Fresh plans to protect people from modern slavery in South Tyneside

South Tyneside Council has developed an updated Modern Slavery Strategy, building on work since the plan was first adopted three years ago.

The new strategy, which will cover the period 2022-2024, seeks to respond to recent challenges that have emerged in a post-Covid world and a rise in residents facing financial issues with the cost of living crisis.

Key pledges involve improved awareness-raising and staff training to identify modern slavery and ensuring council services respond effectively where it is identified, including supporting police with their operations.

Plans also include strengthening procurement policies to tackle modern slavery in business and supply chains as well as raising awareness of modern slavery in the community.

At a meeting of the full council on Thursday, September 29, councillors voted unanimously to approve the updated strategy and action plan.

Councillor Joanne Bell, cabinet member for governance, finance and corporate services, introduced a report on the plans at South Shields Town Hall.

The cabinet member said the strategy would allow the local authority to “better protect our local community and to help stamp out this horrendous and terrible crime”.

Cllr Bell told the meeting: “I think everyone in this chamber will agree that modern slavery is a horrendous crime that strips people of their basic rights and dignities.

“It can take many different forms and can happen to anyone, adults, children, men, women, people from foreign countries and people born and raised here in the UK.

“The latest estimate suggests that there are over 136,000 victims of slavery in the UK today.

“We don’t like to think that there may be modern slavery taking place behind our closed doors in our own communities and neighbourhoods.

“But unfortunately the reality is that police intelligence tells us that it can and does happen here in South Tyneside and the wider north east, often hidden in seemingly ordinary residences and business premises.

“We also note from police partners, that often slavery is only identified because ordinary people (social workers, teachers, utility workers, neighbours) act on their feeling that something about an individual or an address they have encountered in their day-to-day work isn’t quite right, sharing their concerns with police to take a closer look.

“As a major employer, a provider of front-line services and a major influence on the local community, as well as a public body responsible for functions as varied as environmental health and youth services, local actions which can be taken to further strengthen [the council’s] approach to recognise and tackle slavery must be taken.”

The term modern slavery covers offences in the Modern Slavery Act (2015) which result in the deprivation of a person’s liberty, by another, to exploit them for personal or commercial gain.

This can include debt bondage, human trafficking, forced labour and people being traded as a property or commodity, as well as employers ‘owning’ employees.

Councillor John Robertson, independent, welcomed the report on the Modern Slavery Strategy and described it as a “very sad subject”.

Councillor David Francis, Green Group leader, echoed the comments describing modern slavery as a “very important and heartbreaking subject”, as well as asking about future training opportunities.

Cllr Francis suggested councillors had a role to play in identifying modern slavery, as they’re “arguably quite well placed to be in the know about what’s happening in their particular wards”.

Councillor Joan Atkinson, deputy leader of South Tyneside Council, confirmed there would be a “suite of training opportunities” coming forward for councillors, with information expected in coming weeks.

More information on the South Tyneside Modern Slavery Strategy 2022-2024 can be found on the council’s website.