Spotting the signs of modern slavery: new toolkit available

Would you know how to spot the signs of modern slavery? 

New toolkit for church-based social action projects in the Diocese of London

Ten years ago, in 2015, the Modern Slavery Act was introduced; according to Justine Carter, from charity Unseen, it has “really made a difference in how we look at modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation here in the UK” (indeed, the legislation was considered ground-breaking and world-leading at the time).

There is of course still a lot of work to do, both nationally and locally to combat this particular evil – and churches can play an important role in this.

Many of our churches in the Diocese of London see social action as an indispensable part of our Christian mission – of building the Kingdom of God. From foodbanks to caring for God’s creation to refugee and asylum support, our churches run thousands of projects which help people build confidence, faith and community. We do this well, and importantly we do it safely – with amazing volunteers taking on Parish Safeguarding Officer roles, offering warm hospitality and welcome which demonstrates the love of Christ.

But would you know how to spot the signs of modern slavery in someone who was a guest at a church-based social action project? Would you know how to report it? And how can you help contribute towards preventing exploitation of vulnerable people in your communities?

For the last six months Compassionate Communities and the Safeguarding Team at the Diocese of London have been working on a toolkit called ‘Spot, Report, Protect’. In it, you will find key information such as:

• Definitions and statistics
• How to spot common signs of modern slavery
• How to report (in line with Church of England safeguarding guidelines for parishes)
• Volunteer personal safety
• Trauma-informed case studies
• Useful resources

We very much hope that this will be a useful resource for parishes, and help to kickstart conversations in our churches. Modern slavery is often hidden, but with our churches at the heart of our communities we are well-placed to spot the signs, report appropriately and help protect vulnerable people.