Modern Slavery Policy

ABC Worksafe Health and Safety Training

Modern Slavery Statement

Organisation

This statement applies to ABC Worksafe Limited (referred to in this statement as ‘the Organisation’). The information included in the statement refers to the financial year March to-date.

Organisational structure

ABC Worksafe operates from their Head Office in Worthing, West Sussex working with organisations throughout the UK. Our employees and trainers will either work from Head Office or remotely.

We help businesses stay compliant in health and safety related requirements. Providing and delivering a full range of classroom and online courses and services across all sectors. Courses range from First Aid, Fire Marshal, AED, CPR/BLS, Food Safety, Health & Safety and Health & Social Care.

The labour supplied to the Organisation in pursuance of its operation is carried out solely in the United Kingdom.

Definitions

The Organisation considers that modern slavery encompasses:

• human trafficking
• forced work, through mental or physical threat
• being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse of the threat of abuse
• being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property
• being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.

Commitment

The Organisation acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Organisation understands that this requires an ongoing review of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.

The Organisation does not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery,
servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

No labour provided to the Organisation in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. The Organisation strictly adheres to the minimum standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in the United Kingdom and in many cases exceeds those minimums in relation to its employees.

Supply chains

To fulfil its activities, the main supply chains of the Organisation include those related to suppliers in the United Kingdom, and some equipment suppliers may be based overseas.

Potential exposure

The Organisation considers its main exposure to the risk of slavery and human trafficking to exist within equipment suppliers as all other supplies are sourced locally.

In general, the Organisation considers its exposure to slavery/human trafficking to be low. Nonetheless, it has taken steps to ensure that such practices do not take place in its business nor the business of any organisation that supplies goods and/or services to it.

Impact of COVID-19

During the reporting period covered by this statement, the COVID-19 pandemic had taken hold. For several months, the UK was placed into lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. This created several challenges for the Organisation, as it did for others across the nation.

The Organisation welcomes the UK Government’s decision, as confirmed in April 2020, to allow for a delay of up to 6 months in the publication of modern slavery statements without the risk of facing penalty.

During the pandemic, the Organisation’s employees still had access to the grievance procedure to raise any concerns that they may have had.

In line with emergency legislation passed by the Government, employees have been paid Statutory Sick Pay during periods of self-isolation where it has not been possible to agree a temporary period of homeworking.

The Organisation’s modern slavery risks were subject to the same monitoring procedures during the pandemic as at all other times.

Steps

The Organisation carries out due diligence processes in relation to ensuring slavery and/or human trafficking does not take place in its organisation or supply chains, including conducting a review of the controls of its suppliers.

The Organisation has not, to its knowledge, conducted any business with another organisation which has been found to have involved itself with modern slavery. In accordance with section 54(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Organisation has taken the following steps to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place:

• reviewing your supplier contracts to include termination powers in the event that the supplier is, or is suspected, to be involved in modern slavery
• measures in place to identify and assess the potential risks in its supply chains
• undertaking impact assessments of its services upon potential instances of slavery
• creating action plans to address risk to modern slavery
• any actions taken to embed a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery
• any training provided to staff on modern slavery.

Key performance indicators

The Organisation has set the following key performance indicators to measure its effectiveness in ensuring modern slavery is not taking place in the Organisation or its supply chains. This includes reviewing all new suppliers for compliance.

Policies

The Organisation has the following policies which further define its stance on modern slavery.

Slavery Compliance Officer

The Organisation has a Slavery Compliance Officer, to whom all concerns regarding modern slavery should be addressed, and who will then undertake relevant action with regard to the Organisation’s obligations.

This statement is made in pursuance of Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and will be reviewed for each financial year.

Paul Lane
Director