This Bexley Strategy and Toolkit brings together strands of work relating to meeting our duties under legislation and Statutory Guidance into one clear strategy and toolkit to ensure our response to this issue is robust. The Bexley Safeguarding Adults Board, Children’s Safeguarding Partnership and Bexley Community Safety Partnership have been consulted on this Strategy and Toolkit to ensure it reflects all statutory partner commitments and obligations.

The implementation of this Strategy will be overseen by the Bexley Community Safety Partnership (BCSP) Board. The Strategy has also been sent to the Bexley Safeguarding Adults Board and Children’s Partnership Board (SHIELD) for adoption, to reflect the cross-cutting commitments within the Strategy and in line with our partnership approach.

The BSAB, SHIELD and BCSP also work together towards meeting the objectives in this Strategy, including providing guidance, policies and safeguarding processes pertaining to exploitation and connected forms of abuse. The Boards also have partnered with Community Safety to develop and deliver training around modern slavery and exploitation for professionals and partners.

This Strategy, due to its cross cutting nature and obligations, is interconnected and interrelated with many other Council Strategies and policies which have as all or part of their aim the eradication of Modern Slavery and Exploitation in Bexley. This includes our Child Exploitation Strategy, Safeguarding Adults Strategy and Procurement Strategy, as well as the Community Safety Partnership Strategy (PDF) and Bexley Domestic Abuse Strategy 2021-2026.

Financial Implications

Tackling Modern Slavery and Exploitation involves the dedication of the whole of the local authority, as well as partners. Funding of this Strategy is majorly absorbed into existing workstreams. Much work towards tackling modern slavery aligns with existing duties, such as our Procurement and Employment duties; and victims of modern slavery are victims of abuse and therefore safeguarding follows existing procedures within Adult and Children’s Social Care and Housing.

Further funding has been obtained to establish a Modern Slavery, VAWG and Hate Crime Co-Ordinator and Officer post until March 2025 to ensure the local authority meets its statutory obligations, to coordinate partnership response, and to raise awareness and train relevant persons. The Bexley Child Devolved Decision-Making Pilot is funded by a Home Office Grant as part of a one-year pilot, until March 2024.