Working in private homes presents many challenges, from the lack of clear employment rights to excessive workloads and low pay. Understanding Modern Slavery in the UK Social Care Sector course is presented in two complementary ways: a free interactive online course and an online book. Both formats share the same content but they are presented differently to suit the needs of each audience. Since the daily work of domiciliary and live-in carers is influenced by the actions of local authorities, care agencies, families drawing on care and DHSC policymakers, the online book has been designed for them to better understand how they can help eliminate elements of modern slavery that affect domiciliary care workers. The free interactive course is targeted at domiciliary and live-in carers and guides learners step by step through each topic, ensuring a structured and reflective learning experience. The online book, on the other hand, offers greater flexibility, allowing readers to go directly to the sections most relevant to their role. Together, they make knowledge of modern slavery accessible to all, giving carers the understanding to demand the rights already written in law and guiding decision-makers to close the gap between legislation and lived experience. Modern Slavery Act 2015 is a law you can hold on to as carers and use as a foundation for collective action to improve your working conditions and wellbeing. Knowledge of modern slavery in the care sector is your first line of protection. This training is about prevention. Its goal is to empower you, care workers, to identify and stop exploitation before it takes root.

One of the most powerful lessons in this course comes in Module 9, where we explore how carers can transform individual struggles into collective strength. This module draws on research from the Centre for Care’s Care Workforce Change group, which links experts across five universities, three major charities and the UK’s Office for National Statistics. Together, we look at how collective action, informed by evidence and shared purpose, can turn isolation into influence. In the UK, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), one of the most influential voices in British labour relations, has just 83,000 members, yet it has successfully negotiated national pay rises, improved working conditions and defended workers’ rights across the country. With an estimated 809,000 domiciliary care workers across the country, the potential for transformation in social care is far greater. This is your invitation to unite those 809,000 voices into a force that cannot be ignored.

We understand how demanding your work is, how exhausting each shift can be and how little personal time you have left to rest or take care of other responsibilities. That is why we have given you a full year to complete the 140 lessons in this course. It is comprehensive, evidence-based and grounded in peer-reviewed research, designed to give you deep insight into the care sector and its modern slavery challenges. We recommend taking your time, just one lesson per day is enough and by the end of 2026, you will have completed the full course and gained the knowledge and confidence to protect yourself and others.

By the end of the course, you won’t just know the Modern Slavery Act 2015, you will know how to use it to win, to protect yourself, your colleagues and the people you care for. At Social Care Research, we stand beside you, researching, educating and empowering the people who hold society together through care. Now click on Enroll Course below to enter the classroom.