IOSH
Tackling modern slavery in supply chains
Creating practical training for real-world impact
How NHS Commercial Solutions and IOSH came together to develop a pioneering e-learning programme designed to help organisations move beyond compliance and take meaningful action on modern slavery.
Bridging the gap between compliance and action
Modern slavery remains one of the most significant challenges facing global supply chains. While legislation and policies set out organisations' responsibilities, many procurement and supply chain professionals lack practical guidance on how to identify risks, engage suppliers and implement meaningful improvements.
Recognising this gap, Karen Amber from NHS Commercial Solutions brought together a unique partnership involving Transport for London, Newcastle University, University of Brighton, Electronics Watch and IOSH to develop an innovative e-learning programme focused on practical implementation.
The programme is currently being piloted with an initial 1,250 learners, and has the potential to reach thousands of organisations across public sector supply chains in the future.
“There was lots of guidance telling organisations what they needed to do, but very little explaining how to do it. That's the gap we wanted to address.”
Karen Amber
- Job role
- Sustainability and Social Value Manager
- Company
- NHS Commercial Solutions
Moving beyond compliance
When Karen joined NHS Commercial Solutions, she found that modern slavery sat firmly within sustainability and social value agendas, yet understanding of the subject remained limited across both public and private sector organisations.
Existing guidance often focused on legal obligations and policy requirements. However, organisations faced practical challenges when trying to identify risks beyond their immediate suppliers, and implement meaningful action across complex supply chains.
As Karen explains, many organisations were still approaching modern slavery as a compliance exercise, rather than a proactive effort to improve working conditions and protect vulnerable workers.
A collaborative approach to a complex challenge
Recognising that no single organisation could solve the issue alone, Karen began assembling a team with expertise spanning procurement, worker rights, academia, ethical sourcing, occupational safety and health, and learning design.
Each organisation contributed a different perspective, helping ensure the learning programme addressed both policy requirements and real-world implementation challenges.
Funding secured through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Newcastle University enabled the consortium to move from concept to pilot delivery.
Adding expertise, credibility and global reach
IOSH became a key partner in the project, helping shape the learning approach and ensuring the training could reach a global audience.
For Karen, IOSH's contribution went beyond technical expertise.
The organisation brought occupational safety and health knowledge, an established professional network and a collaborative approach that helped unite partners from multiple sectors and disciplines.
“It felt more like a collaboration than a business arrangement. IOSH became part of the team that produced this work.”
Karen Amber
- Job role
- Sustainability and Social Value Manager
- Company
- NHS Commercial Solutions
Focusing on the missing 'how'
The partnership's ambition was to create training that moved beyond awareness and compliance.
Rather than simply explaining what modern slavery is, the programme was designed to help organisations understand how to tackle it within their supply chains.
The team initially envisioned four learning units containing 16 modules. Funding enabled the creation of the first unit as a proof of concept before expanding development based on feedback from procurement professionals, suppliers, trade unions and international stakeholders.
Early feedback suggests the training's practical focus is what sets it apart from existing learning options. Participants have highlighted its accessible design, visual approach and implementation-focused content.
Building momentum across supply chains
The original partnership vision was to create a scalable solution that could be rolled out across public sector supply chains, beginning with around 1,000 suppliers and eventually reaching approximately 80,000 organisations connected to NHS supply chains and wider procurement networks.
Alongside the training programme, the partners are also contributing to a Modern Slavery white paper which will help share learning, evidence and best practice more widely.
What made this project different?
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Practical implementation
Training focused on how organisations can identify, address and remedy modern slavery risks within supply chains.
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Cross-sector collaboration
A partnership bringing together procurement, academia, worker rights experts and occupational safety and health professionals.
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Scalable impact
Designed to support thousands of suppliers and influence supply chain practices at a national and international level.
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Long-term sustainability
A commercialisation strategy is being developed to support future expansion and continued development of learning content.
See partnership working in action
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