Together Dental’s Modern Slavery Statement
Overview
The 2015 Modern Slavery Act introduced a requirement for organisations to produce a modern slavery statement. The statement will set out the steps the organisation has taken to make sure modern slavery has not taken place in their business or in their supply chains.
The requirement aims to increase transparency in the business practices of organisations. The publishing of the statement will allow the public, consumers, employees and investors to view the steps organisations are taking to help tackle slavery.
As a small to medium Organisation with X employees, we are not required to post a Modern Slavery Statement Annually, but it is important to us to share our commitment to support the eradication of Modern Slavery.
Organisation
This statement applies to Clacton Dental Care trading as Together Dental LTD (referred to in this statement as ‘the Organisation’).
Organisational structure
A Dental Group with a Support Office based in Watford which houses our organisations support functions including Finance, Marketing, HR and Recruitment. The organisation has 36 Dental Practices in the UK located across Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, London, Northampton and Stoke-on-Trent.
A Private Equity organisation led by a board of Directors and Senior Leadership team including a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Our Clinicians are self-employed, with our employed practice team workforce including dental nurses, receptionists and practice leaders all employed.
The Organisation provides NHS Dental services and private treatments with specialisms including Invisalign, implants, radiography, sedation, ortho and social ortho, periodontal and endodontic and oral surgery services.
Definitions
The Organisation considers that modern slavery encompasses:
• human trafficking
• forced work, through mental or physical threat
• being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse of the threat of abuse
• being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property
• being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.
Commitment
The Organisation acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Organisation understands that this requires an ongoing review of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.
The Organisation does not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
No labour provided to the Organisation in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. The Organisation strictly adheres to the minimum standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in the United Kingdom.
Supply chains
In order to fulfil its activities, the main supply chains of the Organisation include those related to goods and services to support the delivery of Dental Treatment to its patients. Good and services are supplied by UK intermediary suppliers. We understand that the Organisation’s first-tier suppliers are intermediary traders.
Potential exposure
The Organisation considers its main exposure to the risk of slavery and human trafficking to potentially exist via our product supplier’s main trader’s because they involve the provision of labour in counties where protection against breaches of human rights may be limited.
In general, the Organisation considers its exposure to slavery/human trafficking to be low and relatively limited. Nonetheless, it has taken steps to ensure that such practices do not take place in its business nor the business of any Organisation that supplies goods and/or services to it.
Steps
The Organisation has not, to its knowledge, conducted any business with another Organisation which has been found to have involved itself with modern slavery.
In accordance with section 54(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Organisation takes and will introduce the following steps to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place:
• Reviews to be undertaken of the Organisations supplier contracts to include termination powers in the event that the supplier is, or is suspected, to be involved in modern slavery
• Bi annual reviews of employed overtime hours worked to ensure compliance and adherence with the UK’s NMW and NLW
• Policy reviews to ensure the organisation adheres to the zero tolerance policy towards modern slavery
Policies
The Organisation has the following policies which further define its stance on modern slavery. Our policies include Equal Opportunities; Diversity and Inclusion, Cooperate Social Responsibility and Recruitment.
This statement is made in pursuance of Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.