Modern slavery and human trafficking statement

Introduction

At Connexus, we recognise our obligations to combat slavery and human trafficking within our business and supply chains. We are committed to maintaining best practice and to seeking continuous improvement.

Our business

Connexus is a not-for-profit housing association based in Shropshire and Herefordshire. We provide over 10,000 homes primarily across Herefordshire and Shropshire. With a turnover of over £50 million a year, we are one of the largest housing providers in Shropshire/Herefordshire.

We adhere to ethical business practices and partnerships, and these are aligned to our strong social purpose.

Our supply chains include agency workers, housing products, logistics, property and construction, technology and other goods and services and we have a robust risk management framework in place to identify and mitigate any risks associated with modern slavery and human trafficking across our services.

Supplier due diligence

As a UK based business, we have concluded that our exposure to the risk of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking is relatively low. However, that does not mean that we are complacent in any way and as a part of our ongoing process to identify and monitor risks we have identified that one of our key areas of risk lies in our relationships with supply chains and contractors.

Whilst most of our suppliers are based within the UK, we are aware that some of our suppliers may outsource or manufacture overseas. We are aware that the risk is higher with these suppliers, and we ensure that we only work with reputable businesses that have systems in place to ensure their supply chains comply with our values. We are committed to undertaking appropriate due diligence when procuring goods and services to mitigate the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking within our supply chain. We do this through taking appropriate measures in the selection of suppliers.

Our Financial and Procurement Regulations reflect this commitment very clearly by prescribing effective systems and controls that eliminate conditions where Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking can occur. Due diligence processes for slavery and human trafficking We have taken the following steps:

We require all new suppliers to declare that they are not involved in Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. That they have not been subject to any investigation in connection with any offence involving slavery or human trafficking.
Provisions in our template contract documentation requiring our suppliers to take appropriate steps to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in their supply chains and that they appreciate and mitigate risks appropriately.
Ensuring that they provide training opportunities and awareness raising in that area to their colleagues.
Where possible we build long standing relationships with local suppliers and business partners highlighting our expectations or ethical business behaviour.
We have in place systems for the reporting of concerns and the protection of whistle blowers.

We only use reputable employment agencies to source agency workers.

Our policies and training

We recognise that Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking can occur in the context of housing and therefore alerting all our colleagues to that risk is crucial to our approach. In addition to having relevant recruitment, L&D, and safeguarding policies and procedures guiding our front-line colleagues, we are also committed to ensuring that there is no Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in our supply chains or in any other part of our business.

To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in our supply chains and our business, we provide training to relevant to colleagues. We expect members of our supply chain to do the same. We use the following performance indications to measure how effective we have been to ensure that Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking is not taking place in any part of our business or supply chains:

Completion of regular internal and external audits
Use labour monitoring and payroll systems
High levels of communication and personal contact with next link in the supply chain and their understanding of, and compliance with, our expectations.

Supplier adherence to our values

Connexus has a zero tolerance to slavery and human trafficking. We expect all those in our supply chain and contractors to comply with our values. All our directors are responsible for compliance in their respective departments and for their supplier relationships across Connexus.

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our group’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the current financial year.