Hempsons is committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in its business, and to ensuring that its supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking. We are not currently required under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to publish an annual transparency statement; however, we recognise that we have a responsibility to take a robust approach to slavery and human trafficking and we have therefore chosen to provide a statement to demonstrate the steps we are taking.
Hempsons is a Limited Liability Partnership providing legal services. We have offices in London, Manchester, Harrogate, Newcastle and Southampton. We do not have an international presence. Our supply chain is not complicated and our suppliers are based in the UK. Our Management Board has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that our anti–slavery procedures are complied with and is assisted by the quality & risk, HR and facilities functions. We have a whistleblowing policy which allows for any concerns to be raised confidentially without fear of retaliation.
Suppliers
We are:
- reviewing and risk mapping our suppliers to enable us to identify and rate those suppliers at risk of slavery and human trafficking
- obtaining confirmation from those at-risk suppliers of their compliance with the Modern Slavery Act and the anti–slavery precautions they are taking
- introducing modern slavery contract clauses where appropriate
- ensuring risks are considered at the procurement stage for new services or the renewal of existing contracts
Recruitment
Our recruitment process includes procedures designed to manage the risk of slavery and human trafficking including;
- ensuring that the recruit has the right to work in the UK
- requiring sight of the recruit’s passport
- conducting background checks and obtaining references
- salary payments are only paid into an account or joint account of the named employee
We are developing an approved list of recruitment agencies after undertaking appropriate assessment of those agencies and their procedures.
Training
Training is provided for those staff involved in managing recruitment and our supply chains so they are aware of the risks and how to identify slavery and human trafficking.