Samaritans are committed to improving our practices to combat modern slavery in our business by taking steps, as far as we are able, to ensure that our supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.
This statement sets out the steps Samaritans Central Charity have taken to understand potential modern slavery risks within our business structure and supply chain, as well as the steps taken to reduce these risks.
About us
Samaritans is a company limited by guarantee (registered company number 757372) and a charity registered in England and Wales (219432) and in Scotland (SC040604) whose registered address is at The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell, Surrey, KT17 2AF.
Samaritans uses a wholly owned subsidiary company, The Samaritans Enterprises Limited, a company limited by guarantee (company number 01451175) in England and Wales, with registered address The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell, Surrey, KT17 2AF to record its activity classed as trading, for example, the selling of branded items.
We employ around 300 staff, and our services are delivered and supported by some 23,000 volunteers across the charity. Our volunteers are located across all four nations of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Our annual turnover is under £36 million. Although we are not required to make a modern slavery statement under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, we are making this voluntary statement to show our commitment to ethical trading principles and to set out the steps we are taking to identify risks and tackle modern slavery and human trafficking in our business and in our supply chains.
Our suppliers are predominantly UK-based and required to comply with UK legislation. We will endeavour to continue to focus on how we engage with suppliers which operate in sectors and jurisdictions at a higher risk from slavery and human trafficking.
Our commitment to ethical trading
We are committed to ethical trading principles and to acquiring goods and services without harm to others.
Due diligence and risk assessment
To help identify and monitor the risk of slavery and human trafficking in our supply chain we seek to clarify steps taken to tackle modern slavery by any potential supplier.
We aim to work with key suppliers and sub-contractors that are committed to ethical labour practices. We endeavour to include anti-slavery and human trafficking provisions in our contracts with suppliers.
We will continue to undertake due diligence checks on prospective suppliers, and other third parties, with which we associate, as appropriate, using a proportionate risk-based approach.
Effectiveness in combating slavery and human trafficking
Our Senior Leadership Team will endeavour to review the effectiveness of our measures for ensuring that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any part of our business or supply chains. Issues will be reported to the Board of Trustees accordingly. Our considerations include, but are not limited to, ongoing review and updating of policies such as safeguarding and whistleblowing, and the monitoring and reporting by the Procurement team to our Senior Leadership.
Training
We are committed to making our colleagues aware of our views in relation to slavery and human trafficking. The policies that we have in place provide guidance on areas such as whistleblowing, procurement and safeguarding.
In addition, our policies continue to be made known to our suppliers on the basis that if we engage a supplier, it is expected that they, their employees, and anyone they engage with, should follow the principles set by us.
Further steps
We will continue to review our policies and processes to ensure that they have appropriate and relevant references to modern slavery and include modern slavery conditions in our tender documents and other procurement documentation. Our Senior Leadership Team and Trustees take seriously their responsibility in fulfilling these aims and will ensure that the organisation achieves them.
Approval
This Statement was approved by and on behalf of Samaritans by the Board on 5 December 2024.