MODERN SLAVERY ACT STATEMENT
INTRODUCTION FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
Poole Lighting Ltd recognises that all businesses have an obligation to prevent slavery and human trafficking. We will do all within our power to prevent slavery and human trafficking within our business and within the supply chains through which we operate. Employees are encouraged to report any concerns they encounter, and senior management have a duty to act upon them.
ORGANISATION'S STRUCTURE
Poole Lighting Ltd is part of the National Lighting Group of companies, and is a UK based design, sourcing and distribution company with a support office in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. The organisation also incorporates a production site based within the UK. The company has a turnover in excess of £36m.
OUR BUSINESS
Our business designs, sources, imports and distributes lighting products to many major UK retailers, as well as having independent online and catalogue based businesses. We also have some manufacturing capabilities for bespoke decorative lighting products based within the UK which services clients within the hospitality industry.
OUR SUPPLY CHAINS
Our supply chains include a range of specialist lighting manufacturers based predominantly in southern China and India.
POLICIES ON SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Poole Lighting Ltd is committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. We endeavour to ensure fairness in the recruitment, retention and development of all employees and we strive to comply with all applicable employment legislation.
We also seek to provide a work environment where employees are treated with respect, dignity and consideration.
We actively monitor our supply chains and our suppliers to ensure, so far as is possible, that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place within those supply chains.
DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS FOR SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
As part of our commitment to identify and eradicate slavery and human trafficking from within our business and from those businesses with which we interact, we:
- Work closely with our supply chains to ensure compliance with legislative obligations and we expect those organisations to have suitable anti-slavery and human trafficking policies and processes.
- Seek to build long standing relationships with suppliers and to make clear our expectations of ethical business behaviour from them.
- Have in place systems to encourage the reporting of concerns and the protection of whistle blowers.
SUPPLIER ADHERENCE TO OUR VALUES
Poole Lighting Ltd has a zero tolerance view to slavery and human trafficking and we expect that view to prevail in our supply chain and contractors.
Senior Managers within Poole Lighting Ltd are responsible for compliance in their respective departments, insofar as there is perceived to be a risk of encouraging, engaging or sustaining any form of slavery or human trafficking.
TRAINING
To ensure appropriate levels of risk awareness in respect of modern slavery and human trafficking, we provide training to relevant members of staff and, in particular, to senior Managers in our Procurement Department and our Personnel Department. All Directors in the business have been briefed on the subject.
OUR EFFECTIVENESS IN COMBATING SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
We believe that internal exposure to human trafficking and slavery is very low due to our reliance upon direct, one to one recruitment processes.
As Sedex members, we regularly commision third party ethical auditing using the widely recognised SMETA reporting format in addition to our own internal brand of auditing, to verify that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in our direct supply chains.
This statement is made to pursuant to Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Poole Lighting Ltd's slavery and human trafficking statement for the current financial year.
Jon Hilton
Position: Managing Director
For and on behalf of Poole Lighting Limited