This statement has been published in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It sets out the steps taken by KPPES Ltd. during the financial year ending 30th September 2023 to ensure that our business and supply chains are free from slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking (Modern Slavery).
It also provides an opportunity for us to acknowledge our responsibility to keep our supply chains free from Modern Slavery and to pledge to do whatever we can to combat it.
Our business and supply chains
Key Portfolio is a payroll and employment service used by a large number of contractors, including supply teachers, IT consultants and locum nurses. These contractors are employed by KPPES Ltd. Assignments are sourced through recruitment agencies and these assignments are carried out at workplaces across the UK, such as schools, hospitals and offices. In our industry, KPPES Ltd. is known as an Umbrella Company.
Risk of Modern Slavery
We believe there’s a very low risk of Modern Slavery in all areas of our business and supply chains. Our company is a close-knit community, where office-based staff are encouraged to report any concerns to management and know that whistleblowers will be protected. We operate in the UK only and have a fairly small supply chain.
Having said this, we recognise our responsibility to stay alert to any risks, however small, of Modern Slavery. Therefore, we have taken steps where we can to minimise the possibility of it happening.
Employees
Our employees have several parties involved in their careers – us, their recruitment agency and their end-user clients (i.e. the organisations they provide services to). This support network provides them with various options, should they need to report any concerns related to Modern Slavery. Part of our service is to act as an approachable, supportive and professional point of contact for our employees and we’re in regular communication with them. We frequently encourage them to come to us with any concerns or worries related to their career.
We would protect any whistleblower who came to us with information regarding Modern Slavery. During the 2017/18 financial year, we published guidance for employees on what to do if they have any concerns related to Modern Slavery. In the 2018/19 financial year, we published our Whistleblowing Policy for staff and employees within our revised Employee Handbook. Modern Slavery guidance and policies are reviewed on an annual basis.
People join our service because they want access to statutory benefits and employment rights. We have systems in place that would prevent us from ever paying someone under National Living Wage. In addition, we carry out right-to-work checks on every prospective employee and the majority of them hold a current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate.
Employees are of course free to leave our service at any time, and can do so by completing a quick online form or by contacting us.
Suppliers
We have long-standing relationships with hundreds of recruitment agencies and other suppliers across the UK. We have met the owners or directors of most of them, have visited most of their offices and believe them all to be reputable businesses. We carry out strict due diligence checks on new suppliers. We expect all suppliers to share our zero tolerance approach to Modern Slavery and would absolutely not support or do business with any organisation who we had reason to believe was involved in it.
This statement was approved by the Board of Directors of KPPES Ltd.
Signed
Gary Walker FCCA
Director, KPPES Ltd.
January 2024