INTRODUCTION
Slavery and human trafficking remains a hidden blight on our global society. We all have a responsibly to be alert to the risks, however small, in our business and in the wider supply chain. Colleagues are expected to report concerns and management are expected to act upon them.
ORGANISATION’S STRUCTURE
Broadacres Housing Association is an exempt not for profit charity and the parent company of the Broadacres Group. The Broadacres group has two small wholly owned property development company and several small management companies supporting our overall aims to provide affordable housing within North Yorkshire. The group has an annual turnover in excess of £45m.
OUR BUSINESS
Broadacres Housing Association provides a comprehensive range of services to approximately 6,800 homes in North Yorkshire. Established in 1993, the Association has grown both in terms of the number of properties it manages and its awareness of the needs and aspirations of its customers.
With its headquarters in Northallerton, Broadacres currently has stock in Hambleton, Darlington, Richmondshire, Harrogate, Redcar and Cleveland, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby, East Riding of Yorkshire, York and Leeds.
OUR SUPPLY CHAINS
Our supply chains include building materials, property maintenance services, catering and office equipment principally related to the provision of social housing.
Definitions
Broadacres 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.
OUR POLICIES ON SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Broadacres acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Broadacres understands that this requires an ongoing review of both internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.
We do 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.
Our Procurement Policy and Code of Conduct reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships This statement helps raise awareness and aims to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains.
DUE DILIGENCE PROCESSES FOR SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Broadacres 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, Broadacres has taken the following steps to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place:
We train all colleagues to understand the risks of modern slavery.
Where possible we build long standing relationships with local suppliers and customers and make clear our expectations of business behaviour.
With regards to national or international supply chains, our point contact is initially through tender where suppliers make a declaration to meet the standards required by the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We expect each entity in the supply chain to, at least, adopt ‘one-up’ due diligence on the next link in the chain. It is not practical for us to check any sub-contractors or suppliers to our suppliers.
We have, through our terms and conditions of employment, policies in place to encourage the reporting of concerns and the protection of whistle blowers.
SUPPLIER ADHERENCE TO OUR VALUES
We have zero tolerance to slavery and human trafficking. We expect all those in our supply chain and our contractors to comply with our values.
TRAINING
To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, we provide training to relevant colleagues.
OUR EFFECTIVENESS IN COMBATING SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
The procurement group review services tendered, and our contracts register to measure how effective we have been to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any part of our business or supply chains.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our group’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the current financial year.
Gail Teasdale
Chief Executive
Broadacres Housing Association
April 2024