Purpose of this statement
This statement is made on behalf of My Home Move Limited and its wholly owned subsidiaries (together, the Company) pursuant to section 54 (1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the Act).
The Statement was approved by the Board of My Home Move Limited on behalf of the Company on 11/10/17. It was reviewed and approved by each of the individual entities comprising the Company which have obligations under the Act.
Introduction
My Home Move takes its obligations in relation to the identification, reporting and prevention of slavery and human trafficking very seriously and has a zero tolerance approach to all abuses of human rights. As a responsible business, the Company is committed to taking appropriate steps to ensure that slavery and human trafficking does not occur within any part of its own business or within its supply chain. We are committed to upholding and promoting human rights through the way we conduct our business, including our programme of charitable initiatives.
Overview of business activities
My Home Move is the UK’s largest provider of conveyancing services. The Company’s full service capabilities are delivered by approximately 700 people, across an expanding number of offices and home bases, who work in a highly integrated manner. My Home Move is proud to provide all permanent employees a reward package at least equivalent to the Voluntary Living Wage.
My Home Move supply chain
The Company has a relatively simple supply chain model that is built around supporting its core conveyancing practice and maintaining its office and technology infrastructure. The types of goods and services necessary to do so fall into six broad categories:
Business services – the diverse range of products and services the Company buys to ensure it can maintain normal day to day operations in its offices and support its core conveyancing practice, such as cleaning, catering, security, and print and document services
Professional services – the professional services the Company buys such as external training, audit services and advisory services in such areas such as regulation and insurance;
Real estate – the office space the Company buys or leases to accommodate its people and operate its business;
Technology – the systems, software and equipment that are necessary to maintain the global technology infrastructure that supports the Company;
Travel – as a national law firm, mobility is essential and the Company works with a number of travel providers such as hotels, airlines and train operators; and
Support Services – provision of administrative support to enable exceptional client service.
We expect organisations within our supply framework to ensure their goods, materials and labour related supply chains:
– Fully comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015; and are
– Transparent, accountable and auditable; and are
– Free from ethical ambiguities.
Relevant policies
The Company has a number of existing policies and procedures which are relevant to mitigating the risk of slavery or human trafficking occurring in the Company’s business or its supply chain. In particular, the following Company policies are directly relevant to the issues discussed in this statement.
Health and Safety Policy – this policy sets out the Company’s commitment and approach to ensuring it provides a healthy working environment for its employees and contractors working onsite.
Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy, Whistle Blowing Policy, Grievance and Equality and Diversity Policy – combined these policies set out the Company’s commitment and approach to preventing the occurrence of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation in the work place.
Authority Limits and Contract Signing Policy – These policies set out the Company’s internal control and governance procedures with regard to approving financial transactions and signing contracts with suppliers. The policy ensures that contracts cannot be entered into without an appropriate level of review and authorisation by a suitably senior member of staff.
We are in the process of finalising our Procurement Policy which aligns closely to the requirements of the Act and will be published before the end of 2017.
My Home Move provides its employees with access to an employee assistance programme (provided by an independent third party company) that can be used by its employees for free and confidential advice in relation to workplace concerns or issues as well as communicating clear processes for reporting concerns within the Company.
Training in relation to slavery and human trafficking
My Home Move will be providing training from 2018, on an annual basis, to employees involved in supply chain activities, to raise awareness of slavery and human trafficking as a problem that could potentially affect the Company’s supply chain.