This conference is being jointly hosted by the London Boroughs of Bexley, Greenwich, and Lewisham (who share the same Metropolitan Police command area) to support the run-up to International Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October 2025.
The Aims of the Event:
- To increase the awareness and visibility of the key issues linked to the subject of Modern Slavery.
- Improve the response to this issue and ensure victim survivors receive consistent and effective support.
- Help to prevent what is a hidden but prevalent crime that impacts every locality and community in London.
Target Audience:
Local citizens and residents; local businesses and business leaders; professionals from health, social care, criminal justice, and voluntary and community sector agencies who may come into contact with potential victims.
Agenda:
- Survivor’s stories about their experiences, including of the National Referral Mechanism. The event will be led by and informed by those with lived experience.
- Nottingham Police to share their best practice on how they gather evidence, conduct investigations, and use court orders effectively.
- Local authority staff will explain how they have responded to abuse being identified in the care sector, and what can be learned from this.
- Streetlight will talk about their work in relation to sexual exploitation and the potential barriers to safeguarding individuals.
- There will be time for questions and answers throughout.
- An educational poster will be created as an outcome of this event which will be used across South East London to increase visibility of the key issues.