Modern slavery is often a hidden crime involving one person denying another person their freedom. It includes slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking. To tackle these crimes, the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the Modern Slavery Act) was introduced. The Modern Slavery Act consolidates and clarifies modern slavery offences; toughens penalties and prosecution; and introduces greater support and protection for victims.
Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act (MSA) requires commercial organisations, with an annual turnover of £36 million or more, to report each year on their efforts to identify, prevent and mitigate modern slavery in their supply chains.
For the LUPC membership – the vast majority need to comply.
As a reminder of the mandatory elements, all statements must:
- contain information on the efforts of your institution in the financial year
- be available from a link on a prominent place on your organisation homepage
- be approved by the highest level of governance
- be signed by someone at the most senior level in your institution.
Based on the UK Government guidance, it is best practice that you:
- Publish your modern slavery statement at the bottom of the homepage or in a relevant menu on your website such as “About Us”. Visibility and easy access to the statement is a clear sign of transparency and confirms your reputation as an organisation that takes this seriously.
- Always include the date of approval and the financial year you are reporting.
- Ensure the statement is published within 6 months of the end of the financial year.
- Ensure you keep a statement for each previous financial year on your website. This is a live document that should be updated every year and serves to detail the progress made by your organisation.
Free e-learning: Protecting Human Rights in the Supply Chain
Key resources to help you write your Modern Slavery statement:
LUPC's top tips on writing a Modern Slavery statement
Guidance for suppliers produced by the UKUPC Responsible Procurement Network, on developing a Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Act Statement.
HEPA Responsible Procurement Group Modern Slavery & Human Rights sub-group* guide listing resources related to modern slavery & human rights, including UK and international legislation, relevant international organisations, and guidance on modern slavery statements.
Unseen
Unseen runs the UK Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline. You can access it via the button at the top of this page or on our RP home page. The link includes a webform and the Helpline number for reporting any concerns about modern slavery. Operated by Unseen UK, the service is confidential, independent, and available to provide advice and guidance to anyone with concerns.
Webinar: LUPC’s Approach to Human and Labour Rights and Unseen
We were pleased to introduce Unseen to our members in a webinar on 25 September 2024. If you missed the webinar or would like to watch it again, you can catch up on the webinar recording and the slides.
UK Modern Slavery Posters
We encourage our members to display Unseen’s posters (poster 1, poster 2, poster 3, poster 4) within their organisations.
These resources can be shared digitally or in print to promote the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline and the webform available on LUPC’s webpage. Each poster includes a QR code that can be scanned with a mobile phone for direct access to the webform and helpline.
Please contact LUPC's RP Lead, Mags Shapiro if you have any queries.
