Modern slavery training online in the UK: where to train and what employers look for

What employers look for in an online modern slavery certificate

Your employer decides what modern slavery training its staff need. No law sets a format for the training. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 sets out the offences, and section 54 requires commercial organisations that supply goods or services in the UK with a total annual turnover of £36 million or more to publish a slavery and human trafficking statement every financial year. The Home Office guidance on section 54 lists the training an organisation gives its staff as one of the things a good statement covers, and public bodies, customers and auditors increasingly ask suppliers for proof of it. When an employer checks a certificate, they usually look for:

• Content that follows the law. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 in England and Wales, section 54 transparency in supply chains, and the Scottish and Northern Irish Acts of 2015.
• A clear, verifiable record. The course name, hours of learning and completion date, with a way to confirm the certificate.
• The essentials every member of staff needs. What modern slavery is and the forms it takes, the physical, behavioural and workplace signs, the law and your organisation's role, and how to report a concern safely.
• A refresh date. Organisations that publish a section 54 statement report each year on the training they have given, so most refresh annually and train new starters at induction.

Lift College's certificate does each of these. It records Modern Slavery Training, 1 hour of learning, your completion date and a recommended refresh date 12 months on, with a unique certificate number and a verification link. The course does not write your organisation's section 54 statement, supplier audit programme or safeguarding policy, and it does not make you a first responder for the National Referral Mechanism. Your organisation decides what further training procurement, HR or safeguarding leads need.

What the Lift College course covers

There are 4 short modules, each with a knowledge check, then a final test with an 80% pass mark and unlimited free retakes.

1. What modern slavery is. Slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking, and how they differ. Labour exploitation, sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation including county lines and cannabis farms, domestic servitude and debt bondage. Who is at risk, how people are recruited and controlled, and the scale of the problem in the UK.
2. Spotting the signs. Physical signs such as injuries, exhaustion and poor health. Behavioural signs such as fear, being unable to speak freely and someone else answering for them. Workplace signs such as withheld documents, wages paid into another person's account, several workers sharing one address, long hours, no contract and no protective equipment. The sectors where exploitation is most often found.
3. The law and your organisation. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 offences and the Scottish and Northern Irish Acts of 2015. Section 54 transparency in supply chains statements: who must publish one, what it should cover and how it is approved and signed. The duty to notify for public authorities, the statutory defence for victims, checking recruitment agencies and suppliers, right to work checks, worker voice and whistleblowing routes.
4. Reporting a concern safely. Do not confront the suspected exploiter or question the victim in front of others. Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger, otherwise 101 or the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700. Reporting labour exploitation to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, your organisation's own reporting route, the National Referral Mechanism and first responders, what support victims receive and how to record what you saw.

By the end you can explain slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking, identify labour, sexual and criminal exploitation and domestic servitude, recognise the signs that a person may be a victim, describe the main offences and what a section 54 statement is, apply the checks that reduce risk in recruitment, agency labour and the supply chain, and take the right steps when you suspect modern slavery, including when to call 999, 101 or the Modern Slavery Helpline.

The law and guidance it is written around

• Modern Slavery Act 2015 (England and Wales). Section 1 makes slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour criminal offences and section 2 makes human trafficking an offence, each with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. It also created the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, a statutory defence for victims forced to commit crimes and a duty on public authorities to notify the Home Office of suspected victims.
• Modern Slavery Act 2015, section 54: transparency in supply chains (UK). Commercial organisations that supply goods or services in the UK and have a total annual turnover of £36 million or more must publish a slavery and human trafficking statement every financial year. The statement sets out the steps taken to make sure slavery and trafficking are not taking place in the business or its supply chains, must be approved by the board and signed by a director, and must be linked from the organisation's homepage.
• Transparency in supply chains: a practical guide (Home Office statutory guidance). Explains who is caught by the section 54 duty and what a good statement covers: the organisation's structure and supply chains, its policies, due diligence, risk assessment, effectiveness measures and the training it gives staff on modern slavery.
• Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 and the Northern Ireland Act of 2015 (Scotland and Northern Ireland). Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own Acts of 2015 that create the offences of human trafficking, slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and set out support for victims. The section 54 statement duty under the UK Act applies to qualifying organisations wherever in the UK they operate.
• National Referral Mechanism: referral and assessment forms (UK). The National Referral Mechanism is the UK framework for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery. Only designated first responders, such as the police, local authorities, the Home Office and certain charities, can make a referral, and adults must consent. Anyone else reports a concern to the police or the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700, who pass it on.

How Lift College compares with other UK providers

Details below are as each provider shows them on its own course page, checked 27 October 2026. "Check provider" means the page did not state it.

With Lift College the £19.99 is the full price for one learner, pay once with no subscription, and the refresher is free when your recommended refresh date arrives. Retakes of the final test are free and unlimited.

Who it suits

Modern Slavery Training is for staff and managers in organisations of every size across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is for you if:

• you manage, supervise or work alongside agency, seasonal or migrant workers
• you work in HR, recruitment, procurement or supply chain and choose or check suppliers and agencies
• you work in hospitality, construction, agriculture, food processing, cleaning, care or retail
• you meet the public in a public sector, housing, health or local authority role
• you work for an organisation that publishes a section 54 statement, or a customer has asked for proof of modern slavery training

If your work brings you into contact with adults at risk, see our safeguarding adults Level 2 guide. For fair treatment at work, see our equality and diversity guide, and for financial crime our anti money laundering training guide. See every course on the workplace compliance courses page or browse all Lift College CPD courses. Buying for a team? Open a free organisation account: every course is £16.99, and you can pay by card or invoice with your PO.

Enrol on Modern Slavery Training for £19.99 and start the moment you pay. Ask within 14 days of paying and we refund you in full.