HSV refreshes community of learning program for Modern Slavery compliance

HealthShare Victoria has surveyed health services as part of our work to remodel the Modern Slavery Community of Learning program to ensure it aligns with their needs.

Modern Slavery Statements for the first reporting period were due on 31 March 2021, providing HSV with an opportune time to assess the effectiveness of its support. 

Health services with an annual consolidated revenue of more than $100 million are required to provide an annual Modern Slavery Statement to the Australian Government, describing their actions to assess and address modern slavery risks in their domestic and global supply chains.

HSV Modern Slavery Risk Manager Sunil Rao says HSV is adopting an evidence-based approach to ensure it is more responsive to health services’ needs.

“We want to provide targeted guidance in relation to health services’ most crucial issues and concerns as well as fit-for-purpose practical tools,” Sunil says.

“We are continually seeking to improve the way we assist health services to help them to efficiently meet their operational and reporting compliance requirements,” he says.

The survey assessed:

• Current levels of understanding of modern slavery and the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).
• Areas of modern slavery compliance they find most challenging, e.g. risk mitigation, drafting a modern slavery statement.
• Immediate priority areas for action. 

The survey responses will help HSV structure future Community of Learning forums, which began in October 2020. The forums have previously provided an opportunity for HSV to share key information on the Modern Slavery Act program of work and a space for health services to collaborate, connect and share learnings.

For further information or support, please contact a HSV Customer Relationship Manager or the HSV Modern Slavery Risk Manager at modernslavery@healthsharevic.org.au.  

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