1. Introduction

Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour and is an unquestionable and indefensible violation of an individual’s basic human rights. Royacare Agency has got a zero tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to prevent any form of modern slavery in our corporate activities, and to ensure, as far as we are able, that our supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.

2. Organisation Structure

The main activity of Royacare Agency is to carefully select and recruit nursing and care staff with a view to supply them to Nursing and Residential Care Homes and the NHS Trusts across the UK.

This statement covers the activities and operations of Royacare Agency with its Head Office in Norfolk.

3. Relevant Policies

We operate a number of internal policies to ensure that we are conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner. These include:

1. Anti-slavery policy. This policy sets out the organisation’s stance on modern slavery and explains how employees can identify any instances of this and where they can go for help.
2. Recruitment policy. We operate a robust recruitment policy procedures.
3. Whistleblowing policy. We operate a whistleblowing policy so that all employees know that they can raise concerns about how colleagues are being treated, or practices within our business or supply chain, without fear of reprisals.
4. Code of conduct. This code explains the manner in which we behave as an organisation and how we expect our employees and suppliers to act.

4. Supplier Chain Management

Majority of our procurement activities take place in England. Royacare Agency does not have a supply chain that is reliant on factories or other entities that would normally be associated with slavery or forced labour. Accordingly, contractors and suppliers used by Royacare Agency are therefore generally not likely to be susceptible to this risk. We are committed to ensuring there is transparency in our own business and in our approach to tackling modern slavery throughout our supply chains, consistent with our obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We expect the same high standards from all of our suppliers and other business partners. We are, however, mindful that others may not always uphold the same standards or to the same level as we do. Consequently, employees responsible for managing suppliers and others involved with Royacare Agency are, themselves, in so far as possible, responsible for ensuring that our values are upheld. This is a work in progress and we are strengthening our controls and evolving and updating our contracting processes to include specific prohibitions against the use of forced, compulsory or trafficked labour, or anyone held in slavery or servitude, whether adults or children. We also expect our suppliers to hold their own suppliers to the same high standards.

5. Recruitment and Selection

Royacare Agency has got a robust Recruitment policy and procedures in place and this include ensuring all employees have the right to work and are therefore protected by employment legislation.

Basic rights which we expect all workers to enjoy, include:

• The right to a reasonable wage;
• The right to a safe working environment;
• The right to an appropriate level of holiday and cover for period of sickness; and
• The freedom to voice their concerns either through Whistleblowing Policy or directly if they believe that they are not being fairly treated or have any other concerns.

Board Approval This statement has been approved by the Board of Royacare Agency who will review and update it annually.

This statement is made pursuant of section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 28 February 2019