Anti-slavery and human trafficking statement

Sue Ryder is a national charity providing health and social care in our hospices and neurological care centres, and in the community. Sue Ryder raises money to fund its services from various sources including its charity shops. Our shops sell donated stock as well as new goods which are sourced by our trading subsidiary, Sue Ryder Direct Ltd.

We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. This statement reflects our commitment to act ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains.

Sue Ryder purchases new goods, such as children’s toys, furniture and other homeware products, through its trading subsidiary Sue Ryder Direct Ltd for its retail chain and its online shop. We have previously used suppliers (agents) to source and provide these goods made in China and Vietnam, but over the past year we have been moving away from working with overseas suppliers (agents) and have instead been sourcing goods through UK suppliers.

At Sue Ryder we are committed to be a responsible business. We continually strive to work with suppliers who share the same values.

• Recruitment policy
• Procurement policy
• Whistle-blowing procedures
• Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy
• Anti-fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy
• Workplace Relationships – policy and procedure
• Values and Behaviours (expected of our staff)

In keeping with our commitment to act with integrity in all our business dealings, we recognise that we purchase products that may be manufactured in countries where human rights are an issue of particular concern.

Terms and conditions with our UK and European suppliers include a section on Modern Slavery and reference to our Anti-Slavery Policy. These agreements ask the supplier to provide us with an annual statement confirming that they have complied with our policy and to implement due diligence procedures for its own suppliers, contractors and other participants in the supply chain, and to provide copies of their audit reports. They also need to provide details of the factories that they use, and to not change a factory without giving Sue Ryder prior notification and supplying evidence that the new factory meets Sue Ryder’s requirements.

We also expect our UK and European suppliers to complete an Online Risk Assessment (ORA) as detailed below. We also actively encourage employee engagement, representation, dialogue and the ability of an employee to raise potential concerns or grievances.

Due diligence forms are completed in respect of major suppliers. We have identified that the purchasing of new goods for sale in our charity shops, which are sourced from countries which are identified as using child labour and forced labour in their manufacturing industries, are areas of particular concern.

Verisio Ltd. (www.verisio.com) who specialise in supply chain transparency and modern slavery act due diligence for brands and retailers, are appointed by us to evaluate human trafficking risks and slavery risks in our supply chain and they conduct supplier self-assessments and review and request social compliance audits which cover all aspects of the supply chain including safety, human trafficking, child labour and other legal requirements of our existing suppliers.

All new suppliers are subject to Verisio’s checks before being appointed.

• Requesting information relating to the supplier’s management of their supply chain, policies and due diligence.
• Understanding and mapping the supply chain to assess particular products or geographical risks of modern slavery and human trafficking.
• Evaluating the modern slavery and human trafficking risks of each new supplier. This is to be achieved through supplier self-assessment processes and auditing.
• Removing suppliers and factories that are not compliant.

All suppliers have been reissued with our updated Sue Ryder Code of Conduct with suppliers acknowledging their commitment to the Code of Conduct.

We are aware that another area of concern in relation to modern slavery is the use of agency staff. Our healthcare agency staff are provided by suppliers who have signed terms with Magnit global. The suppliers are audited on having their own, compliant modern slavery and human trafficking statements.

Magnit is a member of the Slave Free Alliance and takes steps to ensure that steps are in place to protect both itself, its’ clients and supply chain from the threat of human trafficking, slavery and forced labour. Magnit require all suppliers to comply with moral and legal obligations in place and to take all appropriate steps to ensure that their business operations are free from slavery and human trafficking, whether in the UK or elsewhere in their business or ongoing supply chain. Recruitment agencies supplying Magnit’s clients are required to be familiar with and comply with the procedures for reporting concerns regarding modern slavery to both itself and its clients.

All personnel as part of their induction have to read the Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy.

Awareness training sessions were conducted by Verisio for all senior management in the course of 2021. All staff who work in areas of the Charity where modern slavery has been identified as a risk took part in some form of awareness training in the course of the 2021-2022 period. We will be looking at rolling out further awareness training in the 2023-2024 period.

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act and constitutes our Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement for the financial year ending 31st March 2023.

Dr Rima Makarem

Chair of Trustees

(Approved by the Board on 27 September 2023)