Modern Slavery Statement

This statement has been published pursuant to the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Introduction

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 made it a legal requirement for companies like Little Steps International Ltd to be socially responsible and protect the human rights of workers. Alongside our legal obligations, our core corporate beliefs include respecting the rule of law and promoting liberty, enterprise and democracy. To adhere to these beliefs and the law, we must take responsibility for individuals who work with and for us.

This statement sets out our actions during 2024 to ensure that our business activities and suppliers/partners are free from modern slavery and human tracking.

Our business and suppliers/partners

Little Steps International Ltd is a healthcare organisation employing a workforce with a diverse set of skills. Its main business activities is supplying health care workers to hospitals, care and nursing homes throughout the UK. Little Steps International Ltd also has an online and in-house training centre and owns the website: www.littlesteps.co.uk/training.

We are based in the UK and work internationally. Our operations include training and preparation, sourcing and interviewing candidates, helping with relocations, online training, recruitment, technology, marketing, advertising, customer services, and account management.

Policies and Processes

We strive to maintain the highest standards of conduct and ethical behaviour from our employees, clients, partners and suppliers:

Policies: We have a variety of policies relating to modern slavery included in our Staff Handbook, which specify what behaviour is expected of our employees in respect of modern slavery
Monitoring: We are continually evaluating modern slavery and human tracking risks for our suppliers and have identified those where there is a higher potential for modern slavery. Our procurement and compliance teams monitor the areas of enhanced risk. We have a procedure of writing to higher-risk suppliers on an annual basis to remind them of our policies
Due Diligence: Suppliers must complete our due diligence process, agreeing to our “Supplier Business Code of Conduct” before working with us. This sets out our requirements that Suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and act ethically and within the law in their use of labour. We undertake a higher level of due diligence if there is a higher risk of modern slavery
Whistle-blowing: Our whistle-blowing policy encourages our employees, clients, partners and suppliers to report any concerns, including any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human tracking

Training and Awareness

We highlight our modern slavery obligations in our induction training for internal and external employees. We plan to establish a programme requiring all staff to complete training on our responsibility to prevent modern slavery. As well as training our employees, we will raise awareness of modern slavery issues and reiterate to our staff the importance of our Supplier Business Code of Conduct.

This statement has been approved by the organisation’s Board of Directors, who will review and update it annually.

We know that to tackle modern slavery and promote our core beliefs, it is essential to monitor and improve our procedures on an ongoing basis.