Modern Slavery Statement
Modern Slavery Statement for Financial Year 2022/2023
This Statement is made pursuant to s.54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that Teachers Train Teachers has taken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain. We aim to encourage working towards a society with a common vision and sense of belonging by all. Communities; a society in which the diversity of people’s backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated and valued; a society in which similar life opportunities are available to all; and a society in which strong and positive relationships exist and continue to be developed in the workplace. Modern slavery is a term used to encompass slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour, bonded and child labour and human trafficking. Human trafficking is where a person arranges or facilitates the travel of another person with a view to that person being exploited. Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights.
Our Policy applies to all persons working for us or on our behalf in any capacity, including employees at all levels, directors, officers, agency workers, seconded workers, volunteers, agents, contractors and suppliers.
Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. Teachers Train Teachers has a zero tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our supply chain. All staff who work with adults will undertake appropriate adult safeguarding awareness training to equip them to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Procedures dealing with bullying and harassment fully take into account safeguarding and equality and diversity policies. Safeguarding and equality and diversity planning, targets and promotion fully cross reference each other: Recognise, Respond, Report, Record, Refer.
All staff will have access to advice and guidance on the boundaries of behaviour and conduct. Any member of staff receiving a disclosure of abuse or noticing signs or indicators of abuse, must make an accurate record as soon as possible noting what said or seen, putting the event in context, and giving the date, time and location. Safeguarding is promoted in ways that are appropriate to those with different protected characteristics. Procedures dealing with bullying and harassment fully taken into account safeguarding and equality and diversity policies. Safeguarding and equality and diversity planning, targets and promotion fully cross reference each other All records will be dated and signed and will include the action taken.
Our Business
Teachers Train Teachers is a Further Education Institute based in Wolverhampton and partnerships in London.
Our Policies
We operate a number of Internal Policies to ensure that we are conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner. These include:
- Anti-Slavery Policy
This policy sets out the organisation’s stance on modern slavery and explains how employees can identify any instances of this and where they can go for help. Refer also to our Safeguarding, Prevent Policy - Recruitment Policy
We operate a robust recruitment policy, including conducting eligibility to work in the UK checks for all employees to safeguard against human trafficking or individuals being forced to work against their will. - Whistleblowing Policy
We operate a whistleblowing policy so that all employees know that they can raise concerns about how colleagues are being treated, or practices within our business or supply chain, without fear of reprisals. - Code of Conduct
This code explains the manner in which we behave as an organisation and how we expect our employees and suppliers to act.
Our Suppliers:
Teachers Train Teachers Ltd operates a supplier policy and maintains a preferred supplier list. We conduct appropriate diligence on all suppliers before allowing them to become a preferred supplier. This appropriate diligence includes an online search to ensure that particular organisation has never been convicted of offences relating to modern slavery (and onsite audits which include a review of working conditions). Our Anti-Slavery Policy forms part of our contract with all suppliers and they are required to confirm that no part of their business operations contradicts this policy.
In addition to the above, as part of our contract with suppliers, we require that they confirm to us that:
- They have taken steps to eradicate modern slavery within their business
- They hold their own 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)
- (For international suppliers) They pay their employees any prevailing minimum wage applicable within their country of operations
- We may terminate the contract at any time should any instances of modern slavery come to light
Training
We regularly conduct training for our procurement/buying teams so that they understand the signs of modern slavery and what to do if they suspect that it is taking place within our supply chain.
Our Performance Indicators:
We are a company that expects everyone working with us or on our behalf to support and uphold the following measures to safeguard against modern slavery: A zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in our organisation and our supply chains.
The prevention, detection and reporting of modern slavery in any part of our organisation or supply chain is the responsibility of all those working for us or on our behalf. Workers must not engage in, facilitate or fail to report any activity that might lead to, or suggest, a breach of this policy.
We are committed to engaging with our stakeholders and suppliers to address the risk of modern slavery in our operations and supply chain.
We take a risk based approach to our contracting processes and keep them under review. We assess whether the circumstances warrant the inclusion of specific prohibitions against the use of modern slavery and trafficked labour in our contracts with third parties. Using our risked based approach we will also assess the merits of writing to suppliers requiring them to comply with our Code of Conduct, which sets out the minimum standards required to combat modern slavery and trafficking.
We will know the effectiveness of the steps that we are taking to ensure that slavery and/or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain if:
- No reports are received from employees, the public, or law enforcement agencies to indicate that modern slavery practices have been identified.
November 2023
Managing Director
Teachers Train Teachers Ltd
