The Farm Work Welfare App

Labour exploitation is the second most common form of modern slavery in the UK after coerced criminality (for example, county lines drug trafficking, cannabis cultivation, shoplifting). It is most prevalent in the construction, agriculture and car wash sectors.

Every year, vulnerable and migrant seasonal workers are targeted and exploited by highly organised criminal gangs. It is hard to get exact numbers on the scale of the problem in this sector. However, it is growing in line with the overall increase in modern slavery and, like other types of exploitation and modern slavery, it can go unnoticed.

The Farm Work Welfare App is easy to download and use and has been designed to support both employers and workers. The app is available in 8 languages (Albanian, Bulgarian, English, Lithuanian, Romanian, Polish, Chinese (Mandarin) and Vietnamese). The aim of the app is to:

• provide farmers and growers with information, signposting and tools to help avoid criminal organisations and promote worker welfare - it will contain essential support on licensed labour providers, document verification and the rights of workers such as freedom of movement and right to work
• support workers and help them understand their rights and what to do if they are being exploited
• raise awareness amongst members of the public who live or work in rural areas about modern slavery and how to spot potential cases of exploitation

Like the Safe Car Wash App, the Farm Work Welfare app contains a reporting tool. Farm businesses, workers or local people can use it to flag up concerns, suspicions or seek help. The information gathered will be processed by the Modern Slavery Helpline and help identify hot spots, enable criminal investigations and most importantly, support victims.

You can find out more about the Farm Work Welfare App.