Â鶹ÊÓƵ

A commitment to help protect people from modern slavery and human trafficking is set to be reinforced when Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Cabinet meets next Wednesday (1 November).

Each year, the Council is legally required to update and publish its Modern Slavery Transparency Statement. It sets out work carried out over the past year to minimise the risks of modern slavery in the Council, its supply chains and in the community.

Cabinet members will be asked to agree an updated Modern Slavery Transparency Statement for 2022/23, reinforcing the Council's commitment to preventing violence and exploitation of vulnerable people.

Councillor Joanne Bell, Lead Member for Finance, Governance and Corporate Services, said: "Slavery is something that we often think of as a horror of the past, but the reality is that it remains an ever-present challenge, both around the world and in the UK.

"Victims, including children forced against their will to work for little or no pay for the benefit of others. They are often abused or threatened and stripped of their rights with exploitation occurring across many different sectors, from factories and shops to private properties. Victims span all ages, genders, nationalities and backgrounds.

"We are committed to doing all we can to reduce the risks of slavery within our organisation and our supply chains. In fact our efforts goes way beyond our statutory focus on procurement and recruitment activity, and involves wider community engagement and ensuring our services are ready to support any victims identified locally.

"We work closely with our partners to eradicate slavery in society through awareness raising and prevention among businesses and residents as well as work to identify and support victims. We would also encourage people in our wider community to look out for the signs of slavery, and report any concerns they may have."  

The Council continues to work on its key policies and initiatives that help to minimise the risks of slavery. These include internal procedures around due diligence, safeguarding, procurement as well as staff awareness training on identifying the signs of modern slavery and a whistleblowing policy, which supports Council employees, contractors and partners to come forward with any concerns.

Building upon the policies and partnerships which are already in place, work during 2022/23 has also included sharing information and resources with partners whose service users may be at greater risk of exploitation, with particular focus on engagement with local adult social care providers following national increases in slavery incidents among workers within the care home sector.

In May 2019, Â鶹ÊÓƵ became one of the first in the country to develop a comprehensive Modern Slavery Strategy, outlining how it will identify, prevent and tackle the issue of modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation in the Borough.

The annually reviewed Statement aligns to the Borough's 2022-24 Strategy and it's five key action areas: Identify, Respond, Disrupt, Prevent and Engage.

Councillor Bell added: "Modern Slavery is a very serious crime and a hugely important topic. The Modern Slavery Statement gives a commitment that we will always look to do more where we can and sends out a clear message that there is no place for slavery in our business, supply chains or our community."

The Modern Slavery Transparency Statement 2022/23 is set to be considered by Cabinet members on Wednesday 1 November when they meet at 10am at Hebburn Central.

The proposed updates will ensure the Council's continued compliance with section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Official national statistics show that there were more than 17,000 adults and children identified as potential victims of modern slavery in the country last year, though other experts suggest there could be as many as 100,000 victims in the UK.

Key indicators of trafficking or modern slavery include:

• People not in possession of their own documents;
• People appearing frightened, withdrawn and anxious, or 'controlled' or 'coached' by someone else;
• Limited freedom of movement with victims often regularly collected early in the morning or dropped off from work late at night;
• Signs of malnourishment, injury or lack of sleep, medical care or other life necessities;
• Limited social interaction with those outside their immediate environment.

Anyone who witnesses any suspicious activity is urged to call the Police in the first instance or 999 in an emergency. Information can also be reported to the Modern Day Slavery helpline on 0800 0121 700 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Anyone who suspects that a child is at risk of harm or abuse or is being trafficked or enslaved in South Tyneside can call South Tyneside's Children's Safeguarding Team on (0191) 424 5010 (or 456 2093 outside normal office hours). For concerns relating to an adult, call the Adult Safeguarding Team on (0191) 424 6000 (or 456 2093 outside normal office hours).