Care Givers Direct – Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement 2024–2025 

As a care provider, our work sits at the heart of vulnerable communities. We provide home care services across Colchester and Matlock, offering support that includes hourly visits, live-in care, post-hospital recovery, dementia and disability assistance, respite care, and emergency interventions. Our team is composed of dedicated caregivers, administrative staff, and professional partners. We recognise that the very nature of our work brings with it an elevated social responsibility—to protect not only our clients but also the welfare of those who work with and for us. 

Our company ethos is rooted in compassion, dignity, and respect. These values drive our approach to preventing and addressing modern slavery, both within our organisation and throughout our extended supply chains. We reject any form of exploitation, forced labour, or abuse, and we believe that strong ethical leadership begins with acknowledging that modern slavery is a prevalent issue—one that does not respect borders, industries, or job roles. Therefore, we take a proactive and transparent stance on identifying and mitigating risks wherever they may exist. 

 

Beyond legal compliance, we see our responsibility as a moral and social obligation to improve industry standards and protect human rights. We are committed to continuous improvement and believe that effective change is possible through collaboration, education, and openness. 

 

We have embedded a comprehensive governance framework that supports the prevention of modern slavery across all levels of our business. This includes policies specifically designed to promote ethical practice, such as our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy, Fair Recruitment and Equal Opportunities Policy, Whistleblowing and Confidential Reporting Procedure, and our Safeguarding Framework. These are reviewed annually and are reinforced through ongoing staff engagement and training. 

 

Risk assessments are conducted regularly across our internal operations, recruitment processes, and supplier relationships. We carefully vet all direct hires through enhanced DBS checks, right-to-work verification, and reference reviews. For agency staff and temporary labour, we work only with reputable providers who can demonstrate compliance with ethical labour standards. Our contracts include modern slavery clauses, and we monitor working hours, pay structures, and general welfare to ensure our staff are supported and treated fairly. 

 

In terms of our supply chain, we are aware that risks can vary significantly depending on the nature of goods or services provided. We are especially mindful of suppliers providing uniforms, consumables, IT systems, and cleaning services—many of which may source products from global markets. We assess high-risk categories more rigorously and expect all suppliers to comply with our Ethical Supplier Code of Conduct, which sets out clear expectations on labour rights and transparency. 

 

Education is central to our strategy for tackling modern slavery. All employees receive annual training on recognising the signs of modern slavery and knowing how to report concerns. This includes understanding the indicators of coercion, forced labour, debt bondage, and trafficking. For our HR and management teams, this training is more in-depth, focusing on recruitment risks, partner vetting, and safeguarding procedures. 

 

We foster a culture of vigilance and openness. We actively encourage staff to speak out if they notice anything of concern, and we have a confidential whistleblowing helpline and reporting email address that are accessible to all team members. All reports are taken seriously, treated with sensitivity, and followed up promptly. Retaliation against whistleblowers is not tolerated under any circumstances. 

 

Should an instance of modern slavery be identified within our organisation or supply chain, we have a clear escalation and response process in place. The immediate priority is the safety and wellbeing of the affected individual. We work closely with local authorities, safeguarding teams, and law enforcement where necessary. We also carry out a full internal investigation to understand the root cause, review our controls, and implement preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence. 

 

We recognise that eradicating modern slavery is an evolving challenge. As such, we are committed to continuous improvement. Our approach includes regular internal audits, benchmarking against best practice, and strengthening our partnerships with ethical trade bodies and anti-slavery organisations. We also plan to improve our supplier engagement by mapping beyond Tier 1 suppliers in the coming year, extending our ethical oversight further into our supply network. 

 

We know that no organisation can tackle modern slavery in isolation. We are committed to building meaningful partnerships with external stakeholders, including worker representatives, advocacy groups, sector regulators, and community leaders. We are currently exploring ways to collaborate with local charities and survivor-led organisations to co-develop training resources and support materials. 

 

As part of our broader community engagement, we aim to launch a local awareness campaign about modern slavery in 2025, helping to inform clients, carers, and the public about the issue and how they can help identify and report it. 

 

We monitor our progress against key performance indicators to ensure accountability and transparency. These include: 

 

 

We publish this data internally and plan to share headline outcomes through our website and the government registry to demonstrate our progress publicly. 

 

 

This statement has been reviewed and approved by the Director of Care Givers Direct and will be reviewed annually.