Issue - meetings

[Karen Samuels,Head of Community Safety, to present report]

The Head of Community Safety presented a report on modern slavery.  The report provided an overview of the partnership working and the Council’s plans to tackle modern slavery across the City. Section 2 of the report outlined the framework in which the work on modern slavery was delivered, which followed a national framework.  There was an independent anti-slavery Commissioner and Legislation was introduced in 2015 under the name of the Modern Slavery Act.  Modern slavery could take on various different forms.  The legislation categorised them as holding a person in a position of slavery, forced servitude or compulsory labour, or facilitating the travel of a person with the intention of exploiting them soon after.  Within the West Midlands, forced Labour was a key area of focus and the exploitation of young people.  It was important to raise awareness about modern slavery as it was largely hidden within Wolverhampton. 

The Head of Community Safety stated that there was a national system for referring individuals experiencing modern slavery.  The contract on a national level was provided though the Salvation Army and in the West Midlands the sub-contractor was Black Country Women’s Aid.  The landscape was complex which led to some difficulties within the system.  As a consequence the Independent Commissioner was driving through changes at a national level.  The numbers identified in Wolverhampton were relatively small.  There were 11 cases of modern slavery submitted to the National Referral Mechanism from Wolverhampton from Jan – Dec 2017, compared to six cases the previous year, all cases were minors.  These cases involved links to county lines/drugs, child sexual exploitation and forced labour. 

The Head of Community Safety referred to section 3 of the report which identified the key points discussed at Scrutiny, when the subject was discussed at the meeting in September 2017.  Section 3 of the report provided an update on each of those areas.  A communication plan was now in place.  There was an aide memoir available to staff in the event they came across an individual of concern.  City of Wolverhampton’s Council’s plan was in line with that of the Police and a training offer was now available after the launch of the national package.  The Police had been developing their intelligence gathering processes around data capture.  The Black Country organised crime group had been established, which met bi-monthly to identify organised crime groups and co-ordinate tactics.  A discussion with Wolverhampton Businesses Crime reduction forum was scheduled to take place in September 2018 on the efforts to combat modern slavery.  The Head of Community Safety commented that the Local Government Association had issued some guidance in February 2018 which provided a summary of the implications for modern slavery for local authorities with practical suggestions as to strengthening working practices. 

A Member of the Panel asked for an update on the number of cases of modern slavery reported for the year to date.  Chief Inspector Packham stated that since November 2017 to the current date, there had been 19 reported crimes.  The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6