For the Financial Year Ending 30.9.24

 

1. Introduction

This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and outlines the steps JNP Legal has taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in any part of our organisation or within our supply chains. JNP Legal is committed to conducting business ethically, ensuring that we have robust systems in place to mitigate the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking within our operations and those of our suppliers.

 

2. Our Business and Supply Chains

JNP Legal is a legal services provider based in South Wales, offering a range of legal services to clients across various sectors. We work with a number of third-party suppliers, including those providing office supplies, IT services, consultancy and outsourced support services.

 

We acknowledge that legal service firms, although typically low-risk, may still be exposed to risks related to modern slavery, particularly in relation to certain suppliers. As such, we are committed to taking proactive steps to ensure transparency and responsibility in all areas of our business operations.

 

3. Steps Taken During the Financial Year

 

3.1. Policies on Slavery and Human Trafficking

During this financial year, JNP Legal has strengthened its internal policies to ensure alignment with best practices in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking. These policies include:

Ethical Employment and Modern Slavery Policy: Outlining our zero-tolerance stance on modern slavery and human trafficking and providing guidance on how to identify and report concerns.

Code of Conduct for Suppliers: This code explicitly requires all suppliers and contractors to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, ensuring they have appropriate measures in place to prevent slavery and human trafficking.

 

3.2. Supplier Due Diligence and Risk Assessments

We have carried out a thorough risk assessment of our supply chain, focusing on identifying areas where the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking may be higher. Particular attention was given to:

Suppliers in industries or countries that have been identified as higher-risk (of which there were none identified).

New suppliers added to our supply chain during the year.

 

3.3. Employee Training and Awareness

This year, JNP Legal will provide training for all employees on the Modern Slavery Act and how to recognise the signs of human trafficking – this can be located here https://www.gla.gov.uk/publications/resources/glaa-videos/glaa-modern-day-slavery

This training allied with our policies on this subject has been essential in increasing awareness across our organisation and equipping employees with the knowledge to raise concerns appropriately.

 

3.4. Whistleblowing Mechanism

We have maintained and promoted on our website our whistleblowing policy, ensuring that all employees are aware of their responsibility to report any concerns. Our whistleblowing mechanism allows employees, suppliers, and other third parties to report any suspicions confidentially.

 

3.5. Engagement with Suppliers

Throughout the financial year, JNP Legal has actively reviewed our key suppliers to ensure they meet our standards on ethical practices, including modern slavery prevention. This has included:

• Reviewing suppliers' Modern Slavery Statements where applicable.

 

4. Plans for the Coming Financial Year

Looking forward, JNP Legal is committed to further enhancing our efforts to prevent slavery and human trafficking within our business and supply chains. Our plans for the next financial year include:

 

4.1. Supplier Audits

We plan to implement a more structured auditing process for higher-risk suppliers to ensure compliance with our anti-slavery policies. These audits will involve both desk-based reviews and, where appropriate, on-site visits to better understand the working conditions within their operations.

 

4.2. Enhanced Due Diligence for New Suppliers

We will introduce a more rigorous on boarding process for new suppliers to ensure they meet our ethical standards from the outset. This will involve requiring all new suppliers to complete a modern slavery compliance assessment before contracts are awarded.

4.3. Employee Training

We will continue to build on our employee training program by:

• Expanding the content to cover real-world case studies and examples.
• Offering refresher training sessions to ensure continued awareness of modern slavery issues.
• Introducing specific training for procurement staff to ensure they are well-equipped to assess and address modern slavery risks in supply chains.

 

4.4. Partnerships and Collaborations

We aim to collaborate with industry bodies, other businesses, and non-governmental organisations to share knowledge and develop best practices around preventing modern slavery and human trafficking. By doing so, we hope to contribute to wider industry efforts to tackle these critical issues.

 

5. Conclusion

JNP Legal remains fully committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our business or supply chains. The steps we have taken during this financial year, along with our future plans, reflect our dedication to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct.