Anti – Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement for the 2023/2024 Financial Year (April – March) – Updated August 2024.
This statement is made pursuant to Section 54, Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Introduction from the Group CEO
Currently due to our company turnover, the modern slavery act does not apply to Showcase Interiors Ltd, however, we have taken an approach to ensure that steps are taken to ensure modern slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in our supply chains or in any part of our business.
Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms, such as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking, all of which have in common the deprivation of a person’s liberty by another in order to exploit them for personal or commercial gain. The Company has a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery and is committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all of its business dealings and relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure that modern slavery and human trafficking are not taking place anywhere within either its own business or in any of its supply chains, consistent with the obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The Company also expects the same high standards from its suppliers, contractors and other business partners and, as part of its contracting processes, it includes specific prohibitions against the use of modern slavery, and expects that its suppliers will in turn hold their own suppliers to the same standards.
Slavery and human trafficking remains a hidden blight on our global society. We all have a responsibility to be alert to the risks, however small, in our business and in the wider supply chain. Staff are expected to report concerns and management are expected to act upon them.
Organisation’s Structure
Showcase is an award-winning independent furniture dealer, providing consultancy, procurement & installation services to all market sectors and businesses of various shapes and sizes.
Our highly experienced team are committed to providing a bespoke service, focusing on innovation, integrity & exceptional customer services.
Showcase was established in 2007. Collaborating with architects, designers and corporate clients delivering design-led and inspiring spaces that transform the way businesses work, Showcase provide the best possible solutions for our clients – it’s the heart of what we do.
We work closely with a wide range of global brands from different sectors and regions across the private sector, automotive, public sector and higher education.
The Company has its head office in Essex in the UK and has an annual turnover below £36m.
Our Business
Showcase is a privately owned business with offices in Essex and London and employs approximately 60 people.
Our Supply Chains
Our supply chains includes the sourcing of office furniture and associated products for our clients primarily from the UK and Europe.
The furniture supply chain is relatively straight forward with very few levels of suppliers between a furniture manufacturer and the source of raw materials that enter the manufacturing process. Respecting human rights and environmental issues in the supply chain is ultimately our suppliers’ responsibility. As customers, however, we play an active role in supplier development and have adopted various means to clearly communicate our expectations to our suppliers.
Our Policy on Human Slavery and Trafficking
We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in any part of business or in our supply chains. Our Anti-slavery Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing effective systems and controls to prevent slavery and human trafficking taking place anywhere in our supply chains.
Due Diligence Processes for Slavery and Human Trafficking
As part of our initiative to identify and mitigate risk:
- We employ a professional Human Resources Team who vet all applicants thoroughly and work closely with any agencies and 3rd parties who provide us with labour.
- Where possible we build long standing relationships with our suppliers and make clear our expectations of business behaviour.
- With regards to national or international supply chains, our point of contact is preferably with a UK company or branch and we expect these entities to have suitable anti-slavery and human trafficking policies and processes.
- We expect each entity in the chain to, at least, adopt ‘one-up’ due diligence on the next link in the chain. It is not practical for us (and every other participant in the chain) to have a direct relationship with all links in the chain, ultimately to component manufacturers.
- We have in place systems to encourage the reporting of concerns and the protection of whistle-blowers.
The Human Resources Team have been trained in the exploitation of human labour and we have provided training to key personnel within the business. We have mechanisms in place to increase the visibility of issues, for example through confidentially contacting the Human Resources Team 08458 336 515.
Risk Assessment
We regularly assess risk related to human trafficking and forced labour associated with our supply base. Our preliminary assessment is based upon the commodity or service purchased, supplier quality performance , business location and the nature of the business transaction.
We ensure we do not put undue pressure on our supply chain which could lead to modern slavery by acting in a transparent and ethical manner.
We ensure that throughout the procurement process modern slavery is considered ensuring that goods and services are provided at a competitive rate that is not so low as to be likely to be exploiting workers.
The parts of its business and supply chains where there is a risk of slavery and human trafficking taking place, and the steps it has taken to assess and manage that risk;
Showcase classifies its suppliers as follows: 1) Goods for resale, 2) Direct materials, 3) Indirect purchases; consumables and services, e.g. cleaning.
Internal processes and procedures allow us to clearly identify high-risk supply chains and/or areas within our supply chains where there is an increased risk of modern slavery. We have as such identified that one of the main areas of exposure has been identified as the outsourcing of cleaning services. As a result, we have taken positive steps to ensure that our contract cleaning Company is adhering to all our supplier’s principles, including their management of our internal training program and have provided them with clear and concise directions regarding the recruitment and assessment of their personnel.
Supplier Adherence to our Values
We expect all those in our supply chain and contractors comply with our values.
The Directors and Senior Managers are responsible for compliance in their respective departments and for their supplier relationships.
Training
To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, we provide training to relevant members of staff. All Directors have been briefed on the subject.
Our Effectiveness in Combating Slavery and Human Trafficking:
We use the following key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure how effective we have been to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any part of our business or supply chains:
- Completion of site audits by Senior Managers.
- Use of labour monitoring and payroll systems.
- Supplier’s Compliance Principles are issued.
- All recruiters are briefed on issues around third-party labour exploitation.
- Ensure that labour sourcing, recruitment, and placement processes are under the control of trusted staff members and are not open to corruption.
- Do not use any individual or organisation to source and supply workers without being absolutely sure that workers are not being charged a work finding fee.
- Encourage workers to report cases of hidden third-party labour exploitation and investigate and act on reports appropriately.
This statement constitutes our Company’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the current financial year.
Name: Nigel Boreham Date: 06/08/2024
Position: Group CEO Next Review Date: 06/08/2025
Signature: