Modern slavery encompasses slavery, forced and compulsory labour, and human trafficking. In each case individuals are deprived of their freedom and are exploited for commercial or personal gain. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 sets out the responsibilities of organisations to combat such forced labour.

Community Wood Recycling is a social enterprise dedicated to saving resources and supporting disadvantaged people. We have a particular interest in this issue, as victims of modern slavery are among the people supported by our member enterprises.

We are committed to a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery and to acting with integrity in all our dealings, relationships, and supply chains. We expect the same standards from all our staff, suppliers, member enterprises, and those with whom we do business.

We are aware of the potential risk of modern slavery in our supply chain, and in particular of a supplier or subcontractor using forced labour. We consider that our risk as an organisation is relatively low due to the nature of our supply chain. Our subcontractors are our member enterprises and are all social enterprises which share our goals. We scrutinise their activities on a day-to-day basis to ensure they meet our standards.

In addition we:-

• Make our staff aware of the Modern Slavery Act, including its definitions of slavery and human trafficking;
• Tell staff what to do if they suspect a case of slavery or human trafficking;
• Assess whether suppliers and partners fall into potentially higher risk categories and if so check what assurance arrangements they have in place;
• Ensure that we treat whistleblowing in accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.