Modern Slavery Statement

Organisation
This statement applies to Channel Assist Limited (referred to in this statement as ‘the Organisation’).

Commitment
The Organisation is not required to produce a state or policy in terms of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We do, however, believe that it is or duty to implement, where possible, policy and procedure to illuminate modern slavery and outlined in the legislation.

The Organisation does not enter into 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 the Organisation in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. The Organisation strictly adheres to the minimum standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in the United Kingdom

Definitions
The Organisation considers that modern slavery encompasses:

human trafficking
forced work, through mental or physical threat
being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse of the threat of abuse
being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property
being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.

Organisational structure
The organisation provides services that include:
the provision of store-based and field-based teams to promote the sales of products for our customers or to install and manage displays in retail stores, the provision of brand portals, video retail services and e-Learning sites

The labour supplied to the Organisation in pursuance of its operation is carried out in the United Kingdom only.

Supply chains
In order to fulfil its activities, the main supply chains of the Organisation include those related companies who we represent and companies that we use to equipment and service to run or business

Some of these companies are first- tier in the supply chain and therefore have complex supply chains themselves

Our suppliers provide to us:
office and IT equipment
technology platforms to perform our processes effectively
outsourced services such as book-keeping and accountancy
company cars
managed office space and associated services

Potential exposure
The Organisation considers its main exposure to the risk of slavery and human trafficking to exist:
Representing companies who have complex supply chains
The supply chain of or suppliers

In general, the Organisation considers its exposure to slavery/human trafficking to be relatively limited. It has taken and will improve steps to ensure that such practices do not take place in its business nor the business of any organisation that supplies goods and/or services to it.

Impact of COVID-19
During the reporting period covered by this statement, the COVID-19 pandemic had taken hold. For several months, the UK was placed into lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. This created several challenges for the Organisation, as it did for others across the nation.

During the pandemic, the Organisation’s employees still had access to the grievance procedure to raise any concerns that they may have had. They have in fact had access to all our policies and procedure that govern our working practices

In line with emergency legislation passed by the Government, employees have been paid Statutory Sick Pay during periods of self-isolation where it has not been possible to agree a temporary period of homeworking.

The Organisation’s modern slavery risks were subject to the same monitoring procedures during the pandemic as at all other times.

Steps
The Organisation has not, to its knowledge, conducted, any business with which has been found to involve itself with modern slavery.

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

We continue to review the following:

Our Suppliers
Our Partners
Policy and procedure for our own employees
Recruitment practices of employment agencies we work with
any actions taken to embed a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery
any training provided to staff on modern slavery.

Key performance indicators
The Organisation has set the following key performance indicators to measure its effectiveness in ensuring modern slavery is not taking place in the Organisation or its supply chains.

Number or reviews of Suppliers
Number or reviews of partners
Number of our own employee policies reviewed each year

Policies
The Organisation has the following policies, which further define its stance on modern slavery:
Corporate and Social responsibility
Dignity and respect at work
Anti-Corruption and Bribery
Whistleblowing
Recruitment
Modern Slavery

Slavery Compliance Officer
The Organisation has a Slavery Compliance Officer, to whom all concerns regarding modern slavery should be addressed, and who will then undertake relevant action with regard to the Organisation’s obligations.

This statement is made in pursuance of Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and will be reviewed for each financial year.