Modern Slavery Statement 2023
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement For the Financial Year Ended April 2023
This statement is made in accordance with Section 54, Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It constitutes our modern slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ended April 2023.
Structure
Richard Wellocks and Sons Limited is a subsidiary of William Jackson Food Group a sixth-generation family business. Wellocks is one of the leading suppliers of all catering ingredients to high quality hotels, pubs and restaurants.
The company is head-quartered in Nelson, Lancashire and has three other distribution centres in Aylesbury, Glasgow and Tewkesbury. The company turnover is c£79m.
The company sources 4680 different ingredients and packaging from 410 suppliers from both the UK and overseas, together with 302 suppliers for indirect goods and services.
Policy Statement
This statement reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to protect and safeguard those that work for us and with us.
We are fully committed to play our part in tackling modern slavery, this responsibility rests with the Company’s leadership teams but is shared by everyone. The Group Management Board has overall responsibility for ensuring this statement and its implementation comply with our legal, moral and ethical obligations. Leaders at all levels are responsible for ensuring those reporting to them understand and comply with this policy and are given adequate and regular training on it and the issue of modern slavery.
Training and Awareness
We are working with Stronger Together and other external partners to help raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking within our businesses and our supply chain.
The Group Management Board and key members of People, Operations, Technical and Procurement Functions have received additional training to increase our capability to identify and address any issues should they arise. Modern Slavery is covered in our Induction Programmes, and we continue to raise awareness through our Modern Slavery Policy, training courses, toolbox talks and our “Are you ok” campaign which was launched during the year.
We aim to encourage openness and will support anyone who raises genuine concerns in good faith under this policy, even if they turn out to be mistaken. We are committed to ensuring no one suffers any detrimental treatment as a result of reporting in good faith their suspicion that modern slavery of whatever form is or may be taking place in any part of our own business or in any of our supply chains. Through our training programme and procedures, colleagues have been reminded of the Group Whistle-blowing Policy as the primary method of reporting any suspicions or evidence of slavery or human trafficking. We have re-publicised the WJFG whistle-blowing policy in our internal communication to ensure that all of our people understand how to safely raise any concerns they may have about possible instances of modern slavery or human trafficking within our own operations or our supply chains.
We will accept and take seriously concerns communicated anonymously. The Company encourages members of the public or people not employed by us to write, in confidence, to the Company Secretary or the Group People Director to raise any concern, issue or suspicion of modern slavery in any part of our business or related supply chain.
Tackling Modern Slavery
We are taking action to identify and address any evidence of slavery or human trafficking within our businesses or our supply chain. We have carried out risk assessments and have due diligence and checks in place to help us to spot any potential warning signs.
In the coming year we plan to also launch our “Commitment to Care Campaign” which will reinforce the need get to know your teammates, check in with those around you and not walk past anything which doesn’t look or feel right. We will continue to promote “Are you ok” and remind colleagues of the whistleblowing policy and procedures.
Within our supply chain we have continued to incorporate modern slavery or human trafficking risk into our due diligence when considering new suppliers. For existing direct suppliers, we have further increased the number engaged with SEDEX or equivalent and have used these tools to support our ongoing risk assessments. We are also embedding modern slavery risk into our supplier visits.
Modern slavery training will continue to be a key feature of our induction programme and we will remain committed to educate our workforce and develop awareness around how to spot and report any potential cases. For the leadership team, and others in key roles such as the People, Procurement, Technical and Operations teams, we plan to run further workshops in the next 12 months to continue to build capability to help tackle this issue. We will be proactive in seeking this out in our business and supply chains and have robust response plans in place should any issue or suspicions arise.
This statement has been reviewed and approved by the Management Board of William Jackson Food Group Limited on 24 October 2023.
Signed:
Jill Martin
Managing Director