Modern Slavery Act Statement 2017

2017 Statement of compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015

Introduction

Sense strongly supports the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and acknowledges its responsibility to comply with it.

Sense is committed to ensuring that both the organisation and its supply chains are free of slavery and human trafficking, and that the necessary due diligence is undertaken to provide assurance of this.

Procurement

Sense’s procurement practices incorporate processes to ensure that our suppliers comply with the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Invitations to tender require suppliers to confirm their compliance with the Act and to provide a formal statement to this effect.

Depending on the type of goods and services being provided, and the depth of the supply chains involved, further due diligence may be undertaken. Existing suppliers and new contractors have all been analysed to assess the risk of non-compliance with the Act and, where necessary, suppliers have been asked to provide further assurances.

Following a review, the Procurement team have introduced a formal Supplier Code of Practice covering a number of issues. These include specific prohibitions against the use of forced, compulsory or trafficked labour or of anyone (including children) held in slavery or servitude, and making it clear that our suppliers must hold their own suppliers to these standards.

Any failure by a supplier to meet the standards set out in the Supplier Code of Practice will

be a breach of contract and will result in the termination of our relationship with them.

Trading

Trading secures statements from all suppliers guaranteeing their compliance with the Act. No supplier is engaged without this compliance statement.

Assurance

Over the course of this year both the Procurement and Trading Departments received the necessary assurances from all of our suppliers. Sense is satisfied that, over the past year, there has been no evidence of any connection with modern slavery or human trafficking, either within the organisation or through any of our suppliers or sub-contractors.

Continued commitment

The Council of Sense and the Executive team will ensure that the implementation of this policy is reviewed and updated as necessary.

Nicholas Keegan, Treasurer

26 September 2017