“Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy”. (Proverbs 31:8-9)
Modern Slavery encompasses a variety of situations where people are held against their will; this includes sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, and human trafficking. It can also include things like county lines, forced marriage and organ harvesting. Modern Slavery is a crime, and punishable under The Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Whilst modern slavery sits with ‘refugees and asylum’ in this theme of work, it is important to remember that exploitation does not discriminate: people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities can be trapped in modern slavery, and sometimes people aren’t aware that this is what is happening to them. It is imperative that everyone in our churches, especially those running social action projects, know how to spot the signs of modern slavery, and report it.
Compassionate Communities has created a toolkit (with input from our own diocesan safeguarding team, and The Clewer Initiative) on Modern Slavery Awareness, which is a quick guide for our churches on spotting the signs, reporting it safely, and also contains resources to keep your communities informed and protected.
If in doubt, always contact your Safeguarding Lead (click here to visit the diocese of London’s Safeguarding Team webpages) and the Modern Slavery Helpline: 08000 121 700. Always keep yourself safe, and in an emergency always call 999.
Frequently asked questions about modern slavery
There is no typical victim of modern slavery. Victims can be any age, gender, ethnicity or nationality. Victims can often face more than one type of abuse and slavery, for example being sold on to another trafficker and then forced into another form of exploitation.
However there are some common signs of modern slavery and exploitation which we can educates ourselves on. Please also read our toolkit, and accompanying news story, on Modern Slavery Awareness for further information.
Absolutely! You could display posters in key places in your church/ hall, signposting potential victims to available support and with the Modern Slavery Helpline number (08000 121 700) clearly visible. Two good resources are:
General awareness raising posters from The Clewer Initiative
The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA)have leaflets specifically on labour exploitation:
- Know your rights posters (can be downloaded in a number of languages)
- Leaflet- Spotting the signs of labour exploitation
- Workers’ Rights Leaflets – Translations – Languages – GLAA
- Unseen have a leaflet specifically on spotting the signs of county lines Leaflet- County Lines Exploitation
You should phone 999 if there is any immediate danger or medical attention is required.
Please check the Modern Slavery Awareness Toolkit for detailed reporting pathways (page 3 onwards). Please reach out to your Safeguarding Lead, too.
Alongside reporting to diocesan safeguarding, there are a variety of numbers you can phone – always contact your Safeguarding Lead if in doubt about what to do.
You can also contact:
- The Police on 101 for advice about local issues and to report suspicions, or 999 if someone is in immediate danger.
- The Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700 – to report suspicions or concerns and to ask for advice about modern slavery.
- The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) on 0800 4320 804/ 0115 959 7032 / intelligence@gla.gov.uk – for advice on labour exploitation or to report suspicions.
- Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
It might not end up being a situation of modern slavery, but it could be another safeguarding concern (such as neglect), so it is always worth contacting your safeguarding lead for their advice.
The Clewer Initiative have a number of resources on their website, including hymns, prayers, and lesson plans.
Their discipleship courses include:
- Children in the Shadows Revisited – focusing on child exploitation
- Waiting in the Wilderness – based on Luke 13, and explores how churches can respond to modern slavery
- True Freedom – drawing on Galatians, and explores how churches can respond (in collaboration with the World Council of Churches)
- Women in the Shadows – particularly focused on how women and girls can be exploited
You can find resources here for teaching Children and Young People about Modern Slavery including lesson plans and collective worship resources .
The first port of call should be the Church of England Safeguarding Portal, through which you can access an optional training module on Modern Slavery.
If you’d like to go beyond this training, please contact us at the Compassionate Communities Team and we can put you in touch with trusted speakers. We are always keen for churches to take action on modern slavery!
The Helen Bamber Foundation have produced an excellent guide for best-practice when working with survivors of modern slavery. This Trauma Informed Code of Conduct is available to download on their website here.
Please also take a look at the Modern Slavery Awareness Toolkit we have produced here at Compassionate Communities.
Anti- Slavery Day is on 18th October each year.
If you are organising an Anti-Slavery Day church service you can find below resources from The Clewer Initiative which may help you in planning the service, including:-
- Bible readings and hymns
- Ideas for prayers
- A sermon script for inspiration
Latest video resources on modern slavery
