Modern slavery and transparency in supply chains statement 2023/24
This statement sets out the steps taken during 2023/24 by Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority and is published in in line with section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Transparency in Supply Chains) Regulations 2015.
What is Modern Slavery?
Modern slavery is a term that includes any form of human trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced labour, as set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Modern slavery is a serious crime being committed across the UK and globally in which victims are exploited for someone else’s gain.
It is a very real and present threat to our society and is sadly all around us, but often hidden from sight and difficult to spot. It can be further complicated by the fact that some of those who are exploited do not identify as victims.
In this statement we share the actions we have taken to raise awareness among our teams, raise safeguarding cases and ensure it is not present in our supply chains.
Our ambition
Since the Modern Slavery Act became law operations and enforcement activity have increased significantly.
At the national level, the number of referrals continues to grow, with 17,004 potential victims being referred to the Home Office in 2023[1]. This is the highest annual number since the establishment of the National Reporting Mechanism in 2009. Of the referrals made nationwide, the number of referrals for child victims was 7,432, which represents 44% of the total. Among both adults and children, the number of referrals for females was 24% (4,088), while the number of referrals for males was 76% (12,903).
In terms of the scale and depth of modern slavery worldwide, in 2022 the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery was published. The findings of which reveal that some 49.6 million people were in modern slavery, with 27.6 million people in forced labour and 22 million people in forced marriage[2]. The Global Estimates is the result of a collaborative effort between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Walk Free, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Those who seek safety in the UK from conflict and persecution overseas can be targets for modern slavery. In addition, changes in personal circumstances here in the UK because of the effect of recent inflationary pressures on household budgets could also lead to an increase in victims of this crime. Households that have entered into poverty may be more susceptible to being exploited. Measuring the true impact is complicated as some victims fear homelessness, deportation, or starvation if they speak out.
Protection and prevention are central to everything we do at Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority (KMFRA) (the authority). Together with our partners and suppliers we take our responsibility seriously. Driving the change that we all want to see happen. Everyone in our organisation can act on any concerns they identify. Together we are working towards a world that is free of slavery, persecution, and exploitation.
Who are we?
Every minute of every day, we are here to save lives and make Kent and Medway even safer. We are a forward thinking, modern fire and rescue service with a long and proud history. Together with our customers we are creating a safer future for Kent and Medway.
Helping to keep people safe in their homes, where they work and in places of education. We are there for our customers in times of need – whether it is a fire, a road crash, or a water rescue.
The Service employees approximately 1,440 people. We have fifty six fire stations, a training centre, fire rescue control centre, technical rescue centre, and service headquarters. We also have over 60 volunteers available to support customers in times of need.
Our extensive range of prevention activities save lives and keep people safe from harm. Through providing fire safety advice in homes and by installing specialised equipment for those identified as more at risk, we aim to create safer living environments. We have just under twenty Safe and Well Officers who give a reassuring service to both the public and any member of our teams who may have encountered someone identified either through operational incidents or home fire safety visits as being 'at risk.' The team works closely with other agencies such as social services, mental health teams, local authorities, housing associations and Kent Police. Together they put high risk intervention measures in place, often at very short notice.
In 2022 a Home Fire Safety Visit Task Force was created; this comprises ten officers who target rural areas and provide operational cover.
11,623 safe and well visits and 5730 home fire safety visits were made by the Task Force in 2023/24. Stations completed 18,389 home fire safety visits bringing the total to 21,119.
We also have twenty-two designated safeguarding officers (DSOs) with seven of these out of hours. Our internal and external safeguarding processes make sure the service helps to protect the safety and welfare of children and adults at risk as our teams meet them during their work. We have a safeguarding policy and guidance that includes activities that are undertaken to protect specific children, young people and adults who are suffering, or likely to suffer, abuse harm or neglect. Between 01 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 our teams raised 547 safeguarding cases. Looking at the longer term picture, since 01 April 2011, we have raised a total of 2,366 cases.
Our customer promise sets out our commitment to all customers. Working with them we aim to create a safer future for Kent and Medway. We promise to give excellent, personalised and accessible services. We also promise to maintain our customers trust and to work with our customers to keep improving. Our promise, in many ways, is in line with our ambition included within this statement.
We are committed to a culture of listening and understanding to encourage everyone to be curious and compassionate. We have internal and external whistleblowing routes for colleagues to raise concerns to prevent and identify harm. This culture and practice not only help us all to value difference and be kind it means we are able to identify when someone is at risk of harm.
We don’t just comply with the relevant laws and practices on how we should treat colleagues, customers and anyone who comes into contact with our organisation. We extend our role beyond compliance by making sure we do not tolerate discrimination in our business practices, or the behaviours of anyone within our organisation or networks.
You can find out more information on who we are and what we do on our website.
Our sourcing map
Our average annual spend with third parties is £20m and we currently source a variety of goods and services from 56 countries worldwide (a decrease from 58 as published in our 2022/23 statement). Whilst we still source from Ukraine, supplies have, unsurprising, been limited and reduced since the county’s invasion by Russia.
List of countries we source goods and services from
Our progress: What are we doing about modern slavery?
Our Suppliers
Our sourcing map shows our extensive global supplier base. Given the ongoing global supply issues alongside rising costs, it is an evolving picture. To assure the continuity of critical goods and services needed for our front-line our map has expanded substantially. This reflects the work that the Authority is doing to have greater transparency in our supply chains.
We understand modern slavery could appear in our supplier’s business, or any supplier in the chain from raw material to disposal.
As a publicly funded organisation, we ensure absolute transparency in all our purchasing decisions and practices. We continue to build on our promise in our previous statements that all of our Tier 1 suppliers will need to sign up to
the Modern Slavery Assessment Tool. We have made great progress in this area. Over £21.4m worth of contracts with suppliers across all categories (fleet, information communications technology, facilities management and construction, operational equipment, clothing/personal protective equipment and professional services) are now working with us to publish their performance against key measures on the tool. The level of information shared with us is proportionate to the critical nature of the goods and services that each supplier gives us, and the level of risk of modern slavery associated with the specific markets they work within.
We work with our Tier 1 suppliers to make sure that they are committed to training workers and their local suppliers on modern slavery risks and compliance.
It certainly cannot be underestimated how complex the audit and traceability processes are when dealing with multi-tier supply chains. This must absolutely be done collaboratively with our Tier 1 suppliers, which will take time, not least because of the dynamic nature of global markets. However, the progress that we are making by working closely together with our suppliers with a shared purpose and values will continue to ensure that we play our part to combat this issue and ensure high standards among everyone that engages with our organisation.
Our suppliers are taking positive steps to help make sure that their supply chains and every individual that works within the chain is free of any risk of modern slavery. Action such as on-site pre-enrolment systems and anonymised call cycles to check directly with workers regarding their human rights and their personal experiences of the employment processes to ensure that they are ethical, and every individual is aware of their rights. We also have suppliers who are signed up to and follow the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority protocols; and suppliers who are in collaboration with the UK Construction Industry to address slavery and forced labour risks in the industry.
Supplier code of conduct
The authority works in a responsible, ethical and open way and we expect the same from our suppliers. We have set out the standards, values and behaviours we expect from our suppliers in our Supplier Code of Conduct. We ask suppliers to confirm that they will work with us to protect and respect human rights.
Policies and controls
We are committed to the highest standards of openness, honesty and accountability. As such, policies have been developed or updated to reduce slavery and human trafficking:
- Modern Slavery Policy
- Speak Up Policy
- Transparency Policy
- Safeguarding Policy
- Recruitment and Selection Policy
- Managing Safeguarding Allegations Policy
If a modern slavery risk is identified, our Modern Slavery Policy provides links to comprehensive legal guidance.
We keep our policies under regular review, ensuring that we have the right guidance, processes and controls in place to detect modern slavery related offences.
We work closely with external agencies and law enforcement, as well as attending industry meetings to stay on top of emerging modern slavery trends. The intelligence we get from this helps us strengthen our capabilities to recognise red flags in customers’ transactional behaviours.
Looking after our people
Our internal policies encourage a culture of supporting and empowering our people, recognising that we must ensure that modern slavery is considered at every significant decision gateway internally, as well as externally.
In March 2023 we adopted an updated flexible working policy, which means that from day one of joining our organisation, colleagues can request flexible working to enable greater opportunities for work-life balance. The policy reflects our pro- active approach to introducing measures that give our people freedom of choice, long before any legislation changes. It is quite simply the right thing to do.
We understand that social isolation has become a growing issue since the covid-19 pandemic, which is a known factor for increasing risk of exploitation. We have set clear guides for managers in terms of adding in regular face to face touchpoints with colleagues. We also have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place for 24/7 support.
We make sure that any recruitment services that we engage apply the same high standards that we do. Verifying ID, the right to work in the UK along with Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks helps us learn who we are employing to identify whether someone is connected to modern slavery-related activities, as perpetrator or victim.
Process and risk
We have developed a safeguarding concern referral form. We signpost our people to the process of raising a concern through guidance published on our intranet, safeguarding training is mandatory. We have widely distributed posters, some of which have been developed with our external EAP provider, that signpost colleagues on whistleblowing. or show a process flow diagram for raising a concern. We continually look at the referral process to make sure that first accounts are recorded by the person identifying the concern. The information asked for on our referral form is consistent with other partners. We make sure the concerns and feelings and wishes of the person are documented at the earliest opportunity.
Working with our legal advisers, we have developed improved obligations on our suppliers by introducing modern slavery compliance clauses which we are including in procurement projects. As a result, our suppliers are obligated to take steps to investigate and identify issues relating to the Modern Slavery Act and to tell us at once if they become aware of any issues within their supply chains. We want to make sure that the rights of everyone working on our contracts are protected and have therefore also included provision for income security and working hours. Our future contracts will also include details of the Modern Slavery Helpline and link to the online reporting facility.
Training and awareness
All of our teams:
A two-year training plan was launched in March 2022. Modern slavery and human trafficking e-learning is mandatory for all new and existing colleagues as part of our safeguarding training. Specific roles will decide whether members of our teams receive level 2, 3 or 4 training, e.g., call handler level 2, safeguarding officer level 4. This is evidenced in our Safeguarding Policy.
The training plan is reviewed on an annual basis.
Our frontline:
Since the National Fire Chief Council ‘train the trainer’ session in October 2021 169 colleagues have completed Enhanced Level 2 safeguarding training and 73 have completed the Level 3 and Level 4. Refreshers are planned for 2025.
Monthly Level 2 content is being provided to operational colleagues via Station Based Training bitesize videos and through station visits.
Commercial and Procurement:
The Commercial and Procurement team whilst going through a period of change has continued its good progress with its commitment to Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Ethical Procurement and Supply E-Learning. All team members that have responsibility for sourcing or supplier relationship management have now completed the training and are certified.
The team is also committed to their ongoing contract management with existing strategic suppliers to ensure their commitment to working within the requirements of the Modern Slavery Regulations – taking extra note of the new UK Public Procurement Regulations in this area coming into effect in late 2024. The team will always maintain their continued professional development and regularly participate in webinars to expand their learning and exposure to actions taken and lessons learned from real-life cases found within supply chains.
Collaboration and stakeholder engagement
Compliance and positive steps towards change relies on teamwork. Our partnerships are integral for the Authority in addressing modern slavery risks, helping us to stay on top of emerging modern slavery trends and strengthen our detection capabilities.
We have had many intervention successes resulting from multi-agency collaboration, like the number of safeguarding cases we have identified.
Key organisations and initiatives we continue to partner with are:
| Partner | Who | Issues/Areas of work | Working together |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stop the Traffik | Registered Charity building a global picture of human trafficking hotspots and trends through information sharing and collaboration. | To build resilience into communities, and to encourage appropriate response and reporting. | Providing training and support to KMFRA Safeguarding Manager |
| The Salvation Army | Registered charity proving a diverse range of services to support those in need. | Modern Slavery Helpline available 24/7. | Support provided via the helpline if concerns are identified and further advice needed. |
| Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | Non-Departmental Public Body set up to protect vulnerable and exploited workers. | Investigate reports of worker exploitation and illegal activity such as human trafficking, forced labour and illegal labour provision, as well as offences under the National Minimum Wage and Employment Agencies Acts. | Point of reference for knowledge, skills and experience in terms of all aspects of human rights abuse. Presented at senior managers forum to build on knowledge and awareness across our organisation. |
| Kent Police | Emergency services partner | First responders for modern slavery issues | Sharing of information if detected to help trace individuals. Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking Co-ordinator provided training to our Designated Safeguarding Officers and Head of Commercial and Procurement |
| UK Fire and Rescue Services | Fire and Rescue Sector | Sharing of knowledge and information | Sharing of model template for Modern Slavery Policy for adoption sector-wide. |
Looking ahead
We are proud to report that we are responding to modern slavery in a way that reflects our Customer Promise, with safety being our primary focus.
Modern slavery is a complex, multi-layered issue. We are committed to our responsibility to regularly review our policies, due diligence, and risk assessment processes to strengthen our approach to modern slavery. This allows us to identify, assess, and address risk, to tackle modern slavery from its root causes and protect the human rights of the people in our business and supply chains.
We will continue to widen the scope of our due diligence to engage and share our ambitions with our suppliers and train everyone within our organisation to spot the signs of modern slavery.
It is crucial that we measure how effective our efforts are in delivering long-term sustainable change and tackling modern slavery from its root causes and we will be proud to carry the CIPS ethical mark once awarded as a symbol of our commitment.
Over the reporting period that this statement covers, we have increased our knowledge of our supply chains by growing the number of suppliers that are working with us to mitigate modern slavery risks in our supply base.
We recognise that there is still progress to be made across our supply chains. We are committed to reviewing and improving our practices and collaborating with others to ensure that we continually improve within an ever-changing world.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners, including our customers and suppliers, without whom our work to protect the rights of individuals in our supply chains and address the risk of modern slavery wouldn’t be possible.
Signed
Nick Chard
Chair, Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority
Ann Millington
Chief Executive, Kent Fire and Rescue Service