Modern Slavery Statement
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
This statement is made in accordance with Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and outlines the actions taken by The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking within our organisation and supply chains.
Our Commitment
The Trust maintains a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking. We are dedicated to promoting human rights and safeguarding vulnerable people across our services and procurement activities. We expect all staff, partners, and suppliers to uphold this commitment in line with national legislation and NHS standards.
Our safeguarding approach is informed by the Care Act 2014, Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, and NHS safeguarding frameworks, recognising modern slavery as a form of exploitation and abuse.
Contextual Safeguarding and Duty of Care
The Trust adopts a contextual safeguarding approach, acknowledging that exploitation of children and adults can occur beyond family settings—in schools, communities, workplaces, and online environments. This holistic approach enables us to identify and respond to risks arising in these broader contexts.
We have a duty of care to protect both children and adults from all forms of exploitation, including trafficking and modern slavery. This includes proactive identification of risks, effective multi-agency collaboration, and supporting victims to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
Organisational Context
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist orthopaedic services within the NHS. We procure a wide range of goods and services and acknowledge that supply chains may present risks. We are committed to mitigating these risks through robust governance, procurement controls and policy frameworks.
Monitoring, Assurance and Policies
- Procurement Processes: Exclusion criteria are applied when awarding contracts to address modern slavery risks.
- NHS Supply Chain Review: A review has been undertaken with NHSE, our primary supplier of consumables, assessing approximately 1,300 suppliers and 600,000 products. An improvement action plan is in progress.
- Contractual Controls: All new contracts incorporate standard NHS Terms and Conditions, including clauses addressing modern slavery compliance.
Supporting policies include:
- Trust Safeguarding Policy: Outlines the Trust’s commitment to protecting adults and children from harm, including exploitation and trafficking, aligned with national safeguarding legislation.
- Modern Slavery Policy: Details our approach to identifying, reporting, and managing modern slavery risks, applicable to all staff, volunteers, and third parties.
Training
We provide safeguarding and modern slavery awareness training to staff, focusing on recognising signs of exploitation and understanding reporting procedures to protect potential victims effectively.
Looking Forward
Over the coming year, the Trust will:
- Review and update policies to reflect legislative changes and best practice.
- Enhance supplier monitoring and assurance processes to uphold anti-slavery commitments.
- Expand targeted training for staff in high-risk roles to improve awareness and reporting of exploitation and modern slavery risks.
The Trust remains firmly committed to continuous improvement in preventing modern slavery and exploitation, ensuring compliance with national legislation, safeguarding standards, and delivering on our duty of care to vulnerable children and adults.