoid eye contact or appear frightened
- being isolated
- You can read more about these signs, how you can support victims, and where you should refer a potential victim in our 7-minute briefing on modern slavery.
Our role
The Council has a key role to play in tackling modern slavery, including working in partnership to identify and support victims locally.
Havering Council recognises its responsibility to take a robust approach to modern slavery and human trafficking and understands its duty to notify the Home Office of any individual encountered who we believe is a suspected victim of modern slavery or human trafficking.
Havering Council’s vision is ‘The Havering you want to be a part of’. We are committed to putting our residents at the heart of all we do, ensuring Havering is a great place to live, work and enjoy.
Modern slavery does not fall into this, which is why the Council is committed to eradicating modern slavery within our supply chains and the wider community.
Preventing modern slavery in our supply chains
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires commercial organisations with an annual turnover of more than £36 million to report on the steps they take to ensure modern slavery does not take place in their business or in their supply chains.
We have published our statement to provide transparency and demonstrate our commitment to tackling modern slavery.