2022/24901 - Modern Day Slavery Contacts and Policies
REQUEST
We have considered the response to a police super complaint submitted by Hestia : Police Response to Victims of Modern Slavery
Paragraph 12.1 of the report includes the following:
‘....All forces have dedicated specific points of contact for modern slavery….’
Please provide:
- the name and contact details for the point of contact for modern slavery within your force.
- a breakdown of the responsibilities for the point of contact.
- confirmation if external organisations can contact the point of contact directly.
If your force does not have a specific point of contact for modern slavery, please confirm this.
We understand that each local police force is required to have a policy and/or procedure that details how the force will respond to victims of trafficking and modern slavery (VoMS).
We understand that the policy and procedure documents/guides are distinct items. In particular that a policy document is akin to an overview of the approach a force will take.
The procedure document is a detailed operational document. In this request we seek BOTH the policy and procedure documents.
Specifically, please provide:
Your force procedure for responding to VoMS
Your force policy for responding to VoMS Where your force has a distinct policy and / or procedure document relating to different situations for modern slavery, please provide:
- the force policy and procedure document for ‘county lines’
- the force policy and procedure document for ‘cannabis houses’
III. the force policy and procedure document for ‘domestic workers’
We understand that each local police force is required to have a policy and/or procedure that details how they will deal with reports of missing persons.
We understand that the policy and procedure documents/guides are distinct items.
In particular that a policy document is akin to an overview of the approach a force will take. The procedure document is a detailed operational document. In this request we seek BOTH the policy and procedure documents.
Specifically, please provide:
Your force procedure for responding to reports of missing persons
Your force policy for responding to reports of missing persons
Your force named point of contact and the contact details for reporting missing persons
- Please confirm:
If your force procedure for responding to reports of missing persons has anything in it specifically relating to missing potential or recognised victims of modern slavery (whether they have not yet been referred into the National Referral Mechanism, whether they are still within it after receiving a positive reasonable grounds decision, or whether they have received a positive conclusive ground decision)
Your force policy for responding to reports of missing persons specifically relating to missing potential or recognised VoMS (whether they have not yet been referred into the National Referral Mechanism, whether they are still within it after receiving a positive reasonable grounds decision, or whether they have received a positive conclusive ground decision)
Your force named point of contact and the contact details for reporting missing persons specifically if they are a point of contact for missing potential or recognised VoMS (whether they have not yet been referred into the National Referral Mechanism, whether they are still within it after receiving a positive reasonable grounds decision, or whether they have received a positive conclusive ground decision)
RESPONSE
- the name and contact details for the point of contact for modern slavery within your force.
Detective Inspector Ian Bartholomew, Detective Sergeant 1484 Simon Thomas, Detective Constable 1092 Rebecca Lewis, Police Constable 454 Stephen Jones, Rebecca Stone (Victim Advocate)
- a breakdown of the responsibilities for the point of contact.
DI Bartholomew is the tactical lead for Modern Slavery and has strategic oversight of MDS within Gwent. DI Bartholomew chairs the local MDS Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC).
DS Thomas is responsible for managing the team, identifying current and emerging threats to victims and potential victims of MDS, the organisation and the wider community. DS Thomas addresses those threats by way of operational deployments, developing intelligence and raising organisational awareness through the delivery of training to officers, staff and partner agencies. DS Thomas liaises with other department leads to ensure appropriate resources are deployed to investigations. DS Thomas attends local and regional meetings with other forces and agencies to share and develop tactical opportunities to address MDS.
DC Lewis and PC Jones act as tactical advisors to officers and develop intelligence with partner agencies. The officers are tasked by DS Thomas with conducting investigative development opportunities.
The officers review new NRM referrals and make initial contact with the victim or potential victim to identify investigative opportunities and the necessity to offer further support through the victim advocate, Rebecca Stone. Rebecca Stone is responsible for the delivery of training to Gwent officers and staff, managing the NRM referrals and for the provision of support to victims of MDS.
- confirmation if external organisations can contact the point of contact directly. – via 01633 838111
Please see attached the Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy.