Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Sub Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services and noted that, due to the hidden nature of Modern Day Slavery (MDS), it is difficult to have an accurate measure of the prevalence of this exploitation, as there is no definitive source of data or suitable method available to accurately quantify the number of victims involved.

Members noted that the report identifies the five main types of exploitation associated with MDS, looking at the national and London statistics on modern slavery in the UK. Furthermore, the City of London Corporation has an MDS group which consists of representatives from the Department of Community and Children’s Services, Police, Licensing, and external partners.  The City and Hackney Safeguarding Adults Board has identified MDS as a priority for 2022. The number of MDS cases in the City of London remain low but, given the hidden nature of this crime, it is likely that this does not reflect the true prevalence of MDS in the City of London, but  officers are fully aware of where there are potential risks.

RESOLVED, that – the report be noted.