Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

Human Rights and Modern Slavery Statement

Document Reference: EDH004

Author:	Ozlem Silan Coskun Deniz	Version:	1.0
Effective Date:	October 2025	Last Review:	October 2025
Next Review:	October 2026

1. Statement of Commitment

Abbey Wood Hospital is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and respect for human rights in all aspects of its operations and service delivery. We recognise that modern slavery, human trafficking, servitude and forced labour are severe human rights violations and are strictly prohibited under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the Human Rights Act 1998.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking in all forms, and we are fully committed to ensuring that our activities, our staff, and our supply chains are free from any association with such practices.

Respect for human rights is central to our values, our governance framework and our compliance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standards and Integrated Care Board (ICB) requirements.

2. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This statement aligns with and supports:

●	Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standards, specifically those relating to Safety, Dignity, and Respect
●	Integrated Care Board (ICB) Governance and Assurance Framework, ensuring compliance with regional and national equality objectives
●	NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and the Human Rights-Based Approach to Care, which underpin equality, fairness, and accountability in all health and social care settings

3. Human Rights Principles

Abbey Wood Hospital ensures that human rights principles underpin every aspect of patient care and staff practice. We actively promote the following core rights:

●	Right to life (Article 2) – safeguarding patient safety and wellbeing
●	Freedom from inhuman or degrading treatment (Article 3) – ensuring all care respects dignity and compassion
●	Right to liberty and security (Article 5) – upholding lawful and proportionate use of restrictions
●	Right to respect for private and family life (Article 8) – protecting confidentiality, privacy and autonomy
●	Freedom from discrimination (Article 14) – ensuring equitable and fair treatment for all

4. Organisational Measures to Prevent Modern Slavery

Abbey Wood Hospital has implemented a range of preventive and responsive measures, including:

●	Staff Training: All clinical and non-clinical staff receive mandatory training on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. This includes identifying potential victims and reporting mechanisms.
●	Clinical Awareness: Clinical teams are trained to recognise indicators of trafficking or exploitation, and to escalate any concerns to the Safeguarding Lead or Equality & Diversity Lead.
●	Recruitment Practices: Recruitment processes include verification of identity and right-to-work checks for all staff, contractors and agency workers.
●	Supply Chain Assurance: We work only with suppliers and service providers who adhere to ethical standards and can demonstrate compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
●	Incident Reporting: Any concerns or suspected cases of modern slavery are to be reported through internal incident reporting systems and escalated to the Safeguarding Lead and, where appropriate, to the police or external agencies.
●	Governance Oversight: The Compliance Manager and Clinical Governance Committee are responsible for reviewing training completion, incident logs and audit findings related to modern slavery risks.

5. Supporting Victims and Reporting Concerns

Abbey Wood Hospital is committed to supporting potential victims of modern slavery or human trafficking through:

●	Providing a safe and confidential environment to raise concerns
●	Following safeguarding pathways and referral processes to appropriate authorities
●	Ensuring that no staff member, patient or visitor faces retaliation for reporting suspected abuse or exploitation

Reports can be made directly to:

Safeguarding Lead – [Insert Name / Contact]

Equality & Diversity Lead – [Insert Name / Contact]

Modern Slavery Helpline (UK): 08000 121 700 (24/7 confidential service)

Police (Emergency): 999 · Non-Emergency: 101

6. Monitoring and Review

●	This statement will be reviewed annually by the Clinical Governance Committee.
●	All modern slavery and human rights incidents are recorded, reviewed and monitored through the governance framework.
●	Updates to staff training and procedures will be implemented following review or changes to legislation.
●	Progress on equality, diversity, and human rights will be reported to the ICB as part of annual assurance submissions.

7. Approval and Endorsement

This statement has been approved by the Abbey Wood Hospital Board and endorsed by the Medical Director and Registered Manager. It reflects the organisation’s commitment to ethical, lawful and humane practice across all operations and partnerships.

Signed:

Name: Dr. Ibrahim Yahli

Position: Medical Director / Equality & Diversity Lead

Date: _______________

Abbey Wood Hospital, Page Street, Mill Hill, NW7 2ED

020 8358 7100 ·
info@chaselodgehospital.com ·
chaselodgehospital.com