A key part of our work is to raise awareness of the existence of modern slavery in our communities and help people to find ways of responding. It is estimated that there are over 100,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK today and with a large percentage of those in London and the south-east there are likely to be victims in every parish in our diocese.
Bishop Alastair Redfern who is Chair of The Clewer Initiative, the Church of England’s response to modern slavery, says
“We believe that the tools already exist within the local community to end modern slavery and that the Church, which is present in all communities and at the heart of many, has a primary responsibility in leading these efforts”
That is each one of us!
Signs of slavery: what might I see?
These a just a few of the signs of slavery happening all around us, right here, right now:
At a carwash
- Workers don’t have the right clothing
- No eye contact, no conversation
- Appear under the control of others
- Look malnourished
In a nail bar
- Look out for things that don’t seem right, including very low prices.
- Do the staff speak English? Can you communicate with them?
- Is there someone (often a man) who seems to be dominating and telling them what to do?
- Is it cash only?
On a construction site
- Workers being collected and dropped off on a regular basis early in the morning or late at night in a crowded minibus with other workers.
- Evidence that they live on the site.
- No suitable protective clothing or other proper safety equipment.
- Don’t relate to others on the site.
In my neighbourhood
Is there work being done to a house?
- Look for the same signs as on a construction site
- Do the workers look frightened and hesitant to talk to strangers?
- Do they look malnourished or show signs of physical abuse with untreated injuries?
Are there several people going in and out of a house?
- Are they mainly men?
- Do the people who live there appear to be young women?
- Is the activity around the house mainly at night?
Whether you are employing someone through an agency, getting work done on your home or church or buying a service – if the price seems too good to be true it probably is and someone is suffering.
What do I do if I suspect something?
If there is an emergency and someone is in immediate danger, don’t hesitate call 999.
Call CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.
If you need advice or support on a modern slavery issue then you can call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700. It operates 24 hour a day, 365 days a year.
If your church is affected in any way notify your Parish Safeguarding Officer.
If you would like to report any non-emergency suspicious activity in your local area then you can call your local police on 101 or go to your local police station.
Contact Chris and Jennifer, our Diocesan Modern Slavery Advisors, by emailing: [email protected]
Meet the Southwark Against Modern Slavery Team
If you want to learn more or have the Southwark Against Modern Slavery Team speak at your church or meeting, please contact Chris Elliott and Jennifer Hyde, the Diocesan Modern Slavery Advisors. You can also get in touch to find out about the Hidden Voices - Modern Slavery Training.
Chris Elliott
I am one of the Modern Slavery Advisors to the Diocese of Southwark. I worship at St John the Evangelist Redhill where I am a member of the PCC as a Reigate Deanery Synod representative and member of Southwark Diocesan Synod. I currently chair the Surrey Anti-Slavery Partnership, which brings together many people working in the modern slavery area.
During my time as Deanery Lay Chair, I felt called to involve the whole deanery in social justice issues that affect our area of the country. This led me to build a small group of like-minded people. We soon realised that we had a vast remit and needed to concentrate our efforts into something we could manage and make a difference. With encouragement from a several people we learned that modern slavery was not high on anyone’s agenda especially in the “prevent” space of raising awareness and what to do if anyone had concerns.
Working with Jennifer Hyde and others we are making as many people as we can aware that modern slavery exists and is in every community – our strap line is “Modern Slavery: Right Here Right Now”
Jennifer Hyde
Together with Chris Elliott, I am one of the Modern Slavery Advisors to the Diocese of Southwark. I am member of St Mary’s Church in Bletchingley and Tandridge Deanery Synod. Modern slavery is a cause close to my heart and I feel passionate about telling everyone that it is Right Here, Right Now.
My interest in modern slavery was first sparked through my role as a volunteer appropriate adult for Surrey Police where I attend custody suites to be with a child or vulnerable adult who has been detained and a family member cannot be with them. I came to realise that many of these people are coerced into committing offences, may have been trafficked and that they are not free to make choices about what they do, living in fear of others who might ‘control’ them.
Since 2019 I have worked alongside Chris Elliott to raise awareness of modern slavery in our communities and encourage people to feel empowered to report things that ‘are not quite right’. We have given talks to many organisations and delivered training courses to empower ‘ordinary people’ to look more carefully at their community and take actions that they feel comfortable with to make where they live and work a little safer.
