Introduction
This Statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that CorpAcq Limited (“CorpAcq”/ “the Company”/ “us”/ “we”/ “our”) has undertaken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place within the Company or our supply chains.
CorpAcq has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery, which we consider to include different types of exploitation such as forced labour, servitude, child labour and human trafficking. We are committed to acting in an ethical manner and with integrity and transparency in all of our business dealings. We have continued to improve our commitment to eliminating abuse and exploitation in the workplace during the 2023 Financial Year, as detailed in this Statement.
We are a buy-and-build acquisitions Group and a long-term investor in successful businesses in a variety of sectors, including: plant hire and sales, precision engineering, manufacturing, construction, glazing, plumbing, heating, electrical, recruitment, retail, forensics, civil engineering, industrial waste management and recycling.
The CorpAcq Group employs over 3700 people located throughout the UK. We exercise significant influence and control over Group operations and have taken steps to educate and encourage awareness of slavery and trafficking within the Group. We are committed to ensuring that all of our business dealings are carried out in full compliance with relevant laws and, in doing so, we endorse the implementation and promotion of ethical business practices to protect workers from being abused and exploited within the Group and its supply chains.
As the CorpAcq Group businesses are all separate legal entities, this Statement applies only to CorpAcq Limited (Company No. 05896676) (Registered office address: CorpAcq House, 1 Goose Green, Altrincham, WA14 lDW) and all steps taken in this Statement are taken by CorpAcq for itself. The Group businesses are encouraged to publish their own Modern Slavery Statements regardless of turnover.
Recruitment Policy. We conduct right to work checks for all CorpAcq employees to safeguard against human trafficking or individuals being forced to work against their will.
Human Rights Policy. We focus on educating and raising awareness about modern slavery and human trafficking to improve standards, refreshing our policies when required, and engaging new employees on the topic of human rights, as part of the induction process.
Employee Handbook. We include, among other things, policies on equality, inclusion, diversity, wellbeing, health and safety, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), anti-bribery & corruption, grievance procedures and whistleblowing. Our Whistleblowing Policy ensures that all employees know that they can raise any concerns that they may have without fear of reprisals.
The activities of our registered office are primarily focused on business support, accounting and acquisitions, and do not directly involve a supply chain. We regularly outsource legal services, tax advisory services, financial due diligence services, property valuation services, car leasing services,
insurance services, contract parking services, IT hardware and software services, general office cleaning services, security services, stationary supply services, drinking water supply services, hygienic and general waste management services, confidential document disposal services, aquatic maintenance services, fire safety services, interior landscaping services, and exterior window cleaning services. Group procurement is not a centralised function of our registered office, and as such, Group supply chains are generally managed and monitored by the Group businesses themselves.
We are committed to preventing acts of modern slavery and human trafficking in any part of our business. We encourage all of our employees to report any concerns relating to unlawful conduct, malpractice, dangers to the public, or the environment, and any other matter of a serious nature. Our aim is to act ethically and with integrity in all of our business relationships, and to implement and enforce effective due diligence in compliance with all areas of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
We monitor areas of the business that we believe carry the highest susceptibility to the risk of employing slave or trafficked labour. This includes monitoring roles where low-skilled labour is required, such as general office cleaning – our current service provider shares our zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery and provides regular evidence of their compliance.
The Group businesses are required to complete our “Modern Slavery Questionnaire” annually to assess the risks within each business and their respective supply chains. This process enables us to gauge their commitment to eradicating slavery, including portfolio businesses with a turnover below the £36m reporting threshold. This continues to be an effective method of gathering key information.
Our staff continue to receive up-to-date, awareness-raising information, around issues involving modern slavery and human trafficking, including:
Despite the ongoing impact of inflation, and high energy prices on our resources, no significant risks were identified during the 2023 Financial Year. However, we recognise that our commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery is a continual journey. As such, we will continue to review and, where necessary, modify our processes on a regular basis.
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This statement has been approved by the Board of Directors of CorpAcq Limited and constitutes our modern slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ended 31st December 2023.
