Modern Slavery Act Statement

The Walton Centre’s Response to the Requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015

This Act was brought about to make provision about slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and about human trafficking; including provision for the protection of victims; to make provision for an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner; and for connected purposes.

Slavery is not an issue confined to history or an issue that only exists in certain countries – it is something that is still happening today. It is a global problem and the UK is no exception.

Modern slavery is part of the safeguarding agenda for children and adults.

All staff at the Walton Centre, be they in clinical or non-clinical roles, have a responsibility to consider issues regarding modern slavery, and incorporate their understanding of these issues into their day to day practice. Front line NHS staff are well placed to be able to identify and report any concerns they may have about individual patients who present for treatment.

Modern slavery is a real issue.

It is also a serious concern for public services.

As a Trust we are committed to working in partnership with local authorities to identify cases of modern day slavery and to intervene to protect vulnerable adults and children when they are identified.

Who is affected?

Victims found in the United Kingdom come from many different countries, including Romania, Albania, Nigeria, Vietnam and the United Kingdom itself.

Social and economic deprivation, limited opportunities at home, lack of education, unstable social and political conditions, economic imbalances and war are some of the key drivers that contribute to the trafficking of victims.

Victims can also face more than one type of abuse and slavery, for example if they are sold to another trafficker and then forced into another form of exploitation. 

The Walton Centre is committed to ensuring that no modern slavery or human trafficking takes place in any part of our business or our supply chain and has taken steps to ensure that all staff are aware of the issue of Modern Slavery and what they can do to prevent it by including information in the Safeguarding Adult and Children Policies.. Any concerns are raised with the Safeguarding Matron who will escalate accordingly.

Modern Slavery

Starting in 1 November 2015, specified public authorities have been given a duty to notify the Home Office of any individual encountered in England and Wales who they believe is a suspected victim of slavery or human trafficking.

 The ‘duty to notify’ provision is set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and applies to all police forces and local authorities in England and Wales, the Gang masters Licensing Authority and the National Crime Agency.

 Procurement arrangements:

All contracts established by The Walton Centre use the NHS Terms and Conditions for Supply of Goods, which contains Anti-Slavery clauses that require providers/contractors to comply with Law and Guidance, use Industry Good Practice and to notify the authorities if they become aware of any actual or suspected incident of slavery or human trafficking. The Walton Centre Procurement team has issued Modern Slavery Act 2015 compliance letters to our supply chain and keeps a database of responses. Also, the Trust’s purchase orders to suppliers now set out the Trusts expectations in terms of compliance with the Act.

In addition to the above The Walton Centre will investigate any concern raised with the service. This could be by national or local media publicity, through supply chain contacts or by individuals.

Employment arrangements: As an NHS Employer we are required to comply with the NHS employment check standard for all directly recruited staff.

The six checks which make up the NHS Employment Check Standards are:

1. Verification of identity checks
2. Right to work checks
3. Professional registration and qualification checks
4. Employment history and reference checks 5. Criminal record checks
5. Occupational health checks

No individual is permitted to commence employment with the Trust without these checks having been completed. The checks are carried out centrally by the recruitment team and recorded on the Trust workforce information system (ESR). These measures ensure that the Trust does not unwittingly employ people subjected to modern slavery.

If staff have concerns about the supply chain or any other suspicions related to modern slavery they will be encouraged to raise these concerns through line management and report the issues to appropriate agencies. This will be raised particularly with clinical staff that may be in contact with vulnerable people.