Modern Slavery Act

Synergy Health Managed Services Ltd - Modern Slavery Statement

Organisation

This statement applies to Synergy LMS Group. The information included in the statement refers to the financial year ending 31 March 2024.

Organisational structure

Synergy LMS Group provides a range of sterile linen and laundry management services to NHS Trusts, private hospitals, private clinics, banks, government offices, hotels, schools, research centres, universities, and Facilities Management companies. Synergy LMS Group  also supplies a range of other services to its customer base including the supply of disposable curtains (mainly to the healthcare sector), and the supply, installation, cleaning and maintenance of blinds, curtains, and window film. Synergy LMS Group holds seven facilities in Derby, Dunstable, London, Mere Grange, Sheffield and Slough and employs approximately 1116 colleagues in the UK.

Synergy LMS Group offer a range of linen services tailored to the needs of healthcare providers and commercial clients in the UK. Our services range from a simple bulk rental service to a total linen management solution where our onsite staff manage the distribution and collection of linen to and from wards.

As well as typical Head Office functions such as Finance and Information Technology, our colleagues working at Sites will operate our automated washing and pressing machines for customer requirements. We have a fleet of vehicles used for delivery/collection of items where our Drivers have direct contact with our highly valued UK-based customers.

Definitions

The Organisation considers that modern slavery encompasses:

Ø  human trafficking.

Ø  forced work, through mental or physical threat.

Ø  being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse of the threat of abuse.

Ø  being dehumanised, treated as a commodity, or being bought or sold as property

Ø  being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.

Commitment

Synergy LMS Group acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the Act). We understand that this requires an ongoing review of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.

We do not enter business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

No labour provided to Synergy LMS Group in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. Synergy LMS Group strictly adheres to the standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in England.

Supply chains

To fulfil its activities, the main supply chains of Synergy LMS Group include those related to the sourcing of raw materials principally related to the procurement and processing of textiles. We understand that our first-tier suppliers are intermediary traders and therefore have further contractual relationships with lower-tier suppliers.

All our linen services utilise a blend of polyester and cotton sheets and pillowcases, products are ethically sourced, high quality, purpose designed and processed to the most stringent industry guidelines. The majority of services are supported by our market leading ABSsolute materials management software, giving flexibility in the way we offer our services and the customer access to a wealth of management information at their convenience to help drive effective and efficient linen usage.

We have taken vigorous steps to ensure our supply chain our other services we supply to clients meets the labour standards criteria and flag any companies which do not conform.

Potential exposure

Synergy LMS Group considers its main exposure to the risk of slavery and human trafficking to exist in our supply chain, providing our raw materials of linen because they involve the provision of labour in a country where protection against breaches of human rights may be limited.

For most of our supplies the textiles are originally manufactured and sourced from overseas and as a consequence we require our textile suppliers to operate to and evidence ethical standards commensurate with our Supplier Code of Conduct (see below).

We are committed to ensure that our supply chain is auditable and there is no risk of slavery or human trafficking taking place. We have personally confirmed that our products are ethically sourced to ensure that this is the case. We have also audited these sites to ensure that they are free from child labour.

The organisation encourages all its colleagues, customers, and other business partners to report any concerns related to the direct activities, or the supply chains of, the organisation. This includes any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human trafficking. The organisation's whistleblowing procedure is designed to make it easy for colleagues to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation. Colleagues, customers, or others who have concerns can email their concerns to whistleblower@SynergyLMS.co.uk

Due Diligence Processes for Slavery and Human Trafficking

As part of our initiative to identify and mitigate risk:

Ø  We process our own products within the UK with limited outsourcing or use of third parties.

Ø  We endeavour to limit the geographical scope of our sites to the UK mainland to ensure optimum control of our sites and people.

Ø  Where possible we build long standing relationships with our suppliers and make clear our expectations of business behaviour.

Ø  With regards to our international supply chains, we have a partnership with a UK- based company for the majority of our products. We also audit all sites that our linen products are sourced from to ensure that we are fully compliant with the Act.

Ø  If we use third party suppliers for products, we expect these entities to have suitable anti-slavery and human trafficking policies and processes.

Ø  We have appropriate policies in place to encourage the reporting of any concerns from our employers and any colleagues raising concerns through our Whistleblowing Policy are suitably protected.

Supplier Code of Conduct 

Our Suppliers Code of Conduct requires our suppliers to follow and share high standards of business practice and ethics. The key principles of our code of conduct require suppliers to:

Ø  Recognise and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed Human Rights.

Ø  Abide and work in line with the United Nations Global Compact principles on human rights and labour.

Ø  Ensure the provision of a safe working environment for colleagues.

Ø  Strictly prohibit the use of child labour or any form of slavery, forced labour and human trafficking as defined in the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Ø  Ensure labour conditions are fair; wages reflect work performance, and all legal requirements are complied with; and

Ø  Prevent any form of discrimination based upon any distinction such as race, gender, age, ethnicity, political opinion, origin etc.

Responsibility

Everyone within Synergy LMS Group has a responsibility to be alert to the risks, however small, of slavery and human trafficking within our business or in the wider supply chain. Colleagues are expected to report any concerns that they may have, and we are committed to act upon any issues brought to our attention.

All new starters must produce evidence of their right to work in the UK before they are offered positions within the business. All UK-based Colleagues are paid at least the National Living Wage, and this is monitored to ensure compliance. We do not employ casual labour and we do not pay any employee in cash.

Before being accepted as approved suppliers, all potential suppliers must complete a detailed prequalification process to ensure that they are legally compliant and aware of Synergy LMS Group values, policies and processes. Synergy LMS Group will never knowingly use suppliers whose values do not reflect our own.

Measures

Synergy LMS Group carries out due diligence processes in relation to ensuring slavery and/or human trafficking does not take place in its organisation or supply chains, including conducting a review of the controls of its suppliers.

We have not, to our knowledge, conducted any business with another organisation which has been found to have involved itself with modern slavery.

In accordance with section 54(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, Synergy LMS Group has taken the following steps to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place:

Ø  reviewing our supplier contracts to include termination powers in the event that the supplier is, or is suspected, to be involved in modern slavery.

Ø  measures in place to identify and assess the potential risks in its supply chains.

Ø  undertaking impact assessments of its services upon potential instances of slavery.

Our Colleagues

All our colleagues are UK-based, and we are compliant with the National Living Wage requirements. We minimise the use of agency labour and ensure compliance with all aspects of English employment law.

Approval By the Directors

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and was approved by the Synergy LMS Group Board of Directors on 27th September 2024 and signed on its behalf by:


Peter Johnston

Chief Executive Officer

SYNERGY LMS GROUP


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