Our Policy
This Modern Slavery Statement policy applies to all people working for Interweave Textiles Ltd (ensured through a “Right to Work” process) and its subsidiaries in any capacity and location, including employees, agency workers, contractors, suppliers, and partnership organisations. We all have responsibilities under this policy and if any partners suspect someone is being exploited or ill-treated then they should discuss their concerns with their line manager. Suppliers will be required to demonstrate that all reasonable steps are taken to eradicate modern slavery in their supply chains. The safety of all staff is accorded utmost priority and is the shared responsibility of all staff at Interweave Textiles Ltd.
Our Business
We distribute a broad range of healthcare textiles to hospitals, pharmacies, GPs, laboratories, other healthcare providers and related industries in the UK, Ireland and internationally. Seasonal work is not a feature of the industry in which we operate.
Read more information about our business
Supply Chains
Our primary supply chain partners are authorised Healthcare Textile manufacturers, distributors, and raw material suppliers. The large majority of these are in countries where the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking is low. Where we deal with suppliers in countries where this risk is higher, we have put more robust controls and due diligence in place.
The following contains a summary of the activities that we consider present the highest risk of slavery and human trafficking in the industries in which we operate, with, in each case, a summary of the steps we have in place to avoid these affecting our activities or our supply chains. Industry Risk Representing manufacturers or engaging contract manufacturing based in high-risk countries.
- Quality and ethical due diligence checks/reports
- Risk based approach to desktop and site auditing including third party auditors or compliance schemes.
- Robust agreements including quality and supply chain integrity clauses where applicable.
- Signed statements of compliance and/or acceptance to our Labour Standards Policy
- Open regular two-way communications on compliance expectations and performance
- Provision of training to our partners where required.
- Agreeing mitigating controls and corrective actions where require
- Terminating the relationship if mitigation not possible
Our Policies on Slavery and Human Trafficking
Interweave Textiles Ltd Labour Standards Policy sets out our organisation’s commitment to acting ethically and with integrity towards our employees and in all our business relationships. Specifically, the Policy sets out our commitment to fair employment practices and our commitment to preventing, as far as practicable, slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains.
The Interweave Textiles Ltd Labour Standards Policy sets out the approach taken to ensure that all the products we sell meet applicable legal and ethical standards, including human rights and minimum labour standards.
These documents outline the detailed requirements we follow at Interweave Textiles Ltd, and which have been integrated into procedures. These commitments are audited by independent third-party Organisations annually. In addition, we participate in the NHS Labour Standards Assurance System including annual third-party audits of our Supply Chain Integrity Procedures. We also participate in customer evaluations of our compliance to labours standard and modern slavery requirements.
Due Diligence and Assessing and Managing Risk
As part of our compliance with the policies and procedures referred to above, we take the following steps:
- Assess potential risk areas in our supply chains, including where partners or potential partners are in countries where slavery or human trafficking are a risk. The risk assessment considers the industry or geographies in which they operate. Geographic risk, for this purpose, is informed by relevant independent indices such as the Corruption Perceptions Index or Global Slavery Index.
- Conduct enhanced due diligence on certain partners following this risk assessment.
- Mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring in our supply chains, including by reviewing, where necessary, the controls that our partners have in place, asking partners to confirm that they meet certain standards and conducting other suitable checks including audits.
- Monitor potential risk areas in our supply chains on a periodic basis.
Assurance and Key Performance Indicators
Responsibility for ensuring that our policies and procedures are adequate and are adhered to in all areas of our activities rests with the senior management team of Interweave Textiles Ltd. Regular updates are provided to the Interweave Textiles Ltd Leadership Team for review and feedback.
Our policies and procedures are audited periodically by internal auditors and by third parties to assure compliance and to identify areas for improvement. These audits address supply chain integrity risks including the abuse of human rights and employment rights.
Further reading: Labour Standards policy
