Modern Slavery Statement

1. Organisation

1.1.      This statement applies to Inclusive Boards (referred to in this statement as ‘the Organisation’). The information included in the statement refers to the financial year 2023/2024.

2. Organisational structure

2.1.       Inclusive Boards is an agency set up specifically to support organisations in efforts to develop more diverse boards and stronger governance structures. The Organisation’s services include executive search, diversity training, and advisory. The Organisation has worked with some of the largest charities in the UK, including Amnesty International, the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) and British Red Cross. The Organisation has over 60,000 diverse professionals within our network and a reach that expands into communities across the UK. Demand for the Organisation’s services are consistently high throughout the year and is therefore not seasonal.

2.2.       The labour supplied to the Organisation in pursuance of its operation is carried out within the United Kingdom. The regions where work is carried out is south-eastern England, the East Midlands, and North Lincolnshire due to hybrid working. The location of the Organisation’s offices is within the United Kingdom, over two sites. The regions in which both sites are located are London and Nottinghamshire.

3. Definitions

3.1. The Organisation considers that modern slavery encompasses:

3.1.1.    human trafficking

3.1.2.    forced work, through mental or physical threat

3.1.3.    being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse of the threat of abuse

3.1.4.    being dehumanised, treated as a commodity, or being bought or sold as property

3.1.5.    being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.

4. Commitment

4.1.       The Organisation acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Organisation understands that this requires an ongoing review of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.

4.2.       The Organisation does not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

4.3.       No labour provided to the Organisation in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. The Organisation strictly adheres to the minimum standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in The United Kingdom, and in many cases exceeds those minimums in relation to its employees.

5. Supply chains

5.1.       The supply chains of the Organisation are limited and procures goods and services from a restricted range of United Kingdom and overseas suppliers. Where applicable, we ensure that the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking clause is affirmed within our contractual agreements with suppliers who are legally required to have one and positively encourage and promote the development of such a policy with organisations who are not required by law to do so.

5.2.       Inclusive Boards has an internship partnership with the University of Nottingham and works with universities and organisations UK wide who seek to train and recruit undergraduates and graduates. We are committed to ensuring that through our various areas of work with career starters, they are aware of their University’s Modern Day Slavery statement and that they know how to report suspected abuse.

6. Potential exposure

6.1.       Due to the nature of our business, the Organisation assesses itself to have a low risk of Modern Slavery in its business and supply chains.

6.2.       As an Executive Search company, we more often than not have clients who would have a legal requirement to have a Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement. That being the case, we ensure our business partners are clear about our zero-tolerance approach to human rights abuses as part of our due diligence discussions.

7. Steps

7.1.       The Organisation carries out due diligence processes in relation to ensuring slavery and/or human trafficking does not take place in its organisation or supply chains, including conducting a review of the controls of its suppliers.

7.2.       The Organisation has not, to its knowledge, conducted any business with another organisation which has been found to have involved itself with modern slavery.

7.3.       In accordance with section 54(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Organisation has taken the following steps to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place:

7.3.1.     Providing awareness training as part of the in-house compulsory training and onboarding process.

7.3.2.    Ensure staff are clear about what action to take if they suspect a case of slavery or human trafficking.

7.3.3.    Incorporate within employer contracts and service agreements references to modern slavery and human trafficking.

7.3.4.    Ensure that staff involved in recruitment and deployment of workers are aware of modern slavery and ethical employment practices.

8. Key performance indicators

8.1       The Organisation has set the following key performance indicators to measure its effectiveness in ensuring modern slavery is not taking place in the Organisation or its supply chains:

8.1.1     Right to work documentation

9. Policies

9.1       The Organisation has the following policies which further define its stance on modern slavery:

9.1.1     The Staff Handbook

9.1.2     Equal Opportunities Policy

9.1.3     Corporate Social Responsibility Policy

9.1.4     Whistleblowing Policy

9.1.5     Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy

9.1.6     Anti-Bribery Policy

9.1.7     Environment Policy

10. Slavery Compliance Officer

10.1      The Organisation’s Slavery Compliance Officer, Sharna Johnson (the Operations CoOrdinator), is the person to raise all concerns regarding modern slavery and will undertake relevant action regarding the Organisation’s obligations.

11. This statement is made in pursuance of Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and will be reviewed for each financial year.

Signed 

Wendy McPherson

Position 

Chief Operating Officer

Date   

[02/05/2023]

This policy is effective from May 2023. 

This policy is reviewed yearly.