Our statement on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
Introduction
The United Kingdom Modern Slavery Act of 2015 requires businesses to publish an annual statement specifying the efforts taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking anywhere in their own business or their supply chains.
This Modern Slavery Statement applies to Kerridge Commercial Systems Group Limited and its affiliated companies (“KCS”), pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”).
This statement was approved by KCS’s board of directors on 5 December 2021.
The Company
KCS is a limited company, registered in England and Wales with registered number 7090521, and registered office of 2a Herongate, Charnham Park, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0YU.
KCS is a dynamic and expanding company which provides specialist software, services and support to deliver fully integrated trading and business management solutions to distributive trades customers. We know that slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking is a global and growing issue, existing in every region in the world and in every type of economy.
Our approach
We consider KCS to be relatively low risk in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking given the sector in which we operate.
We are committed and will work towards ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our business operations and at all times to act ethically and with integrity in all our relationships. We will not support any arrangement that is knowingly involved in modern slavery or human trafficking.
We expect all staff to act ethically and with integrity and to report any concerns which impact modern slavery and human trafficking using the appropriate reporting channels. Our management and executive teams are expected and are required to act upon them.
Our practices in relation to combatting modern slavery and human trafficking
Policies and Training
All our staff are expected to comply with our group internal policies include our Business Ethics Policy where we confirm our responsibility to act at all times with integrity and honesty and within the law, and to act responsibly in leading and directing our business activities.
Our Equal Opportunities Policy reaffirms our strong commitment to providing for all our employees a working environment that is free from harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form that may affect the dignity of the individual.
We also operate a Whistleblowing Policy which encourages staff to report any wrongdoing which includes any human rights violations including any practices that relate to modern slavery. It includes any perceived wrongdoing by external agents and contractors. All reports will be fully investigated and appropriate remedial actions taken.
New employees receive induction training covering our company policies and our ethical stance, and this is supplemented by any further training as required. This is reinforced for managers in our Management Handbook.
Employment
We apply rigorous and thorough standards of integrity to the recruitment and management of our staff. These include pre-employment checks on any prospective employee prior to them joining us.
Additional safeguards include HR checks to ensure that KCS complies with local employment legislation and applicable regulations. These checks include ensuring that no KCS company employs young people under the legal employment age in any country in which we operate. Where applicable, KCS conforms to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates.
All of our staff are expected to comply with relevant laws and professional codes of conduct, as well as KCS other policies and procedures.
We have a HR compliance training programme to ensure compliance and ongoing awareness of our commitment to our people, customers and our supply chain.
Suppliers
KCS has established binding relationships with the businesses it engages to run its operations and premises, such as outsourced service providers, catering and cleaning providers. In our dealings with these suppliers we do not make any demands on them that may lead them to violate applicable laws including modern slavery. The majority of our suppliers are based in the UK and supply standard goods or services.
Our supplier base is reviewed regularly by the management team and any risks of modern slavery assessed. Should any suppliers and contractors be deemed to be anything other than low risk, they will be required to confirm that they comply with the principles and requirements of the modern slavery legislation, as well as their commitment to ethical trading and management.
Steps we will be taking to combat modern slavery and human trafficking in Financial Year 2022
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We will work towards accreditation as a Living Wage Employer in the UK meaning that we have a commitment to pay all our UK employees a fair and living wage.
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We will be rolling-out online training on modern slavery to all staff in our UK offices and to our international offices. Where we consider it appropriate, we will provide class based and/or one-to-one training to staff who we have identified as dealing with key aspects of procurement on behalf of KCS that might impact modern slavery.
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For our core suppliers and larger suppliers by spend, we will aim to hold an annual service review meeting in which we will raise awareness of modern slavery and review and address any risks or concerns arising and if not already in place and where we are able to, we shall introduce terms into our contracts with them to ensure that they and their sub-contractors comply with labour, anti-slavery and human trafficking laws.
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We shall work towards becoming a signatory to the United Nations Global Impact to ensure our operations align with universal principles on human rights law, labour, environment and anti-corruption. In so doing, our aim will be to produce an annual Corporate Responsibility and Inclusion Report that sets out how we integrate principles of the Global Impact within our business as a public statement about our values and principled business ethics.