At Jimmy’s Cambridge, we recently hosted a powerful training session on modern day slavery in the UK — a hidden crisis affecting thousands, including many of the people we support.
This issue is not confined to distant countries or history books. It’s happening here, now, in communities across the UK — including in Cambridgeshire.
🔎 What Is Modern Day Slavery?
Modern day slavery includes a range of exploitative practices where people are controlled, abused, and denied their basic rights:
➤ Forced Labour
People are made to work under threat, often for little or no pay. Coercion, intimidation, and isolation are common tactics used to trap victims.
➤ Human Trafficking
This involves the recruitment, movement, or harbouring of individuals using force, fraud, or deception — often for sexual or labour exploitation.
➤ Debt Bondage
Victims are forced to work to repay a manipulated or impossible debt, sometimes lasting years or generations.
➤ Domestic Servitude
Often affecting women and girls, this form of slavery traps individuals in homes where they are isolated, underpaid, and overworked.
➤ Criminal Exploitation
Victims are forced to commit crimes like drug trafficking (including County Lines), shoplifting, or fraud, often under threats of violence.
Modern slavery can occur in seemingly legal settings like:
-
Agriculture and food processing
-
Nail bars and beauty salons
-
Construction sites
-
Cleaning services and care homes
📊 The Reality in the UK
According to recent government reports, over 23,000 suspected victims of modern slavery were identified in the UK — with around 25% involving British nationals.
This is a serious and growing issue — not just a global problem, but a local one.
🧠 What We Learned — And Why It Matters
Our session followed the framework of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and focused on:
-
How to identify warning signs
-
What to do if exploitation is suspected
-
How to support those at risk within our services
“People are being exploited in every community across the country.”
– Eleanor Lyons, UK Anti-Slavery Commissioner
At Jimmy’s, we are committed to safeguarding the people we support — and ensuring our staff are trained to spot and respond to potential exploitation.
🏚 Why People Experiencing Homelessness Are Especially at Risk
Those facing homelessness, housing insecurity, or financial hardship are often targeted by traffickers. Offers of accommodation, cash-in-hand work, or food can quickly become tools of manipulation and control.
That’s why understanding modern slavery is essential for any organisation working with vulnerable people. The intersection between homelessness and exploitation is real — and deeply concerning.
📢 What You Can Do
✅ Learn to spot the signs of modern slavery:
Visit the Modern Slavery Helpline for practical resources.
✅ Understand how legal industries are misused:
Explore the work of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.
✅ Support frontline work:
At Jimmy’s, we help individuals move from street homelessness to safe, independent living — and we stay alert to the risks of exploitation along the way.
👉 Donate now to support our work in safeguarding and supporting vulnerable adults in Cambridge.
💙 Final Thoughts
Modern slavery is a complex and urgent issue. At Jimmy’s, we believe in awareness, action, and advocacy. Together, we can make a difference — by speaking up, staying informed, and supporting those most at risk.
Here are some quotes from victims of modern day slavery.
