Modern slavery is closer than you think...
Modern slavery is the illegal exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain. Victims are trapped in servitude, which they were deceived or coerced into and feel they cannot leave.
There are four main types of modern slavery:
- Criminal exploitation is when children or adults are coerced into criminal activity including selling drugs and theft.
- Domestic servitude happens in family homes; the victim may be related to or employed by the perpetrator. They cannot leave of their own free will and may not have their own space within the home.
- Sexual exploitation is where children or adults are manipulated (through money or gifts) or coerced (through threats and manipulation) into sexual activity that benefits someone else.
- Forced labour is when a person is controlled by an employer, usually through mental or physical abuse. They are not paid appropriately for their work and feel they cannot leave.
Modern slavery happens across the world and the UK. It is also happening in Slough.
It can happen to people who come from the UK, or who have come here from other countries.
For information about the signs of modern slavery that you might see, visit the Unseen UK website.
How to report
It is hoped more people will come forward and report any concerns they have by calling the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700.
You can also call 999 in an emergency or 101 if you have a concern about modern slavery.
If you want to help raise awareness of modern slavery in Slough, there are a number of ways you can help.
- Follow us on twitter @SloughCouncil and retweet our modern slavery tweets.
- Save the useful apps below on your phone to help recognise and report modern slavery.
- Download our posters and share on social media.
- Share the five questions with friends, family and colleagues.
Useful Apps
- Safe Car Wash – Help end modern slavery in hand car washes with the Safe Car Wash App. Modern slavery is happening in car washes across the country. But only with anecdotal evidence, and partial understanding of the scale of the problem, law enforcement need the public’s help to map this issue. The Safe Car Wash App has been created to mobilise communities and help gather information about hand car washes in the UK.
Download the Safe Car Wash App on your phone and use it every time you go to a hand car wash. The app will take you through the most obvious indicators of modern slavery, asking you questions to determine whether those signs are present or not, If there is a high likelihood of modern slavery in the car wash, you will be prompted to call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700.
- Unseen – recognise and report modern slavery or seek help through the Unseen App. The Unseen App provides a guide to understanding how women, men and children can be exploited and spotting the signs of modern slavery. It also makes reporting concerns or suspicions to Unseen’s Modern Slavery Helpline easy – you can either fill in a report or call direct at the click of a button.