Modern slavery remains a hidden but persistent issue in Australia. Despite growing awareness and stronger legal frameworks, over 1,900 people in Australia are victims of modern slavery, yet only 1 in 5 victims are ever detected. Of the cases that do come to light, 1,670 modern slavery cases have been referred to the Australian Federal Police, but only 31 offenders were convicted between 2004 and 2021 — highlighting just how difficult these crimes are to identify, investigate, and prosecute, and how many victims likely remain unseen.

Settlement, migration and refugee support is a recognised specialist knowledge area within CAFS service delivery, and the families and individuals you serve may themselves be at risk of exploitation due to visa status, language barriers or economic precarity. Your organisation, through its employment practices, volunteer arrangements and purchasing decisions has both an opportunity and a responsibility to respond, consistent with the sector’s broader duty of care and safeguarding obligations.

This LEADers Lab is designed for for-purpose leaders and staff who want to move beyond awareness and take practical steps to embed modern slavery safeguards into how their organisation operates, in the same way CAFS services are expected to embed cultural safety, accessibility and referral pathways into everyday practice.

Key Learning Outcomes

Participants will leave with the ability to:

• Identify the modern slavery policy provisions most relevant to a small NFP context and understand what good practice looks like.
• Recognise indicators of exploitation among staff, volunteers and service users, particularly those from migrant and refugee backgrounds, and respond in a way that is culturally safe and responsive to their lived experience of displacement, persecution or resettlement.
• Apply a human rights lens to purchasing decisions and supplier relationships, regardless of organisational size or budget.
• Understand Fair Work obligations as they relate to vulnerable workers, and the risks of non-compliant employment and volunteer arrangements.
• Know how to respond when a concern is raised, including internal escalation, referral pathways and duty of care obligations, and how these connect to existing organisational safeguarding and risk management practices.

Who Should Attend

This session is suitable for executive directors, operations managers, program leads, HR staff, finance officers, and anyone with responsibility for procurement, employment, or volunteer management in a not-for-profit setting. No prior knowledge of modern slavery legislation is required.

Facilitator

Unchained Solutions and co-facilitated by Angharad Candlin

Registration Fee (excluding GST)

FREE for practitioners working in positions funded by the Community and Family Support (CAFS) Program in Western Sydney Nepean Blue Mountains (WSNBM).

For all other practitioners and organisations, a standard workshop fee applies:

Members: FREE

Non‑Members: $60.00 + GST

This fee structure supports equitable access for the CAFS‑funded workforce in WSNBM while enabling LEAD to continue delivering high‑quality, evidence‑informed professional development opportunities to the wider sector.

More Information

LEAD, ph (02) 9620 6172 or email info@leadpda.org.au

Code: LL2026-1