Modern Slavery in the Supply Chain Event
Main contract details
I want to take this opportunity to give you some background information on the work around the Modern Slavery Act the Procurement Service is undertaking and also to invite you to an event we’re hosting aimed specifically at the Council’s current and possible future suppliers of goods and services.
The Modern Slavery Act came into force in 2015, and amongst many of the Act’s provisions certain businesses were required to publish a modern slavery statement on what they are doing to tackle modern slavery in their supply chains. The Act also placed obligations on local government in four distinct areas:
1. Identification and referral of victims
2. Supporting victims – this can be through safeguarding children and adults with care and support needs and through housing/homelessness services
3. Community safety services and disruption activities
4. Ensuring that the supply chains councils procure from are free from modern slavery.
As a council we have an important role to play in ensuring our contracts and suppliers don’t contribute to modern day slavery and exploitation and that those we do contract with have ethical supply chains. Bradford Council has taken a leading role in and adopted the Co-operative Party’s Charter against Modern Slavery to ensure our procurement practices don’t support slavery and that we are an exemplar of good practice. I am keen to develop this approach and my Service are undertaking an audit of all of our tendering documents and establishing policies and processes to make sure the council’s activities don’t harm others and that the Council conducts business with respect for human rights incorporating the Cooperative Party’s Charter recommendations.
What this means for you and your business
The Modern Slavery Act directly impacts on all organisations that form part of the public sector supply chain as they will have to ensure and evidence that their business practices are ethical and free from slavery and exploitation. If they do not, they risk being excluded from future public sector commissioning and procurement processes.
Bradford spends more than £400m per year procuring goods and services. From cleaning products and construction contracts, we do business with literally hundreds of different suppliers, both big and small. Supply chains are complex, we must ensure public money is not used to support exploitation and one of the first steps in this journey is to make available information sessions to our suppliers on modern slavery in supply chains.
We have partnered with Libre Solutions, a not for profit company which is run by retired police officers, who are all experienced in modern day slavery cases, to deliver the first of these sessions. The event will cost £30+ VAT per person; any profit raised from holding the event will be donated to the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.
What can you expect to gain from the event?
1. An understanding of modern slavery, human trafficking and labour exploitation
2. An understanding of how organised crime infiltrates private industry to put victims to work
3. An understanding of risk within your specific industry
4. An understanding of the Modern Slavery Act with emphasis on Section 54 and the obligations placed on organisations with a £36 million plus turnover
5. An understanding of what this means to organisations within the supply chain
6. An understanding of protective measures which can reduce the risk of modern slavery within an organisation and its supply chain
7. An understanding of terms and conditions required in contracts to assist in compliance with the Modern Slavery Act
8. An understanding of how to map and risk assess supply chains
and
9. Corporate litigation and corporate liability
The event will be held at City Hall in the Banqueting Suite on Tuesday 22nd October 12:45 until 15:00 Tickets can be purchased via the Eventbrite website on the following link (you may need to copy and paste into your web browser):
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/city-of-bradford-council-modern-slavery-in-supply-chains-event-tickets-69733363367
Key dates
Expression of interest window
From 30/09/2019 16:00 to 22/10/2019 12:30
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