Modern Slavery Act 2015 Transparency Statement 2024

Colchester City Council reviews its policies and procedures to ensure they remain compliant and fit for purpose. The following policies and procedures are considered key in meeting the Modern Slavery Act requirements:

Community Safety Partnerships Annual Partnership Plan

The Safer Colchester Partnership’s Annual Partnership Plan contains a key priority which relates specifically to MSHT although all are linked. This is, ‘Priority One: Safeguard adults and children at risk of violence and exploitation’.

Safeguarding

The Council embraces its responsibility to develop, implement, and monitor policies and procedures to safeguard the welfare of children and ‘adults with needs for care and support’. The Council has a comprehensive Safeguarding Policy which all staff and Councillors are expected to read and work within. The Council works within multi-agency partnerships to protect and safeguard people. The Policy, and relevant training, makes appropriate reference to the Council’s role as a ‘First Responder’ in making referrals to the NRM (National Referral Mechanism).

Recruitment

The Council has a robust and transparent recruitment and selection process that is reviewed regularly. These include procedures for vetting new employees, whether full-time, part-time, agency employees, or contractors/consultants. The checks made ensure they can confirm their identities and qualifications, and are paid directly into an appropriate, personal bank account. To comply with the Asylum, Immigration and Nationality Act 2006, all prospective employees are asked to supply evidence of their eligibility to work in the UK. References are also requested and followed up.

Agency Workers

The Council uses only reputable employment agencies to source labour and verifies the practices of any new agency it is using before accepting workers from that agency.

Pay

The Council operates a Job Evaluation Scheme to ensure that all employees are paid fairly and equitably. As part of its commitment to being a good employer, the Council has paid the Living Wage or more to its employees since 2013. The Council became an accredited Living Wage Employer in February 2016, meaning that the approach has been extended to relevant contracted staff as those contracts have come up for renewal.

Employee Code of Conduct

The Council’s Employee Code of Conduct makes clear to employees the actions and behaviours expected of them when representing the Council. The Council strives to maintain the highest standards of employee conduct and ethical behaviour, and breaches are investigated.

Whistleblowing

The Council encourages all its employees, customers, and other business partners to report any concerns related to the direct activities or the supply chains of the Council. The Council’s whistleblowing procedure is designed to make it easy for employees to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation.