Modern Slavery Statement 2024

Financial period ending 31 March 2024

Introduction
Affinity Trust is committed to preventing all forms of modern slavery and human trafficking within our operations and supply chains. As a responsible organisation, we recognise our duty to address the risks of modern slavery and to uphold the highest ethical standards in all our activities.

Our Structure and Purpose
Affinity Trust is a national charity that supports people with learning disabilities across England and Scotland. We provide a range of services, including supported living, outreach services, and residential care, designed to support people to live fulfilling and independent lives.

We employ nearly 2,000 staff and work closely with a network of suppliers and partners to deliver high-quality support. Our supply chains include procurement of goods and services such as IT equipment, office supplies, professional services, agency temporary labour, and facilities management services.

Our Commitment
We are committed to operating with integrity and transparency. We do not tolerate any form of slavery, forced labour, or human trafficking within our organisation or supply chains. We are dedicated to ensuring that our practices and those of our suppliers reflect our commitment to ethical standards and the well-being of people.

Policies and Procedures
To support our commitment to combating modern slavery, we have drafted the following policies and procedures:
1. Supplier Code of Conduct: All suppliers must adhere to labour standards, working conditions, and the prohibition of forced labour.
2. Whistleblowing Policy: We encourage all employees, suppliers, and partners to report any concerns related to modern slavery or unethical practices through our confidential whistleblowing channels.
3. Due Diligence and Risk Assessment: We conduct regular due diligence and risk assessments of our supply chains to identify and mitigate potential risks of modern slavery. This includes assessing the labour practices of high-risk suppliers and engaging with them to improve their standards.
4. Training and Awareness: We include modern slavery, including identifying and reporting potential issues as part of our induction process and offer a confidential employee hotline that can be used to seek support or report concerns.

Our Progress
Over the past year, we have taken the following steps to strengthen our approach to modern slavery:
• Conducted a review of our supply chains to identify potential risk areas.
• Enhanced our supplier vetting processes to include more rigorous checks on labour practices.
• Engaged with high-risk suppliers to ensure compliance with our internal labour standards.

Looking Ahead
In the coming year, Affinity Trust will continue to focus on improving our efforts to combat modern slavery. Our priorities include:
• Reviewing our due diligence processes to cover a broader range of suppliers.
• Continuing collaboration with sector partners and organisations to share best practices and drive collective action against modern slavery.
• Reviewing our training programs to ensure all employees understand their role in preventing modern slavery.

Review
This statement is made under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act and constitutes our statement for the financial period 01 April 2023 through 31 March 2024.

Leo Sowerby
Chief Executive Officer