LGA’s Councillor guide to tackling modern slavery

The LGA’s Councillor guide to tackling modern slavery (2025) provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of how councillors can support efforts to identify, disrupt, and prevent modern slavery within their communities. It highlights the increasing prevalence of modern slavery in the UK, noting a 13% rise in referrals to the National Referral Mechanism in 2024, and underscores the critical role of councils in responding to this hidden crime.

Councils are uniquely positioned to detect and disrupt exploitation through their statutory duties, frontline services, and regulatory powers. The guide outlines four key areas of council responsibility: disruption, identification, survivor support, and procurement. Councillors are encouraged to raise awareness, scrutinise council activity, and engage with local networks to ensure modern slavery is addressed as a priority.

Licensing and regulatory services are identified as vital tools in disrupting modern slavery. Councils’ powers in environmental health, trading standards, and licensing can uncover exploitative practices in local businesses. For example, licensing inspections of hand car washes, nail bars, and private hire vehicles may reveal indicators of forced labour or trafficking. Councils are urged to use these powers proactively and in partnership with enforcement agencies to target rogue operators.

The guide stresses that licensing teams should be trained to recognise signs of exploitation and work collaboratively with other departments. Councillors can support this by advocating for joined-up approaches and ensuring that licensing policies incorporate safeguarding and anti-slavery considerations. The document also references the potential for licensing conditions to be used as a preventative measure, such as requiring businesses to demonstrate ethical employment practices or compliance with labour laws.

Beyond enforcement, the guide encourages councillors to consider how licensing fits into broader disruption strategies. For instance, poor housing conditions linked to private sector landlords—often uncovered through housing enforcement—can be a red flag for exploitation. Councils are advised to integrate licensing with housing, community safety, and social care services to build a holistic response.

Councillors are also urged to scrutinise how their councils manage procurement and supply chains. While not legally required, many councils voluntarily publish modern slavery transparency statements. Councillors can push for ethical procurement practices and ensure that high-risk contracts are subject to rigorous checks.

The guide concludes by emphasising the importance of public awareness and community engagement. Councillors are encouraged to lead local conversations, support training initiatives, and collaborate with faith groups, voluntary organisations, and businesses. Tackling modern slavery requires both enforcement and cultural change, and councillors have a unique platform to drive both.