News
Modern Slavery : Duty to notify
Monday, October 31, 2016
What you need to do if you think someone has been a victim of modern slavery
From 1 November 2015, specified public authorities have a duty to notify the Secretary of State of any individual encountered in England and Wales who they believe is a suspected victim of slavery or human trafficking.
The Government have released materials to assist individuals in recognising the signs and how to report such issues.
Two posters are available at the following link, one is aimed at those covered by the duty to notify legislation (list below), and the other is for partners who are not necessarily covered by the duty but may come into contact with potential victims on a regular basis (e.g. NHS frontline staff). Click the following link to access the materials: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-duty-to-notify
The 'duty to notify' provision is set out in Section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and applies to the following public authorities in England and Wales at the time of publication:
(a) a chief officer of police for a police area,
(b) the chief constable of the British Transport Police Force,
(c) the National Crime Agency,
(d) a county council,
(e) a county borough council,
(f) a district council,
(g) a London borough council,
(h) the Greater London Authority,
(i) the Common Council of the City of London,
(j) the Council of the Isles of Scilly,
(k) the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.