Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
Introduction
Gompels Healthcare Ltd are committed to a world with no Slavery or Human Trafficking. We aim to continually improve our practices to combat slavery and human trafficking.
Organisation’s Structure
Gompels employ over 60 employees with a range of expertise, from warehousing, to customer service, finance, procurement, marketing, IT and account management.
Our Business
Gompels is based in Melksham Wiltshire and distributes healthcare and nursery supplies to businesses across the UK.
Our Supply Chain
Our supply chain network primarily covers goods for resale, sourcing and importing products from within the UK, as well as from Europe and the rest of the world. However, we recognise it also includes logistics, distribution, service providers and contractors.
Our Policies on Slavery and Human Trafficking
We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in any part of our business and in so far as is possible to requiring our suppliers hold similar ethos. In addition to our Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy we also have Whistleblowing and Anti-bribery policies.
Due Diligence Processes for Slavery and Human Trafficking
Our supplier onboarding process has been developed over the last few years to check our suppliers have appropriate policies and commitments to tackling Slavery and Human Trafficking and allow us to target audits and spot checks at suppliers we feel may be of a higher risk. We conduct factory audits of our suppliers and our buying team is trained to look out for possible indications of slavery and human trafficking in the supply chain, through all channels of communication. We have in place a policy to protect whistle blowers who highlight to us any risk of slavery or human trafficking within our business.
Effectiveness
Since the inception of factory audits, transparency within the supply chain has increased. Factory audits reviewed with the senior buyer during Quarterly Management Review Meetings show no indication of Slavery or Human Trafficking in the supply chain. No issues have been raised under the Whistle Blowing Policy.
Training
To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, our slavery and human trafficking policy and statement form part of our induction training, with further detailed training under development for our buying and procurement staff.
Further Steps
Following a review of the effectiveness of the steps we have taken to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in our business we intend to provide further details about our slavery and human trafficking commitment in our supplier induction pack, and develop more in depth training for our procurement staff. Factory audits will continue both in the UK and overseas, with our risk based approach being further developed to aid with targeting audits.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 March 2023.
Sam Gompels
Managing Director
Gompels Healthcare Ltd
20th July 2023