Modern Slavery

Article 4(a) of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (the Convention) defines human trafficking as:

“the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

In the case of adult human trafficking there are three components, all of which must be present:

Comprehensive information about each component can be found in Section 2 of Modern Slavery: statutory guidance.

Slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour are all illegal across the UK.

Slavery - The 1926 Slavery Convention defines slavery as ‘the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised’.

Servitude - Servitude means an obligation to provide a service that is imposed by the use of coercion. Servitude often occurs in a domestic environment, with the victim carrying out tasks such as household chores or childcare with little or no financial reward or freedom of movement. The fundamental distinguishing feature between servitude and forced or compulsory labour (below) is that the adult is likely to feel a sense of permanency and that their situation is unlikely to change.

Forced or compulsory labour - UN Convention No. 29 concerning forced or compulsory labour defines ‘forced or compulsory labour’ as “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily”. Forced or compulsory labour often takes place in industries where work is casual and/or there is little regulation, for example nail bars, car washes, factory production lines and seasonal farm work. The victim will receive little or no financial reward, or their wages will be taken by their exploiter to pay for artificial or inflated debt (debt bondage) or living expenses.

In the case of adults there are two components, both of which must be present in all cases of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour:

Comprehensive information about each component can be found in Section 2 of Modern Slavery: statutory guidance.

If the adult appears to be at immediate risk of harm, the situation should be treated as an emergency and the police alerted using 999.

The adult may also require medical attention, if there are signs of a physical injury or health concern (for example malnutrition).

Even if the adult is not at immediate risk of harm, the police should always be alerted as modern slavery is a crime. This is the case even if the concerns are historical.

If the adult seems to need care and support (or if this is unclear when a concern is identified), a safeguarding concern should also be raised to the local authority.

As part of the safeguarding response, the duty to notify must be met.

For guidance see Section 3, The Duty to Report Modern Slavery. 

Note: If a First Responder Organisation has already notified the Home Office, then an additional notification is not required.

The modern slavery statutory guidance provides extensive guidance for working effectively with adults that may be victims of modern slavery.

See: Working with vulnerable people.

See: Annex D – working with vulnerable people.

The key points for the safeguarding response to remember are:

• Collaborative partnerships, multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working are fundamental to ensure that potential victims are identified, protected and safeguarded. Activities should be carried out in partnership with other agencies to provide potential victims with integrated support and access to their rights and entitlements.
• It is important for professionals to understand the specific vulnerability of potential victims of modern slavery and utilise practical, trauma-informed methods of working which are based upon fundamental principles of dignity, compassion and respect. Voices must always be heard, and rights respected.
• Potential victims may be reluctant to, or unable to, self-identify. Some groups are more susceptible to becoming victims of modern slavery, particularly former victims, adults who are homeless, adults with no recourse to public funds or adults with drug and alcohol dependency issues;
• Victims may experience post-traumatic stress disorder and anyone interviewing a potential victim should be aware of the impact of trauma on the interviewee, for example difficulty recalling facts;
• Survivors of modern slavery may be at risk of re-trafficking and further harm.

Regardless of whether an NRM referral has yet been made, other statutory or non-statutory services and support that the adult at risk may be legally entitled to (or that would be beneficial in reducing risk) should be identified.

For example, immigration advice or accommodation:

• The Housing Act (1996) requires local housing authorities to secure accommodation for an individual if there is a reason to believe that the individual may be homeless, eligible for assistance and have a priority need;
• If local housing authorities believe an individual with recourse to public funds would be homeless due to being a victim of modern slavery, they should provide safe accommodation between referral to the NRM and a Reasonable Grounds decision.

To ensure that legal obligations are met, and rights upheld, the safeguarding response should refer to the Modern Slavery: statutory guidance and seek legal advice as necessary.

Please refer to the Local Contacts and Practice Resources section and the Exploitation pages on the SSAB website. 

Salford has produced specific guidance in relation to 'Cuckooing', a form of exploitation where criminal take over the homes of people who are vulnerable in some way, also known as 'Home Invasion'. Please see: Salford Safeguarding Adults Board, Cuckooing Guidance.

The Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline is provided by the anti-slavery charity Unseen. It can provide information and advice to professionals when an adult is at risk.

Helpline: 0800 0121 700 (open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year).

Unseen website: Unseen.

The government has also produced a range of downloadable leaflets that can be provided to potential victims of modern slavery. They are available in 11 languages.

See: Support for victims of modern slavery.

The Modern Slavery Unit can provide assistance and guidance about any aspect of the statutory guidance. They can be contact via email on: NRMReform@homeoffice.gov.uk.

This guidance is intended to help councils enhance their response to modern slavery. Alongside an overview of modern slavery and the UK framework for tackling it, there are targeted sections for officers working in different council services such as children’s services, adult social care, housing, community and regulatory services, as well as a section on supply chains.

See: Council guide to tackling modern slavery.

The government has complied a resource designed to share examples of training products available to public sector professionals and other individuals that might come across victims to help raise awareness, better spot the signs and increase confidence in reporting modern slavery when potential cases are encountered.

See: Modern slavery training: resource page.