Tackling modern slavery in Hackney
A new strategy has been launched today to tackle modern day slavery in Hackney.
The strategy will see Hackney’s Community Safety Partnership, which brings together the Council, Police, Health, Probation and other key local players; City and Hackney Safeguarding Adults Board; and City and Hackney Safeguarding Children’s Partnership, working together to tackle the cross-cutting issues linked to modern day slavery.
It outlines Hackney Council and its partners’ commitments to raising awareness of and protecting residents from all forms of modern slavery, including labour exploitation, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation, through four key strategic priorities:
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To tackle modern slavery through strong leadership and effective partnerships
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To raise awareness of modern day slavery
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To identify and support victims of modern slavery
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To pursue perpetrators of modern slavery
It includes taking action to improve identifying, helping and supporting those affected by modern slavery; supporting Hackney’s communities, faith and voluntary sectors to identify the signs of modern slavery and know how to report it; and using data to monitor themes, trends and patterns.
Modern slavery can take many forms, including forced criminal activity such as gang-related activities and shoplifting, victims being exploited for labour or forced to work for little or no money, sexual exploitation, and victims being forced to work in private households, who are often denied access to the outside world.
Modern slavery has a devastating impact on its victims, their families, and our communities as a whole. There are currently 13,000 people suspected to be living in slavery in the UK, and behind each of these statistics is a victim whose life has been impacted by this appalling crime.
This means that many of us may have unknowingly witnessed modern slavery whilst going about our day-to-day activities, which further reinforces the importance of raising awareness of the key “signs to spot” in our communities.
In addition to the work led on by my colleague Cllr Rennison to safeguard against modern slavery in our own supply chain, we are committed to working with our partners to ensure that all of our our residents are safe, happy, and can live a life free from slavery. By working together we can increase awareness, reporting and early intervention - helping to stamp out modern slavery for good.
If you suspect that someone is living in slavery, then it is important that you do not confront or approach them as this could cause more harm. The police should always be contacted in the first instance, on 999 in emergencies or 101 in other situations.
You can also contact 020 8356 5500 or fast@hackney.gov.uk for concerns about children under 18.
For concerns about adults, you can contact the Council’s Information and Assessment team on 0208 356 6262 or the Safeguarding Adults team on 020 8356 5782.
You can view our Modern Slavery Inter-board Strategy here: https://hackney.gov.uk/modern-day-slavery