We have a rigorous process for assessing new suppliers on their technical capabilities and ethical credentials. We do not engage with business partners, including suppliers, who do not meet our high standards. Key members of our procurement team have been trained to identify the risk of indicators of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and in the procurements process we may seek to impose contractual obligations on our suppliers under which they:
• warrant that their business and, to the best of their knowledge, their own supply chain do not use forced labour;
• agree to provide us on request with responses to a self-assessment questionnaire regarding use of forced labour and steps they have taken to ensure it is not used by them or their supply chain.
• agree to permit us and third parties acting for us to inspect their facilities, records and practices, to have access to their personnel and to audit their business for the purposes of ensuring that they comply with these obligations and that there is no use of forced labour.
• impose equivalent obligations on their own suppliers. Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX) and ethical audits
All new suppliers to the business are required to register with and complete assessment’s within SEDEX. Following a review of the outcomes of these assessments ethical audits may be carried out. It is our policy that any suppliers who are deemed high risk, as identified by the SEDEX risk assessment score, undertake an audit within three months of being identified high risk. A preliminary desktop review of the suppliers has identified no high-risk suppliers to our business.