Modern Slavery Statement.

1. Introduction

Briars Homecare Services ("we", "us", "our") is committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business dealings. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking in our operations and supply chain.

This statement is made in the spirit of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps we take to ensure that modern slavery and human trafficking are not taking place within our business or supply chain.

2. Our Business

Briars Homecare Services is a privately-owned, CQC Rated Good homecare provider based at 23 Beechwood Drive, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 5EJ. We provide domiciliary care, live-in care and specialist homecare services to clients across Blackpool, Thornton-Cleveleys, Poulton-le-Fylde, Fleetwood and the wider Fylde coast.

We employ care assistants, senior carers and office staff directly. All staff are employed under contracts of employment that comply with UK employment law.

3. Our Policies

We operate a number of internal policies to ensure we are conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner:

• Recruitment policy — we operate a robust recruitment process including right to work checks, DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, and reference verification for all employees
• Whistleblowing policy — we encourage staff to report any concerns about our operations or supply chain, including suspicions of modern slavery, without fear of reprisal
• Code of conduct — our code makes clear the standards of behaviour expected of all staff and the consequences of breaching those standards
• Safeguarding policy — as a CQC-registered provider, we have robust safeguarding procedures that include identifying and reporting signs of exploitation or abuse

4. Due Diligence

As part of our commitment to identifying and addressing the risk of modern slavery, we carry out the following due diligence processes:

• All employees are required to provide proof of their right to work in the UK before commencing employment
• Enhanced DBS checks are carried out on all care staff prior to employment
• We verify the identity and references of all new employees
• We monitor staff wellbeing and working conditions regularly
• We ensure all staff are paid at least the National Living Wage
• We do not use zero-hours contracts as a means of exploitation

5. Supply Chain

Our supply chain is limited in scope — we primarily purchase consumable care supplies, uniforms and office equipment from UK-based suppliers. We expect our suppliers to operate with the same ethical standards we hold ourselves to, including compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

We review our supplier relationships periodically and will not knowingly work with any organisation that engages in or facilitates modern slavery or human trafficking.

6. Training and Awareness

We raise awareness of modern slavery among our staff through:

• Induction training for all new employees covering signs of modern slavery and how to report concerns
• Safeguarding training which includes identifying exploitation and trafficking
• Regular updates to staff on our policies and procedures
• Clear guidance on how to report concerns internally or to external authorities

7. Reporting Concerns

If you have concerns about modern slavery or human trafficking in connection with Briars Homecare Services or our supply chain, please contact us:

• Phone — (01253) 851600
• Email — admin@briarshomecare.co.uk
• Post — Briars Homecare Services, 23 Beechwood Drive, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 5EJ

Concerns can also be reported to the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700 (free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or at modernslaveryhelpline.org.

8. Our Commitment

We are committed to continuous improvement in our efforts to combat modern slavery. We will review and update this statement annually and whenever there are significant changes to our business or supply chain.

For more information about our approach to ethical employment, please contact us.