Modern slavery – the adult safeguarding interface
| Pages | 158-166 |
| Date | 12 June 2017 |
| Published date | 12 June 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-09-2016-0021 |
| Author | Joanna Kidd,Jill Manthorpe |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Adult protection,Safeguarding,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Abuse |
Modern slavery –the adult
safeguarding interface
Joanna Kidd and Jill Manthorpe
Abstract
Purpose –The inclusion of modern slavery in the Care Act 2014 as a form of abuse means that the subject of
modern slavery is now included in the remit of adult safeguarding in England. The purpose of this paper is to
discuss the background to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and its provisions.
Design/methodology/approach –A policy analysis was undertaken in 2016 drawing on research and
commentary related to the interface between modern slavery and adult safeguarding.
Findings –There is little material as yet focussing on adult safeguarding and modern slavery but the inclusion
of modern slavery in this area of practice and organisations will require practitioner responses, organisational
collaboration and revisions of data collection and analysis. Newspaper accounts of criminal charges under
the Modern Slavery Act 2015 may be important first evidence of the interface potentially between modern
slavery and adults at risk of abuse and neglect that are the focus of adult safeguarding concern.
Practical implications –Informationabout modern slavery mayprovide relevant backgroundand contextual
detail for adult safeguarding communities, furnishing linksand resources for this new area of theirwork.
Originality/value –This paper is likely to be of interest to policymakers, researchers and practitioners in
examining their new duties under the Care Act 2014 and the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and to wider public
and private bodies considering their responsibilities in responses to modern slavery more broadly.
Keywords Legislation, Care Act, Adult safeguarding, Adults at risk, Human trafficking, Modern slavery
Paper type General review
Introduction
In March 2015, the Modern Slavery Act (HM Government, 2015) was passed. Most of its
provisions apply to England and Wales. In the same year, The Human Trafficking and Exploitation
(Scotland) Act 2015 was passed by the Scottish Parliament and the Human Trafficking and
Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 was passed
by the Northern Ireland Assembly (see Brown, 2016 for specific details). Notwithstanding this,
victim support measures and law enforcement powers are very similar across the UK
(see Malloch and Rigby, 2016). Under these laws modern slavery encapsulates all offences
related to slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking (as set out in
the Modern Slavery Act 2015, Part 1 –Offences).
Commenting on the Parliamentary processes related to England and Wales,
Craig (2015a, b) observed:
One important victory was won with the government finally agreeing to include a clause requiring
companies to take some responsibility for exploring whether slavery might be found in their supply
chains. The Act in its final form indicates a series of issues which companies with an annual turnover
above a threshold (which has yet to be determined) would be required to include in their anti-slavery
statements on a website. Contrarily, the government failed to respond to very strong and prolonged
demands from inside and outside Parliament to protect overseas domestic workers from the abuse
they suffer at the hands of wealthy employers.
It is in this context that this policy article is set, since adult safeguarding practitioners and leaders
in national and local arenas in England, amongst others, have new responsibilities to consider
modern slavery to respond and co-operate in stopping the traffic and help people who are
Received 3 September 2016
Revised 3 February 2017
9 March 2017
Accepted 13 March 2017
Joanna Kidd is the Director at
the International Centre for
Security Analysis, Policy
Institute at King’s, King’s
College London, London, UK.
Jill Manthorpe is a Professor of
Social Work at the Social Care
Workforce Research Unit,
Policy Institute at King’s, King’s
College London, London, UK.
PAGE158
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THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
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VOL. 19 NO. 3 2017, pp. 158-166, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203 DOI 10.1108/JAP-09-2016-0021
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