Modern Slavery Act
We are committed to working practices that maintain high standards in all our dealings with workers, service users, and suppliers. We conduct every aspect of our business with inclusivity, honesty, integrity and openness. Our Modern Slavery Act Statement outlines how we are committed to these values and the general abolishment of modern slavery.
Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement 2023
Our Business
Care2Victory Services was established in 2021 with the purpose of delivering a personal and associated domestic care services that focuses on helping adults from the ages of 18 and above to develop and maintain as much independence and control as possible while experiencing an improvement in their quality of life in their own home and community settings. Services users include people who need assistance due to physical illness, age related conditions, social circumstances or require support in maintaining their everyday task.
The company Registered Office is based in Essex, with our Business Office, based in Kent. Our skilled staff are deployed are across the entire length and breadth of England, providing Care Packages to service users.
CARE2VICTORY SERVICES LTD implements its business strategy in an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible manner. We fully acknowledge our responsibility to respect human rights as set out in the International Bill of Human Rights. The IBHR informs all of our policies related to the rights and freedoms of every individual who works for us, either as a direct employee, agency worker or indirectly through our supply chain. We are also committed to implementing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights throughout our operations. Respect for the dignity of the individual – and the importance of each individual’s human rights – form the basis of the behaviours, we expect in every workplace nationally.
We will not accept any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying and we require all our managers to implement policies designed to increase equality of opportunity and inclusion for all employees including agency workers. We have also developed and implemented policies and processes which are intended to extend these commitments through our supply chain, contractors and other business partners and, as part of its contracting processes, it includes specific prohibitions against the use of modern slavery and expects that its suppliers will in turn hold their own suppliers to the same standards.
Policies
We have several internal policies to ensure that we are conducting business ethically and transparently. These include:
Human Rights policy and our Ethics Policy where we confirm that we will not tolerate or condone the abuse of human rights within any part of our business or supply chains and will take seriously any allegations that human rights are not properly respected
Whistleblowing Policy, aimed principally at our employees but also available to others working in our supply chains which encourages staff to report any wrongdoing which extends to human rights violations like Modern Slavery. All reports will be fully investigated and appropriate remedial actions are taken and we will work closely with social care and health providers ensuring that our policies and procedures dovetail with local procedures and best practice
A robust recruitment policy, including conducting eligibility to work in the UK checks for all employees to safeguard
Employee Code of Conduct consistent with any professional codes of conduct
Direct Communication
The Company encourages members of the public or people not employed by us to write, in confidence, to raise any concern, issue or suspicion of modern slavery in any part of our business.
Suppliers
We conduct due diligence on all suppliers before allowing them to become a preferred supplier. We include an online search to ensure that particular organisations have never been convicted of offences relating to modern slavery and we include our modern slavery policy as part of our contract with all suppliers. Suppliers are required to confirm that no part of their business operations contradicts this policy. As part of our contract with suppliers, they confirm to us that:
They have taken steps to eradicate modern slavery within their business
They hold their suppliers to account over modern slavery
For UK based suppliers, they pay their employees at least the national minimum wage/national living wage (as appropriate) and to ensure that within their supply chains, where UK based suppliers have overseas supply chains, that their employees' pay is consistent with their national minimum wage requirements, working conditions are safe and fair, there is no child labour and working hours are not excessive
We will terminate the contract at any time should any instances of modern slavery come to light
Risk Assessments
The risk assessment of our service provision in 2023, identified that the biggest exposure we will face to modern slavery and human trafficking is through our recruitment practices, including Right to Work and identity checks. Our risk assessment was carried out against the likelihood of the following traits of slavery and human trafficking occurring:
Forced Labour
Work and life under duress
This will enable us to continue to prioritise our Right to Work and ID checks, ensuring that the measures we have in place to identify any discrepancies are effective. The risk assessment process also considered the risks associated with sub-contractors and through our supply chain. Our Modern Slavery procedures is included in our Annual Internal Audit Programme to monitor and assess the risks of modern slavery and ensure compliance through due diligence, inductions, management meetings and location visits.
Our supply chains include procurement of staff, consumables, facilities maintenance, utilities and waste management. We have conducted a risk assessment and will ensure that we will take further steps to ensure that we support the eradication of modern slavery, that staff understand how to recognise modern slavery and the appropriate safeguarding reporting processes are followed should there be concerns within our supply chains, with customers or suppliers.
Performance indicators
We will know the effectiveness of the steps that we are taking to ensure that slavery is not taking place within our business or supply chain if:
No reports are received from employees, the public, or law enforcement agencies or local safeguarding teams to indicate that modern slavery practices have been identified
Safeguards
We aim to encourage openness and will support anyone who raises genuine concerns in good faith under this policy, even if they turn out to be mistaken. We are committed to ensuring that no one suffers any detrimental treatment as a result of reporting in good faith their suspicion that modern slavery of whatever form is or may be taking place in any part of our business. Detrimental treatment includes dismissal, disciplinary action, threats or other unfavourable treatment connected with raising a concern. CARE2VICTORY SERVICES LTD will accept and take seriously concerns communicated anonymously. However, retention of anonymity does render investigations and makes validation more difficult and can make the process less effective. Individuals are therefore encouraged to put their names to allegations. Any claims or allegations made which are found to be malicious or vexatious will result in disciplinary action being taken against the individual.
Responsibility for this Statement
The ultimate responsibility for the prevention of modern slavery rests with the Director and Registered Manager who have responsibility for ensuring that this policy and its implementation complies with our legal and ethical obligations. Managers at all levels are responsible for ensuring that those reporting to them understand and comply with this policy and are given adequate and regular training on it and the issue of modern slavery.
Assessment of effectiveness in preventing Modern Slavery
We understand that modern slavery risk is not static and will continue our approach to mitigating this risk. We will assess the risk via our internal auditing processes.
This statement is made according to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the modern slavery and human trafficking statement of CARE2VICTORY SERVICES LTD for the financial year ending April 2024. Becky Peters, Director of CARE2VICTORY SERVICES LTD has approved this statement.
Becky Peters
Director
Care2Victory Services Ltd