Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations:

1.    That Cabinet note the progress against the commitments made in the Modern Slavery Transparency Statement and Action Plan.

2.    That Cabinet approve the refreshed Modern Slavery Transparency Statement for publication.

Consideration was given to the report which provided the annual update on the activities of the Council and its partners in seeking to both address and prevent modern slavery. The report focussed on the actions following the resolution passed by Council to adopt the Co-operative Party Charter against Modern Slavery in July 2018 and in particular on actions since the last annual report presented to Cabinet in January 2021.

Appendix 1 to the report was the updated Modern Slavery Act 2015 – Transparency Statement. Appendix 2 was the Modern Slavery Charter Action Plan and detailed the completed actions. Of particular note was the compliance in relation to the training of procurement staff alongside the development of advice and guidance for Contract and Commissioning Officers. The Council’s Whistleblowing Policy had also been updated to include specific reference to modern slavery.

Between 1st April, 2020, and 30th June, 2021, there were 35 referrals from Rotherham into the National Referral Mechanism. All referrals were reported to the Safer Rotherham Partnership Board through its Performance Management Framework.

Resolved:-

1.    That Cabinet note the progress against the commitments made in the Modern Slavery Transparency Statement and Action Plan; and

2.    That Cabinet approve the refreshed Modern Slavery Transparency Statement for publication.