Gabriella Jimenez, communications manager, Shiva Foundation discusses the importance of modern slavery statements and how councils can effectively write one.

Modern slavery is an issue that takes place everywhere, including within the boundaries of our local communities. The number of people affected by modern slavery in the UK has been rising year on year, with experts estimating it could be as high as 100,000.

In the UK, legislation requires companies and organisations with an annual turnover of £36m or more to produce an annual modern slavery statement. While this does not currently extend to public bodies, there is a growing likelihood that the Modern Slavery Act's transparency legislation will eventually be strengthened to include them.

This article aims to shed light on both the importance of these statements and how to effectively write one.

The significance of modern slavery statements

Modern slavery statements have immense importance in eradicating modern slavery by compelling companies to publicly acknowledge and work towards addressing the issue. These statements allow businesses to proactively assess potential risks for modern slavery within their operations and supply chains and develop strategies to address them.

With approximately £250bn in annual spend, local presence and multi-faceted responsibilities, there is a powerful opportunity for the public sector to do the same. A council’s role in tackling modern slavery can be separated into four distinct areas:

· identification and referral of victims

· supporting victims (for example through child and adult safeguarding services and housing/homelessness services)

· community safety services and disruption activities

· ensuring that the supply chains are free from modern slavery

Modern slavery statements are therefore a great opportunity for councils to showcase their work addressing modern slavery, encourage further collaboration and set an example in their wider communities.

Structure and components of a modern slavery statement

A strong modern slavery statement typically follows a structured and comprehensive format which includes the following elements:

1. Introduction and council profile: Provide relevant information of your council that creates a picture of its structure and supply chains. Show knowledge and understanding of the origin of products, services and insight into existing business relationships.

2. Policies: Include your organisation’s general approach to combating modern slavery and any stand-alone modern slavery policies that are in place. It should also include other general policies which relate to modern slavery, for example surrounding recruitment, whistleblowing, and grievance mechanisms.

3. Due diligence processes: Provide an overview of the measures taken to mitigate the risk of modern slavery within supply chains. This should include clear and transparent descriptions of the due diligence procedures implemented to identify and address any areas of vulnerability. Examples of this include, informing suppliers of your organisation’s modern slavery policies, seeking assurances from them during the tendering, introducing modern slavery related clauses into contracts and terms and conditions, and conducting audits.

4. Risk assessments: Analyse the potential risks and vulnerabilities within your council’s operations, supply chains, and broader activities that may be high-risk to modern slavery. This should encompass various aspects, including procurement practices, workforce management, and engagement with third-party contractors. Local authorities should identify geographical regions or sectors that pose higher risks and assess the likelihood and severity of such risks occurring.

5. Training: Give details on the training provided to staff within your local authority. If it is early on in its modern slavery journey, this may be a basic e-learning course or part of generic employee training, safeguarding modules or human rights training. If it is further along, it may include compulsory standalone modern slavery training for all staff members and/or more specific training for differing departments, for example frontline staff. Remember – include specific examples of the training content, delivery methods, and the frequency of training sessions.

6. KPIs: Outline specific and measurable metrics that will gauge the effectiveness of your organisation’s efforts in addressing modern slavery. Examples of KPIs may include the percentage of suppliers or contractors assessed for modern slavery risks, the number of employees trained on recognising and reporting signs of exploitation, and the number of reported grievances related to potential cases of modern slavery. This can track the organisation’s progress and identify areas that require improvement.

To obtain all of this information and create a holistic statement, it is important to work with individuals from across departments. However, if your organisation is just starting out on its journey and does not have information for each section, just include what has been done and future aims.

For more information and inspiration of a strong local authority modern slavery statement, we recommend taking a look at either Cardiff or Westminster.

Every effort to end modern slavery, big or small, matters. By publishing modern slavery statements, local authorities can become beacons of change within their communities, setting a powerful example for businesses and individuals alike. Together, we can create a world where trapping people in slavery is unacceptable.