Modern Slavery Statement
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Charles Saunders Ltd (the company) is not legally required to publish an annual modern slavery statement, however we have produced this document to demonstrate our commitment to understanding modern slavery risks and to demonstrate our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business operations and relationships. We are dedicated to implement and enforce effective controls to ensure that any form of slavery is not taking place in our own business or supply chains.
Organisations Structure
We are an independent wholesale foodservice business with one owner and a senior management team which contains a representative from each department within the company. All of our operations are conducted from the U.K, the majority of our operations are conducted from our head office based in Bristol, U.K and we have one satellite depot based in Bournemouth, UK. All of our employees are based within the UK. Each department has a manager and larger teams have supervisors who are responsible for overseeing the management of their teams.
The company employ an internal HR and quality team who are responsible for monitoring employee working practices and conditions.
Relevant Policies
We operate a number of internal policies to ensure that we are conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner and adhere to local and national laws, monthly internal audits are carried out to ensure policies and procedures are being adhered to and every aspect of our business operations are audited annually by an external body.
All employees, agency workers and contractors are required to provide identification which shows their entitlement to work in the UK and to confirm that all workers are of the relevant legal working age, copies of identification records are made and kept on file, original identification documentation is returned to all employees. The HR Department obtain and monitor this process and any individuals unable to provide / present suitable documentation are not permitted to work for the company. All employees are issued with an employment contract, an induction booklet and are provided with training. All company’s policies and procedures are easily accessible via notice boards and from the HR Department. Personnel records are created, maintained and kept by the HR department for each employee and are held for 6 years from the end of employment.
Our Supply Chains
Our supply chains are based throughout the world. The highest risk of modern slavery has been identified as potentially occurring within our manufacturing supply chain therefore we conduct due diligence on all suppliers which is managed by our purchasing team and reviewed by our quality specialist. Assessments are conducted before allowing companies to become one of our suppliers. This due diligence includes assessing licenses and certification, compliance with regulatory bodies, checks to determine the financial stability of the supplier and their working practices as well as carrying out further checks where appropriate.
We have in place policies and systems across our business and our supply chains to:
- Identify inappropriate employment processes
- Identify, assess and monitor other potential risk areas
- Mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring
- Protect whistleblowers and investigate reports of modern slavery
Policy review
The senior management team regularly review our operations and the purchasing department carry out regular checks within our supply chain. KPI’s are used to measure progress in tackling modern slavery including during our recruitment, training and supplier checks processes. We continually assess, implement and enforce effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our business and in our supply chains.
If you have any queries regarding this matter please contact the HR department, on 01454 338131 or email hr@charles-saunders.com.
Darren Gaulton
Managing Director
Address
Armstrong Way
Great Western Business Park
Yate
BS37 5NG
© Charles Saunders Food Service 2024