Issue - meetings

            The Board received an update report on the work to combat Modern Day Slavery (MDS) across Halton and Cheshire. In July 2018, the Safer Halton Partnership received a presentation from the Chair of the Cheshire Anti-Slavery Network (CASN), and following the group’s discussion, there had been ongoing activity to ensure that Halton plays its part, both within the Borough and across the Pan-Cheshire footprint.  These included:-

·         Halton were represented at the CASN, both strategically and operationally;

·         Halton was providing support to the CASN, who had been asked by the Pan-Cheshire Protecting Vulnerable People Group to develop a Pan-Cheshire MDS Charter, which all four local authorities would be asked to endorse;

·         Officers were part of the task and finish group developing an Adult Pan-Cheshire Victim Pathway based on the Government model and similar to the one already in place for Children;

·         Officers were developing a protocol between the Local Authority, Cheshire Police and the Social Landlords, which would formalise ways of working, sharing of information and confirmation of who provided what support during the victim’s service journey;

·         a Halton MDS group was in place which is used to share best practice, disseminate information and improve reporting systems for the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), including a better understanding of what happens to victims once they leave the NRM; and

·         A Single Point of Contact had been identified as the Housing Solutions Manager in the first instance, followed by the Community Safety Manager and the Partnership Officer.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.