Agenda item

To consider and agree the strategic focus set out in the Modern Slavery Plan.

The Chair noted that this item presented the Modern Slavery Plan which had been held over from the last meeting.

Chantelle Fatania, Consultant in Public Health, explained that Modern Slavery was taking place in a variety of sectors, such as farming, manufacturing, and within various premises, but that it was often a complex and hidden phenomenon. It was estimated that 100,000 people in the United Kingdom (UK) and 20 million people worldwide were affected. It was explained that, in the UK, it was often British people from disadvantaged backgrounds who were victims of Modern Slavery.

It was noted that, in Haringey, the Council had identified and referred 17 and the Police had referred 150 potential victims of Modern Slavery to the national referral body. The proposed Modern Slavery Plan was a two year strategy to prevent and identify Modern Slavery and support victims. A key purpose of the Plan was to raise awareness and understanding of Modern Slavery, to develop capacity for the community and professionals to identify and support victims, and to create clear guidelines and pathways for referral. It was acknowledged that working in partnership provided the most effective way to disrupt Modern Slavery.

Nadia Burrell, Modern Slavery Co-ordinator, noted that the Modern Slavery Plan had seven key areas of focus: Data and Intelligence; Awareness and Training; Reporting Concerns; Support for Victims; Disruption, Prosecution and Procurement; Engagement with the community; and Responding to Covid-19. It was explained that the hidden nature of Modern Slavery was a key issue and that one of the strategies to overcome this would be the development of a dashboard to track data and intelligence and to identify possible victims. It was also noted that a clear pathway for referrals and support would be established and that staff would be better trained in identifying Modern Slavery. It was added that some training would be available on YouTube to maximise the availability of training and that a detailed Practitioner’s Handbook would be available to all Council staff.

Geoffrey Ocen, Bridge Renewal Trust, enquired whether the increased restrictions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic had impacted Modern Slavery. The Consultant in Public Health explained that officers were working with the London Modern Slavery Group to establish what data was available and to gather a more accurate picture of the position in London; it was known that Modern Slavery was under-reported but it was hoped that increased data recording would lead to better understanding and tracking in the long term. In relation to Covid-19, there was no direct evidence but the number of referrals for 2020 were lower than 2019. It was noted that this was concerning but was likely due to the reduced number of interactions and, therefore, the fewer number of opportunities to identify vulnerable people.

Sharon Grant, Healthwatch Chair, stated that it was important for everyone to be aware and have training but highlighted the importance of being proactive and investigating businesses and premises. The Consultant in Public Health explained that there was a strategic and operational group which included representatives from Community Safety, the Police, and the Voluntary and Community Sector. It was highlighted that the main need at present was to provide training and that, once training had been provided more widely, the ability to recognise and report issues would be more effective on an operational level.

RESOLVED

To agree the strategic focus of the Modern Slavery Plan on the following areas:

i.           Data and Intelligence.

ii.         Awareness and Training.

iii.        Reporting Concerns.

iv.        Support for Victims.

v.         Disruption, Prosecution and Procurement.

vi.        Engagement with the community.

vii.       Responding to Covid-19.