Module application
Is your organisation a commercial organisation which as part of its business, supply goods or services in any sector in the UK?
Does your organisation understand its obligations under the modern slavery, human traficiking and exploitation legislations?
Does your organisation have systems in place to ensure that it is alive to modern slavery risks and the reporting reigime?
Module scope
The Modern Slavery module advises UK organisations of the processes and procedures they need to implement to ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory obligations relating to modern slavery, human trafficiking and exploitation. Core legal and regulatory obligations are based on considerations of the broad questions determining:
- Decision making;
- Accountability;
- Stewardship;
- Direction; and
- Control
To fulfil its purpose the module focuses on providing practical assistance to UK organisation establishing and maintaining a robust foundational framework that ensures the due compliance in carrying on business in the UK. The primary aim of the MODERN SLAVERY module is to assist an UK organisation to understand its obligations under the various modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation legislations and responsibilities to prevent and address related risks.
Organisations, their employees and authorised individuals are all expected to be familiar with the landscape of legal obligations which they are subjected to. The MODERN SLAVERY module should be subscribed by all UK organisations which supply goods or services as part of its business in any sector, especially with a supply chain. The aim of the module is to equip the subscriber with knowledge of their obligations and the skills they require to establish relevant systems and processes to ensure compliance with modern slavery risks throughout the organisation.
The module fulfils this objective by comprehensively covering three areas;
- The legislations;
- Obligations; and
- Consequences
The legislative and regulatory landscape from which the primary legal obligations are derived are:
- The Modern Slavery Act 2015 (UK) (England and Wales);
- The Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015;
- The Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015;
- The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 (UK);
- The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (UK);
- The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (UK) (England and Wales);
- The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (UK);
- The Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937; and
- The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
Significant consequences can apply to UK organisations, their employees and authorised individuals found to have breached or not complied with their legal obligations. These consequences vary considerably depending on the nature and extent of the breach or failure. The MODERN SLAVERY module covers specific consequences in detail and the role of regulators. They can include monetary penalties, disciplinary measures and even terms of imprisonment for individuals found to have committed serious criminal offences.
The MODERN SLAVERY module does not cover the rights or entitlements of affected individuals who have suffered damages or losses due to breaches of modern slavery obligations by UK organisations. The module does not cover the process that an entity or an individual would follow to report or seek compensation for the breach or their loss.