The Responsible Car Wash Scheme is organising a big push in Norfolk to eradicate illegal practices at hand car washes. You may notice adverts on billboards and bus stops across Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn from the 14th March to 4th April.
There are thousands of hand car washes across the country and while many treat and pay their staff fairly, some are run by unscrupulous people, determined to make as much money as possible, regardless of how their workers are treated.
The people working at these car washes may be victims of modern slavery and exploitation. In some cases, staff may be underaged, live onsite in poor conditions and face a variety of unfair and controlling practices on a daily basis.
The advertising campaign in March is to raise awareness of The Clewer Initiative’s Safe Car Wash App which can help to identify whether exploitation is present in a hand car wash.
Caroline Virgo, Director of The Clewer Initiative,
It is vital we educate consumers on the importance of choosing responsible car washes that look after their workers, protect the environment, care for their customers and trade legally. The Safe Car Wash app is good news for the entire car wash industry because it will help pinpoint and hopefully eliminate businesses that are exploiting workers.
The App was launched in 2018 to help charities and law enforcement agencies to identify those at risk from modern slavery at hand car washes. There have been 7,500 reports from across the country.
Now the app has been updated with new features so it’s even easier to submit a report. You can send an anonymous report straight to the Modern Slavery Helpline at the click of a button.
To support this campaign, download the Safe Car Wash App here: Download the app today!