Modern Slavery Awareness helps learners recognise potential exploitation in workplaces and business relationships. It introduces the subject through practical situations and explains why a warning sign should lead to careful observation and an appropriate report, rather than an assumption or confrontation.

The eight teaching modules cover modern slavery, forced labour, servitude and human trafficking. Learners explore concerns linked to recruitment, debt, identity documents, accommodation, wages and control, together with risks in labour supply chains and subcontracting.

The course uses workplace examples to show how different indicators may appear together. It encourages factual reporting and sensitivity towards the person who may be affected, keeping personal safety and appropriate support at the centre of the response.

Business responsibilities, due diligence, supplier oversight and transparency statements are introduced at awareness level. Learners consider how these organisational processes connect with everyday purchasing, recruitment and reporting decisions, while specialist decisions remain with authorised roles.

This beginner-level course is suitable for staff, supervisors and people who encounter suppliers or labour providers. It supports induction and refresher training and includes a separate final assessment. Learners should apply the course alongside their organisation’s safeguarding and reporting arrangements.

By completing this course, learners will be able to:

●       Explain the main forms of exploitation introduced in the course.

●       Identify potential indicators in workplace and supply-chain examples.

●       Distinguish a factual observation from an unsupported conclusion.

●       Recognise concerns involving recruitment, debt and control of documents.

●       Choose a safe first response to a suspected exploitation concern.

●       Identify when an urgent response or organisational escalation is needed.

●       Describe useful information to include in a factual report.

●       Explain the purpose of proportionate supplier and labour-provider checks.

●       Describe the awareness-level role of transparency and organisational oversight.

●       Apply a prevention-focused approach within the boundaries of their role.

Module 1 - Understanding Modern Slavery and Exploitation

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

• Explain slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking at awareness level.

• Distinguish broader labour exploitation from the statutory modern slavery offences.

• Recognise that exploitation can be hidden within otherwise legitimate businesses and supply chains.

• Avoid assuming that one poor employment practice automatically proves modern slavery.

Module 2 - Forms of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour, Servitude and Human Trafficking

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

• Distinguish slavery/servitude/forced labour from human trafficking.

• Understand that trafficking focuses on arranging or facilitating travel with a view to exploitation.

• Understand that consent to the travel does not prevent the section 2 offence where the statutory elements are met.

• Recognise that exploitation under section 3 covers several statutory forms and should not be reduced to an inaccurate short list.

Module 3 - Recognising Indicators in Workplaces and Supply Chains

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

• Recognise physical, psychological, financial, movement and workplace indicators.

• Understand that a single indicator may have an innocent explanation.

• Recognise that clusters of indicators increase concern.

• Know what information to record without conducting an investigation.

Module 4 - Recruitment, Debt, Documents, Accommodation and Labour Exploitation

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

• Recognise deceptive recruitment and worker-paid recruitment-fee risks.

• Recognise debt bondage and financial control.

• Recognise document withholding and restriction of movement as serious indicators.

• Recognise how employer-controlled accommodation can be used coercively.

Module 5 - Responding Safely and Reporting Concerns

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

• Know what to do in an emergency and a non-emergency.

• Understand that ordinary staff are not automatically NRM First Responders.

• Avoid confrontation or amateur rescue attempts.

• Use internal reporting where appropriate while recognising official external reporting routes.

Module 6 - Business Responsibilities, Due Diligence and Supply-Chain Risk

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

• Understand why labour supply chains can create modern slavery risk.

• Recognise recruitment, subcontracting, very low bids and opaque labour arrangements as risk factors.

• Understand proportionate due diligence and remediation at awareness level.

• Avoid converting good-practice measures into universal legal duties.

Module 7 - Section 54 Transparency Statements and Organisational Governance

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

• Identify the four criteria that trigger the Section 54 statement requirement.

• Understand the £36 million turnover threshold.

• Understand annual statement, website, approval and sign-off requirements.

• Distinguish the six recommended content areas from strict mandatory section headings.

• Understand that government registry submission is currently encouraged, not yet mandatory.

Module 8 - Building a Prevention-Focused Workplace Culture

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

• Understand why workers should feel able to raise concerns before they have proof.

• Use incidents, near misses and feedback to improve controls.

• Recognise the importance of leadership, procurement, HR and operational collaboration.

• Understand that training is one control, not the whole prevention system.