Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

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The exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain is known as modern slavery, and Human trafficking is the movement of people by means such as force, fraud, coercion or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.

Modern slavery and human trafficking are types of abuse.

At Optivo we take a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery, human trafficking and any form of bribery and corruption directly or indirectly associated with these criminal acts. We expect our subsidiaries and all those we work with to have the same zero tolerance approach. We’ll never knowingly work with any organisation whose practices are incompatible with our own.

We have a working group that is dedicated to ensure we are doing all we can to identify and tackle any suspected cases. You can read more about our approach in our Modern slavery and human trafficking Statement below.

Read our statement Read our policy

How can you help?

With the help of our residents we believe we can be even better at helping to safeguard those living in our homes and communities. That’s why we need your support to report any concerns.

If you have reason to believe you’ve witnessed modern slavery or human trafficking in an Optivo home you should contact us on 0800 121 60 60. There are also a number of other ways to get in touch with us.

If you think you know of modern slavery happening somewhere else you should contact the police on 101.
There is also a helpline that gives advice to anyone needing support or wanting to find out more. Visit www.modernslaveryhelpline.org or phone the Helpline Number on 08000 121 700.

How to spot it?

Someone in slavery might:

appear to be under the control of someone else and reluctant to interact with others
not have personal identification on them
have few personal belongings, wear the same clothes every day or wear unsuitable clothes for work
not be able to move around freely
be reluctant to talk to strangers or the authorities
appear frightened, withdrawn, or show signs of physical or psychological abuse
dropped off and collected for work always in the same way, especially at unusual times, i.e. very early or late at night

If you suspect someone is in slavery then please raise these concerns with someone (details above).