Modern Slavery Policy

Human trafficking and slavery have no place in the modern world. We are committed to the highest standards throughout our supply chain and protecting our 70 employees from exploitation. This is part of our strategic commitment to zero harm for our employees. We are a business where 'family values' are at the heart of what we do and where our people make a difference. We have an extensive supply chain and recognize the risk presented by human trafficking and slavery. Although our suppliers are mainly UK based, a small proportion are located in India and China. We have robust processes in place to ensure at a minimum, all of our tier one suppliers reach our standards and expectations regarding this agenda. We are committed to protecting our colleagues and providing employment equality in all we do.
Our responsibilities:

A commitment to our employees:
  • We comply with or exceed all legal requirements surrounding human rights, health and safety, social and ethical responsibilities (Slavery, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking).
  • Permanent employment is better for colleagues and limits the risk of human trafficking and modern slavery within our business. Where we use agency staff to fill short-term employment needs, we only use long term, reputable partners that operate to our own high standards and are Stronger Together and ALP business partners and members.
  • We have established a transparent and open process to support all our employees in raising concerns, through employee forums, grievance mechanisms or through whistleblowing mechanisms.
Standards for ourselves and our suppliers:
  • We adhere to the principles of the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) base code along with any specific requirements set by our customers' ethical standards.
  • We ensure our suppliers understand our policies and expectations in respect of human trafficking and modern slavery. Any that are unwilling or unable to reduce this risk to an acceptable level will not be part of our supply chain.
  • Selective and risk based auditing and monitoring with a focus on reducing the risk of human trafficking and modern slavery within the supply chain.
  • We apply the principles as set out by SEDEX, which promotes improvements and ethical and responsible practice and we make information about our business available to customers upon request.
Training, awareness and support:
 
  • We provide our employees with training to help identify potential issues and raise suspicions.
  • When necessary, we support our suppliers with guidance and advice, liaising with organisations including "Stronger Together" and the GLAA to ensure our practices are robust and fit for purpose.
Our ongoing commitment:
 
  • We will work in partnership with our suppliers in response to any human trafficking or modern slavery concerns raised by Non-Governmental Organisations, government bodies, suppliers or customers.
  • Every year, we will review our performance and keep abreast of new legislation, training and industry best practices to ensure our systems remain robust.