Agenda item

Report from the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the progress made to date.

2.    Approve the Modern Slavery Transparency Statement 2026/27 and its publication on the Council’s website.

Consideration was given to the report which provided the annual update in relation to the activities of the Council and its partners in seeking to both address and prevent modern slavery and a refreshed draft Modern Slavery Transparency Statement 2026/27 for consideration and approval prior to publication. (Appendix 1). 

Paragraph 1.3 of the report set out the changes to the 2026/27 Statement compared to the 2025/26 Statement. These included the commitment, the polices and work that had been done. Work included:

-       Working with landlords to raise awareness.

-       Working with South Yorkshire Police on the enhancement of reporting pathways and intelligence sharing.

-       Developing a Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Information Sharing Agreement with South Yorkshire Partners.

-       Development of a “Strategic and Tactical Response to Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime in South Yorkshire, 2025-2028.”

-       Delivery of four bespoke Human Trafficking Modern Slavery training courses for Council staff.

Staff within the Procurement Team undertook the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) ethical procurement and supply training as required in the Co-operative Party’s Charter for modern slavery in 2018 when the Charter was adopted. The Team had been undergoing a refresh of this training with all relevant staff having completed this.  This training had now been programmed for renewal in every 3 year period as part of the overall modern slavery training provision.

Between April 2022 and December 2025, a total of 161 referrals from Rotherham were made by the Council and other first responder organisations to the National Referral Mechanism. All referrals were reported to the Safer Rotherham Partnership Board via the Performance Management Framework.

Cabinet Members and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board praised the work done on this matter and noted the progress that had been made since 2018.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the progress made to date.

2.    Approve the Modern Slavery Transparency Statement 2026/27 and its publication on the Council’s website.