In an emergency, always call 999. If you come across anything suspicious or need support, contact the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, 08000 121 700 (open 24/7)

What is modern slavery?

Modern Slavery is an umbrella term for human trafficking and servitude. It occurs when somebody is forced or coerced to do something, and another person gains from this.

The most common ways people are exploited are:

·         forced labour – being made to work for little or no money

·         sexual exploitation – being coerced or forced into selling sex

·         domestic servitude – being made to work within a home environment for little or no pay

·         criminal exploitation – being forced to break the law for someone else (for example begging, selling or cultivating drugs)

What does modern slavery look like?

Modern slavery is often hidden in plain sight, making it hard to recognise victims. It can affect anybody of any age, gender or ethnicity.

People are often unable to escape because of fear for their own lives or for the lives of their family, or because they don’t know who to turn to or who to trust.

How to spot the signs

Someone might be being exploited if:

·         they allow someone else to speak for them

·         they believe they have debt to pay off

·         they have little or no contact with family

·         they struggle to trust authorities

·         someone else has their passport

·         they are unable to take days off or leave a work environment

For more information and specific signs for each type of exploitation, visit the STOP THE TRAFFIK website.

What to do about it

·         By learning the signs, you can help spot modern slavery in our communities; and by spotting it, we can stop it.

·         in an emergency, always call 999

·         if you come across anything suspicious or need support, contact the Modern Slavery Helpline, 08000 121 700 (open 24/7)

·         to report your concerns anonymously call CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit the Crimestoppers website

·         if a child is being exploited, this is child abuse and should be reported to the Local Authority and Police as necessary

What is the council doing about modern slavery?

The anti slavery and human trafficking statement (PDF, 1.03 MB) explains how we stop slavery and human trafficking in our activities and across our supply chain. It builds on LBS’s anti-slavery and human trafficking policy (PDF, 91 KB).

In 2018, we signed up for the https://www.southwark.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-09/Co-op%20party%20modern%20slavery%20charter.pdf to ensure our procurement practices do not support slavery, to consider the wider impact of modern slavery on the borough and to ensure that all forms of modern slavery are eliminated in Southwark.