Agenda item

Report of the Director of Law and Governance.

Presentation slides are also attached.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Governance which indicated that the Council has a legal responsibility to address modern slavery under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and the Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015). Locally, the Council’s modern slavery approach is coordinated through various subgroups within the Community Safety Partnership. Modern slavery and exploitation are key priorities in the Coventry Community Safety Partnership Plan 2025-2028. The Coventry Protocol for Addressing Adult Modern Slavery (The Protocol), a copy of which was appended to the report, is the first document to formalise the City’s operational and strategic response to adult exploitation.

The Protocol, which will be considered by Cabinet on 8 July, 2025,  sets out the strategic vision for the Coventry Modern Slavery Partnership, the City’s multi-agency forum tasked with determining and implementing the strategic response to adult exploitation. The Protocol also presents the operational pathways to guide frontline professionals through the practicalities of modern slavery case management. 

The Protocol has the following objectives:

•  To present Coventry Modern Slavery Partnership’s local strategic approach to modern slavery via the pursue, prevent, protect, prepare approach as set out by the central government.

•  To present the operational processes for responding to modern slavery in Coventry via the creation of survivor support pathways. The pathways are diverse and aim to guide staff through every aspect of case management. Some pathways are general for any professional to use, others have been created by and for priority teams (e.g. Adult Social Care, NHS, and Trading Standards).

•  To establish the ongoing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the strategy and pathways.

The Protocol was developed between October 2023 – November 2024 by the Coventry Modern Slavery Protocol Partnership Group. The Group was formed of several Council departments and over 30 partner organisations. The Protocol underwent consultation with over 150 professionals as well as a lived experience advisory panel formed of consultants with personal experience of modern slavery in early 2025. The Protocol was presented to the Coventry Community Safety Partnership Board on 12th of May 2025.

The Committee asked questions and received responses on the following areas:-

·  Less than 4% of local authorities have a dedicated officer for addressing Modern Slavery. A recent report produced by the Human Trafficking Foundation was referred to which provides more detail. Members requested copies of this report.

·  There is a wide variety of support offered to survivor which is person-centred, and trauma informed.

·  There are close relationships with UHCW regarding training on awareness levels for staff as health professionals are more likely to receive a disclosure than other professionals.

·  The work done to disrupt the financial aspect of modern slavery, including using civil enforcement powers the Council has, as well as those of the police.

·  How Ward Councillors can support the work being delivered and resources available to Members to raise awareness.

·  The governance process for reporting progress on the delivery of the Protocol and that it is formally reported on as part of the Community Safety Plan.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee recommend that:-

1)  Cabinet approve the recommendations in the report.

2)  Cabinet commend the Protocol to Council given the importance of the Protocol, together with the leading and innovative role that Coventry is undertaking in this work nationally.