Denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are beguiled and demoralized by the charms pleasure moment so blinded desire that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble.
Read More Zero tolerance for modern slavery
Policy Statement
Zero tolerance for modern slavery
Modern Slavery is a crime that results in an abhorrent abuse of human rights. The Modern Slavery Act 2015, referred to as the Act, created offences of slavery, servitude and financial or compulsory labour.
Definitions of Modern Slavery
Slavery, following the 1926 Slavery Convention, is the status or condition of a person over whom all or any of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised. Since legal ownership of a person is not possible, the key element of slavery is the behaviour on the part of the offender as if he or she did own the person, which deprives the victim of their freedom.
Servitude is the obligation to provide services that are imposed by the use of coercion and includes the obligation of a serf to live on another person’s property and the impossibility of changing his or her condition.
Forced or Compulsory Labour
This is defined in international labour law by the International Labour Organisations (ILO) Forced Labour Convention 29 and Protocol. It involves coercion, either direct threats of violence or more subtle forms of compulsion. The key elements are that, work or service is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the person has not offered him/herself voluntarily.
Human Trafficking
An offence of human trafficking requires that a person arranges or facilitates the travel of another person with a view to that person being exploited. The offence can be committed even where the victim consents to travel. This reflects the fact that a victim may be deceived by the promise of a better life or job, or maybe a child who is influenced to travel by an adult. In addition, the exploitation of a potential victim does not need to have taken place for the offence to be committed. It means that the arranging or facilitating of the movement of the individual was with a view of exploiting them for sexual exploitation or non-sexual exploitation.
Child Labour
This is defined by the ILO as children under 12 years working in any economic activity, those aged 12-14 engaged in more than light work, and all children engaged in the worst forms of child labour.
This policy is for adult providers only.
Definition
Utmostcare LTD recognises that modern slavery encompasses a range of exploitative practices where individuals are controlled, coerced or deceived for personal or commercial gain. In line with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and broader safeguarding frameworks, we define modern slavery to include (but not be limited to):
- Human trafficking – Moving or recruiting people through force, deception or coercion for exploitation.
- Forced labour – Involuntary work under threat or penalty.
- Debt bondage – Forced to work to repay debts under unfair terms.
- Sexual exploitation – Coerced prostitution or involvement in pornography.
- Criminal exploitation – Forced into illegal activity (e.g. drug running, theft).
- Domestic servitude – Exploited in a private home, with no freedom.
- Child slavery – Use of children for labour, crime or sexual abuse.
- Forced or early marriage – Marriage without free or informed consent.
- Controlled through abuse or threats – Coercion via fear, violence or manipulation.
- Dehumanised or treated as a commodity – Bought, sold or treated as property.
- Restrictions on movement – Confined or unable to leave freely.
These practices are criminal offences and constitute serious violations of fundamental human rights.
Compliance Requirements
The transparency in supply chains provision within the Act seeks to address the role of businesses, across all sectors preventing modern slavery in their supply chains and organisations. The following guidance sets out how businesses can meet these requirements, as set out in the Act.
There is a requirement that any commercial organisation, in any sector, which supplies goods and services, and carries on a business, or part of a business, in the UK and is above a specified total turnover, must produce a slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year of the organisation.
Regulations have set the total turnover threshold at £36 million, The statement must set out what steps they have taken during the financial year to ensure modern slavery is not occurring in their supply chains and their organisations. The Act requires businesses to be transparent about what is happening within their business, therefore if the business has taken no steps to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place, they must still publish a statement stating this to be the case.
Failure to comply with the production of a modern slavery statement for a particular financial year could mean an injunction through the High Court (or In Scotland, the Court Proceedings for Specific Performance of a Statutory Duty under Section 45 of the Court of Sessions Act 1998) requiring the organisation to comply. Failure to comply with the injunction is a contempt of a court order which is punishable by an unlimited fine. In practice, failure to comply with the provision will mean the organisation has not produced a statement or published it on their website in the relevant financial year.
Smaller Organizations
Where there is no requirement to produce a statement, organisations are encouraged to voluntarily produce a slavery and human trafficking statement, especially where they are contracting with organisations above the threshold. We, as a small provider may be asked to provide such a statement to commissioners of services, suppliers etc on our approach to modern slavery and find it helpful to have such a statement, hence this policy.
All businesses are encouraged by the Act to be open and transparent about recruitment practices, policies and procedures in relation to Modern Slavery and to take steps that are consistent and proportionate with their sector, size and operational reach.
Reporting and Escalation
Concerns about modern slavery or exploitation can be reported:
- Internally through the Whistleblowing or Safeguarding reporting mechanisms
- Directly to the CEO OR THE REGISETRED MANAGER (Designated Safeguarding Lead)
Referrals will then be made either to the police or local safeguarding authorities depending on the nature of the concern. Also if staff believe there is a possibility of a modern slavery situation, they must in the first instance report it to their manager who will then take it forward by reporting it to the Modern Slavery Helpline via telephone, 08000 121 700, or online, https://www.modernslaveryhelpline.org/report