MODERN SLAVERY ACT 2015 – STATUTORY STATEMENT
This statement is to be accepted as Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust’s response to the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Background
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is designed to consolidate various offences relating to human trafficking and slavery. The provisions in the Act create a requirement for an annual statement to be prepared that demonstrates transparency in supply chains. In line with all businesses with a turnover greater than £36 million per annum, the NHS is obliged to comply with the Act.
The Modern Slavery Act makes provision to prohibit slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking and includes provision for the protection of victims.
A person commits an offence if:
- The person holds another person in slavery or servitude and the circumstances are such that the person knows or ought to know that the other person is held in slavery or servitude.
- The person requires another person to perform forced or compulsory labour and the circumstances are such that the person knows or ought to know that the other person is being required to perform forced or compulsory labour.
Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires all organisations to set out the steps it has taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any of its supply chains, and in any part of its own business. The aim of this statement is to demonstrate that the Trust follows good practice and all reasonable steps are taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking. Where possible all members of staff have a personal responsibility for the successful prevention of slavery and human trafficking with the procurement department taking responsibility lead for overall compliance.
This statement will be published externally on the Trust’s internet site and internal on the Hub.
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS FT
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust provides services across North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and West and East Lindsey. The Trust’s total turnover for 2021/2022 was; £510,699,000 (Annual Report). The Trust employs 6892 permanent and fixed term contract staff (ESR data October 2022).
We have zero tolerance of slavery and human trafficking and are committed to maintaining and improving systems, processes and policies to avoid complicity in human rights violation and to prevent slavery and human trafficking in our supply chain.
The Trust policies, procedures, governance and legal arrangements are robust, ensuring that proper checks and due diligence are applied in employment procedures to ensure compliance with this legislation. We also conform to the NHS employment check standards within our workforce recruitment and selection practices, including through our managed service provider contract arrangements.
This strategic approach incorporates analysis of the Trust’s supply chains and its partners to assess risk exposure and management on modern slavery. In addition, the Trust is meeting its supply chain commitments on slavery and human trafficking by undertaking the following steps during the year:
- For all Terms and Conditions, including specific clauses that reflect our obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015
- Including a relevant pass/fail criteria for all Procurement led tender processes and new vendor requests for all goods and services above the OJEU procurement threshold as set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015
- The where possible uses procurement frameworks to provide assurance on key supplier metrics which meet our obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015
- We treat our employees fairly and consistently across the Trust adhering to UK employment law. The Trust pays above the national living wage i.e. the minimum wage set by the Government
- Risks to Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS FT associated with this Act are managed in accordance with the Trust’s Risk Management Policy and will be included as appropriate on the Trust’s risk register
Equality Act (2010)
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust is committed to promoting a pro-active and inclusive approach to equality which supports and encourages an inclusive culture which values diversity.
The Trust is committed to building a workforce which is valued and whose diversity reflects the community it serves, allowing the Trust to deliver the best possible healthcare service to the community. In doing so, the Trust will enable all staff to achieve their full potential in an environment characterised by dignity and mutual respect.
The Trust aims to design and provide services, implement policies and make decisions that meet the diverse needs of our patients and their carers the general population we serve and our workforce, ensuring that none are placed at a disadvantage.
We therefore strive to ensure that in both employment and service provision no individual is discriminated against or treated less favourably by reason of age, disability, gender, pregnancy or maternity, marital status or civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender (Equality Act 2010).
Further reading and additional information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/modern-slavery
