Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

Introduction

This statement is made in accordance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps taken by Rise n Thrive Limited to prevent modern slavery, exploitation and human trafficking within our organisation and supply chains.

Rise N Thrive recognises that children and young people may be particularly vulnerable to abuse, coercion and exploitation. We are committed to safeguarding the rights, safety and wellbeing of every individual in our care. We operate a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in all its forms.

Our organisation

Rise N Thrive provides & facilitates specialist services to children and young people, including:

children’s residential care homes
therapeutic, clinical, and behavioural support services

We support children and young people with a range of needs including PSB & HSB & all services are regulated by relevant inspectorates, including OFSTED.

We employ a skilled and trained workforce supported by clinical, education and care professionals and our mission is to deliver safe, supportive and high-quality care and education for children and young people, with safeguarding and ethical practice at the heart of everything we do.

Our supply chains

We recognise that certain parts of our supply chain may present a higher risk of modern slavery and labour exploitation. These risks are influenced by the nature of the services provided, geographical sourcing, use of temporary labour and subcontracting arrangements.

Our supply chains include:

recruitment agencies and staffing providers;
property and maintenance contractors;
catering, cleaning, and facilities services;
educational resources and training providers; and
professional services (legal, financial, consultancy).

We monitor these areas closely and prioritise compliance checks, contract controls and ongoing evidence of ethical employment practices where these risks are present.

Policies and procedures

We maintain a set of policies designed to prevent exploitation, ensure transparency and promote safe practice across all services:

Safeguarding Policies – protecting children and young people from harm, including exploitation
Recruitment and Retention Policy – robust pre-employment checks, right-to-work verification and fair recruitment practices
Whistleblowing Policy – enabling staff to raise concerns in confidence, including about risks of modern slavery
Safer Recruitment Policy
Staff Code of Conduct
Anti-Bribery & Corruption Policy

Supplier ethical conduct requirements

These policies apply to all employees, contractors, agency workers and supply chain partners.

Due diligence

To prevent modern slavery in our operations and supply chains, we:

conduct right-to-work and identity checks for all employees using an online verification tool;
audit suppliers of agency colleagues against a compliance checklist that mirrors pre-employment checks for direct candidates;
require key suppliers and contractors to confirm compliance with the Modern Slavery Act;
include clauses in new supplier contracts requiring ethical labour practices;
investigate and address any concerns raised through internal reporting or whistleblowing; and
work with local safeguarding partnerships and external agencies whenever concerns arise.

Training and awareness

We provide safeguarding and compliance training to all staff, which includes raising awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking.

All staff receive mandatory training in safeguarding, exploitation awareness and reporting procedures.

In addition, all staff are required to complete training in:

recognising signs of modern slavery;
managing concerns/disclosures of exploitation; and
ethical supplier assessment and risk mitigation.

We encourage a culture where individuals feel safe to report concerns without fear of retaliation.

Effectiveness and performance indicators

We assess the effectiveness of our actions to prevent modern slavery through the monitoring of key performance indicators and governance oversight processes.

These include:

completion rates of staff training;
safer recruitment and right to work audit compliance;
compliance of suppliers with due diligence and contractual requirements;
incident reporting and escalation;
outcomes of internal audits and governance reviews; and
using these indicators to evaluate whether our policies and training are effective and to identify where additional action or support may be required.

Future steps

During the next financial year, we will:

further strengthen supplier risk assessments and monitoring;
review training provision to ensure ongoing effectiveness;
obtain backdated compliance statements from existing suppliers; and
report quarterly on modern slavery compliance to the Quality and Risk Forum.