Modern Slavery Statement

The NHS has a significant role to play in combatting modern slavery and supporting victims.  But to do this we need to ensure that staff understand that modern slavery exists and are confident and able to recognise the signs and indicators of both victims and perpetrators and know what to do. 

What is Modern Slavery? Slavery is a violation of a person's human rights. It can take the form of human trafficking, forced labour, and bonded labour, forced or servile marriage, descent based slavery and domestic slavery. A person is considered to be in modern slavery if they are; 

• Forced to work through mental or physical threat
• Owned or controlled by an employer , usually through mental or physical abuse
• De-humanised, treated as a commodity or sold or bought as property
• Physically constrained or has restrictions placed in their freedom of movement.

Our Organisation  

First Community Health and Care is a social enterprise, part of the NHS family, providing community nursing and therapy teams, specialist care teams, children and family advice, and support services to people living in East Surrey and parts of West Sussex. We also provide a  Rehabilitation Ward, Rapid Assessment Clinic and Minor Injury Unit at Caterham Dene Hospital.   

Our Commitment to Prevent Slavery and Human Trafficking  

First Community's Board of Directors and all employees are committed to ensuring there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in any part of our business activity and in so far as is possible to holding our suppliers to account to do likewise.   

Our Approach  

Our overall approach will be governed by compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements and the maintenance and development of best practice in the fields of contracting and employment. We will: 

• Work with Surrey Heartland Integrated Care Board and Integrated Care Systems partners when reviewing the commissioning cycle for opportunities to ensure a robust approach.
• Review our approach and publish an annual statement outlining the steps we are taking to tackle modern slavery including training of employees to recognise the signs and indicators of both victim and perpetrators and know what to do.
• Continue to ensure that our recruitment processes are robust, requiring practices that adhere to safe recruitment principles. This includes strict requirements in respect of reference checking, identity checks, right to work checks and disclosure and barring checks. These practices will extend to any employment agencies used by First Community.
• Our pay structure follows the NHS Agenda for Change and is based on equal pay principles with rates of pay that are nationally determined and is based on equal pay principles with rates of pay that are nationally determined. The Organisational Development & Workforce Committee will hold the organisation to account in adhering to these standards and practices.   
• Ensure our procurement processes provide assurance that organisations are taking relevant steps to adhere to the standards.
• Make declarations and contractual provisions with existing healthcare commissioners to ensure they understand the First Community's approach to the Modern Slavery Act 2015.    
• In the case of children and adults at risk local Safeguarding Children Partnership & Adult Safeguarding Board multi-agency policies and procedures are followed.
• All staff can access support in this regard by contacting First Community's Adult Safeguarding Leads or Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children.     

First Community's Raising Concerns Policy, which applies to all employees, consultants, contractors, and agency staff who work for First Community is accessible via First Community's   Intranet site. Alternatively, concerns can be raised with the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.   

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes First Community's slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending March 2026.     

Updated April 2025