Modern Slavery Act Public Statement 2019

It sets out the steps we have taken in 2019 to address these issues and across the supply chain, employees and temporary workers.

About Partners Foundation Limited

Partners Foundation are a registered Social Housing Landlord and a Not-for Profit Organisation

What we do

We are a supported housing landlord, managing accommodation which provides support services for a range of people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and mental health needs. We also provide housing for young people and families.

Supply Chain

We are committed to achieving greater clarity and understanding of our supply chain in order to seek out and deal with any evidence of slavery and human trafficking.

The company is UK-based, sourcing goods and services from UK-based suppliers whose supply chains may extend globally. We recognise that no supply chain can be considered entirely free from the potential for slavery or human trafficking to occur and we have identified high risk areas, which has informed our approach to take positive action within our supply chain.

During our supplier selection process, a number of steps are undertaken to minimise the risk of slavery and human trafficking existing in our supply chains:

(a) An on-going assessment of our supply chains is undertaken, recognising there is a higher level of risk in the procurement of construction, workwear, office supplies, building materials, ICT equipment, food and some services such as temporary labour, catering and cleaning. Internal documentation has been updated to include modern slavery in risk assessments undertaken during the tendering process.

(b) We review our supply chain regularly, identify our high-risk suppliers for their published anti-slavery statements.

(c) Our procedure for contracting with a new supplier includes a modern slavery clause.

Employees

We also recognise the potential for slavery and human trafficking to affect employees working within our business. 

To ensure its employees are not subject to undue influence and are treated with dignity and respect, we have a robust policy and procedures to manage our employees. These are audited annually to ensure compliance with employment legislation and prevent unethical working practices. We are committed to ensuring that all employees receive fair remuneration for the job they perform and undertake regular reviews of terms and conditions. 

We encourage our employees to report any concerns related to our direct activities or those of our supply chain. This includes any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human trafficking. Our whistleblowing procedure is designed to make it easy for employees to make disclosures, without fear of reprisal.

We have a robust recruitment processes, which includes verifying the identity of each employee, criminal records check and their right to work in the United Kingdom before commencing employment. All temporary workers are required to be checked through our preferred recruitment agency, which is required to provide details of its procedures and due diligence process for its workers.

Our approach and strategy set out in this Statement is reviewed annually.

Approved by the Board on 22/01/2020

Michelle Rimmer
Gordon Barton
Managing Directors
On behalf of the Board.