Effective Date: 11th June 2024
Last Reviewed: 11th June 2024
This page covers the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement relating to School Improvement Liverpool Ltd, trading as SIL.
SIL works primarily with UK-based suppliers and contractors, and their employees are protected under UK employment law and working time directives. Whilst SIL does not conduct business in countries where there is a documented problem with human trafficking or modern slavery, we remain acutely aware of the need to ensure that companies within our network of suppliers share our commitment to treating employees fairly and ethically.
SIL is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct in all our activities and to making continuous improvements in this area. We believe that there is a low risk of slavery or human trafficking having a connection with our activities.
This statement is an expression of our commitment to improving our practices to combat modern slavery and human trafficking both within SIL and within our supply networks to ensure that we are fully compliant with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
This statement covers the activities of SIL. SIL is committed to providing an excellent service within a happy, caring and supportive environment.
SIL is led and run by a senior team of professionals and has its own way of doing things within the bounds of aligned autonomy. We are based in Liverpool and have around 250 employees. SIL’s supply networks are drawn mainly from the education supply market.
The policies we have in place and our anti-slavery statement reflect our commitment to paying people fairly and properly for their work; acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships; and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our company or our supply networks.
All policies are reviewed by senior managers and signed off by the Board, (where appropriate). Policies are reviewed on a rolling basis in response to longevity, statutory or regulatory change.
SIL’s senior leaders, with assistance from HR, are responsible for investigating any suspected instances of modern slavery and human trafficking.
SIL has assessed the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking as follows;
High-risk activities
Medium risk activities
Low risk activities
SIL operates a comprehensive and transparent recruitment and selection process.
The majority of our staff are employed directly on a permanent or fixed-term basis. Those successfully appointed are sourced from multiple recruitment services which utilise a range of direct advertising, social media, databases and existing staff referrals, or via approved third-party agencies.
In line with our commitments to safeguarding, all employees who join our company are subject to rigorous pre-employment checks to ensure they are genuine applicants operating as free agents with the required level of propriety. These will include verification of identity, references, evidence of qualifications, disclosure and baring records and right-to-work checks.
For roles covered by our supply agency, SIL ensure that similar checks to those for employees are carried out.
SIL is committed to ensuring that all directly employed and contracted staff receive fair remuneration for the job they perform. This is demonstrated through our commitment to ensuring staff receive, as a minimum, the National Minimum Wage, set annually by the government. This commitment means that all staff, whether employed directly, as contractors or through our sub-contractors, receive at least the appropriate National Minimum Wage.
SIL encourages all its employees, contractors and other business partners to report any concerns related to their direct activities or supply networks. This includes any circumstances that may give rise to increased risk of slavery or human trafficking. Our Whistleblowing policy is designed to make it easy for workers to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation.
We strive to maintain the highest standards of employee conduct and ethical behaviour and our policies enhance our commitment to act ethically and with integrity throughout our company. Policies and procedures are kept under review to make sure they reflect the changing needs of the company, our staff, and the communities it serves.
SIL is committed to ensuring that its key suppliers adhere to the highest standards of ethics. We recognise that modern slavery is a complex supply chain issue and suppliers are required to demonstrate that they provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and act ethically and within the law in their use of labour.
SIL will work with its key suppliers to ensure that they meet these standards: any serious violation of our standards will lead to a review and possible termination of the business relationship.
All major supply contracts are reviewed annually with the results reported to the Board to ensure that they are complying with the expectations of company.
SIL operates a due diligence process in the tendering and appointment of suppliers. This Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement is published on our website. We undertake due diligence checks on suppliers which are in line with Public Contract Regulations 2015.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our company’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking statement.
