Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy

Policy Statement

Leeds Jewish Welfare Board (LJWB) believes that exploitation is wrong. It is committed to ensuring that acts of slavery and human trafficking do not occur in the Charity’s activities and its supply chains.

This policy describes the values, principles and procedures that underpin LJWB’s approach to any situation where it becomes aware of, or has evidence of, involvement or the risk of involvement, direct or indirect, in enterprises that subject people to conditions that meet the current definitions of modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labour. It applies to this organisation and all other organisations with which it has dealings.

This policy is written in line with the safeguarding duties of Leeds City Council under the Care Act 2014 (and equivalent applicable devolved government laws) to ensure any vulnerable adult is not subject to abuse by being a victim of modern slavery or forced labour, nor to any form of human trafficking or, for example, being coerced into such as “county line” drug trafficking.

It is also written to reflect the aims of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, that sets out the responsibilities and duties of corporate businesses and charities to prevent and avoid any dealings with any network or organisation implicated in modern slavery or human trafficking and to alert the police and other responsible authorities if they come across it. LJWB understands that unless its total annual turnover is over £36 million it will not be subject to the Act’s annual reporting requirements.

Modern slavery includes, under its definition, forced and compulsory labour, human trafficking of children and adults and organised activities that involve people being coerced, controlled, and exploited to carry out work to which they do not freely consent for the financial gain of their controllers.

The following policies ensure that the Charity acts properly in its business relationships, implements and enforces effective systems and controls and conducts its activities in an ethical and transparent manner:

• Ethical policy: This sets out the basis on which the Charity is prepared to engage with its suppliers. All new suppliers are required to sign a copy before they can contract with the Charity.
• Procurement policy: This sets out required due process when entering a relationship with a potential supplier.
• HR policies: Our HR Policies include “right to work in the UK checks” and payment for all employees of at least the National Living Wage to safeguard against human trafficking and being forced to work against will.
• Safeguarding policy: This helps everyone to be alert for, to identity and report any potential safeguarding issues including those relating to slavery and human trafficking.
• Whistleblowing policy: This emphasises that all employees and volunteers know that they can, without fear of reprisal, raise concerns about the treatment of individuals connected with the Charity or practices within the Charity’s activities and/or supply chains.
• Anti-bribery & corruption policy: This emphasises the Charity’s commitment to lawful and ethical behaviour in all areas of activity.

People Using the Service

LJWB ensures that no vulnerable young person or adult in our care is subject to any conditions that meet the Care Act (and similar) definitions of modern slavery. If LJWB had any suspicions, information, or evidence that any of its staff or service users and clients are victims of, or at risk of, becoming victims of modern slavery, exploitation or forced labour, it will take immediate protective action by alerting the appropriate safeguarding authority or police and apply all safeguarding procedures that then follow

Staff

LJWB do not employ staff under any conditions that might make us vulnerable to accusations or suspicions that we are employing people under conditions that would amount to modern slavery and exploitation as defined. All staff are subject to strict recruitment procedures that comply with both employment law and registration requirements with pay and conditions of employment that meet all statutory requirements.

If we have evidence that any of our employees are subject to exploitation and forced labour by third parties, we will exercise our duty of care to our employees by reporting our concerns as whistleblowers to the police or local unit responsible for investigating modern slavery to decide on further investigation or action. We will not act or discriminate against the employee if they are meeting all the required employment conditions and had been recruited in line with the service’s recruitment procedures.

Contractors and Suppliers

As a provider of care and support services LJWB inevitably deals with several outside organisations as suppliers of goods and services. We know that these organisations might form part of a longer supply chain. We make all reasonable efforts to ensure that no link in the supply chain is producing goods and services made under conditions of modern slavery or which might involve human trafficking.

We expect all our contractors and suppliers to have a similar zero-tolerance and due diligence approach to modern slavery and human trafficking and we will only work with organisations that have robust anti-modern slavery policies that operate in other parts of their supply chain and who comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

We explain in our replies to businesses who respond to tenders and adverts for goods and services that we will check if they employ people under conditions of modern slavery and if they do similar checks with other businesses in their supply chain. In doing so, we expect those businesses to have taken all reasonable efforts to exclude their suppliers from colluding with modern slavery practices.

All staff members, particularly those responsible for procuring goods and services, are expected to report any concerns about any issue or suspicion of modern slavery in any parts of their dealings at the earliest possible stage.

Anyone raising concerns about slavery or human trafficking that affects the care service will be protected by the service’s whistleblowing policy.

Training

All staff and are made familiar with the anti-slavery policy particularly in respect of the safeguarding of vulnerable people and they are expected to report any concerns in line with the organisation’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

Staff responsible for the procurement of goods and services will receive training so that they can ensure that the service is never implicated in any dealings that would render it vulnerable to accusations or charges that it might have breached modern anti-slavery law and how to respond to any suspicions or evidence of breaches in the law.

Signed:

Charles Mitchell

Chair of Investment and Finance Committee

Date: 11 March 2024

Date for review unless legislation changes: 10 March 2027