Newsletter Issue 14 – May 2022
Welcome to the May issue of the Fast Forward Newsletter. This month’s news and signposts to helpful guidance are on:
Fast Forward new guidance and resources on:
- Right to Work – latest updates and template tracker
- Zero hour contracts
- New practical guide for businesses to support workers affected by the war in Ukraine
Industry and legislative news
- Unseen publishes 2021 Modern Slavery Helpline annual assessment
- Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner Report 2021-2022 published
- Modern Slavery: National Referral Mechanism 2021 summary published
- Government available support for SMEs to train, invest and innovate. Are you eligible?
We’d also like to get your feedback whether you’re a brand, supplier, factory, warehouse or other organisation. Please do get in touch.
The Fast Forward Team
FAST FORWARD NEWS
Supplier Engagement Programme (SEP)
This month’s new resources
Right to work – manual 3-Step Government checklist no-longer available
The UK Government RTW manual checklist PDF is no longer available, however there is a helpful step by step online guide – Employer’s Right to Work Checklist – for both the manual and online process. The Fast Forward audit will review suppliers’ management systems to evidence that the statutory excuse has been established for all workers prior to commencement of work with a dated and signed copy of allowable original ID (for manual checks) or of the online right to work check confirmation. To support suppliers, we have developed a new SEP resource – Statutory Excuse Tracker – for use in the absence of the previous Government checklist.
| New Resources – Log-in to ensure the links work | Links |
| Zero Hour Contract Guidance | SEP sign-in to download |
| Right to Work – Statutory excuse tracker | SEP sign-in to download |
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Stronger Together have released a guide for businesses to support workers affected by the war in Ukraine
Stronger Together and its partners have been delighted to announce that they have created a straightforward and accessible guide for UK businesses to help in ensuring that workers affected by this conflict are protected from harm, supported in extremely difficult circumstances and have a positive recruitment and employment experience.
You can access the guide on the Stronger Together website here: https://bit.ly/37RCdP
INDUSTRY NEWS
Unseen publishes its Modern Slavery Helpline Report. Construction industry reporting the highest cases in 2021.
On 7 April 2022, the Modern Slavery helpline released its Working towards a world without Slavery 2021 annual assessment. In 2021, the helpline received 6,302 calls, 2,135 webforms and 50 App submissions. From these contacts alone, the Helpline indicated a total of 3,019 potential victims from 76 nationalities.
This report provides comparison data of top ten potential victim nationalities 2017-2021, types of labour exploitation and location.
In 2021, for the first time, construction was the most prevalent industry indicated to the Helpline, with 92 cases and 338 potential victims.
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Annual Report
The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Dame Sara Thornton, has published her third and final Annual Report 2021-2022, accounting for progress towards her stated priorities of improving victim care and support, supporting law enforcement and prosecution, focussing on prevention and getting value from research and innovation. She has recently stepped down as UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and an announcement on her replacement is awaited.
Modern Slavery: National Referral Mechanism 2021 Summary
12,727 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the Home Office in 2021, representing a 20% increase compared to the preceding year (10,601). 77% (9,790) were male and 23% (2,923) were female. 58% (7,434) of potential victims claimed exploitation in the UK only and 31% (3,883) claimed exploitation overseas only.
Read the full report here.
Government support for small or medium business (SME)
Get a discount of up to £5,000 on software, with Help to Grow: Digital – a UK-wide government-backed scheme that aims to help you choose, buy and adopt digital technologies that will help you grow your business. Eligible businesses can receive a 50% discount on buying new software worth up to £5,000 per SME, alongside free impartial advice and guidance about what digital technology is best suited to boost your business performance. For more information and to apply, visit Help to Grow on GOV.UK. To find out what other support may be available for your business, search ‘business support’ on GOV.UK.
Just Good Work
*Ukrainian poster now available for download
Just Good Work is a free, interactive mobile app giving jobseekers and workers from the UK or abroad critical information and advice on recruitment and employment. The Fast Forward audit now requires businesses to display the Just Good Work poster.
Posters are are available for download in seven languages languages from the Fast Forward website: Albanian, Bulgarian, English, Gujarati, Polish, Romanian and now Ukrainian.
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