Introduction
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offers the following statement regarding its efforts to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in its supply chain.
It demonstrates that the Trust have reviewed and met it’s requirements in line with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The organisation
The Newcastle Hospitals is one of the most successful NHS Teaching Trusts in the country. It offers the second highest number of specialist services of any group of hospitals in the UK.
The Trust’s hospitals have over 2,250 beds and it manages over 1.72 million patient ‘contacts’ every year.
The Trust provides innovative, high quality healthcare, including community services and primary care, and was rated “Outstanding” by the Care Quality Commission in June 2016 and again in 2019.
Services are provided locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
The Trust employs around 13,500 members of staff making it one of the largest employers in the North East with an annual turnover of around £1billion. The core values of the organisation are:
We care and are kind
We care for our patients and their families, and we care for each other as colleagues.
We have high standards
We work hard to make sure that we deliver the very best standards of care in the NHS. We are constantly seeking to improve. ï‚·
We are inclusive
Everyone is welcome here. We value and celebrate diversity, challenge discrimination and support equality. We actively listen to different voices.
We are innovative
We value research, we seek to learn and to create and apply new knowledge. ï‚·
We are proud
We take huge pride in working here and we all contribute to its ongoing success.
The Trust considers the potential social impact and effect of its supply chain prior to the commencement of a procurement. It is committed to ensuring its suppliers adhere to the highest standards of ethics and undertakes due diligence when considering new suppliers as well as regularly reviewing existing suppliers.
The Trust has implemented the Standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ), which includes the requirement for supplier disclosure of any offence under the Mandatory Exclusion Grounds and also requires confirmation of compliance with reporting requirements under Section 54 of the Act 2015.
The Trust recognises that it has a responsibility to take a robust approach preventing and addressing any concerns to slavery and human trafficking.
The organisation is absolutely committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in its corporate activities, and to ensuring that its supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.
Staff Training
Modern Slavery awareness training is included for all staff as part of the Trusts Level 1 Adult Safeguarding Training.
Members of the Procurement teams who are Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) qualified, or studying to become qualified, abide by the CIPS code of ethics and undertake an annually revised CIPS Ethics Test.
A Trust programme to deliver Modern slavery training to all Procurement and Supplies teams was introduced in 2018, this has been refreshed as case law and best practice develops.
During 2021/22, the Trusts internal course will be replaced by the CIPS Corporate Ethics Training with all relevant staff within the Procurement & Supply Chain Department taking the annual ethics test.
The Trust will then seek to achieve the CIPS Corporate Ethics Accreditation Mark.
The Trust’s Policy Framework
The Trust has a number of policies in place which support this agenda including:
Contractors
Guidance in the use of Contractors.
Speak up We’re Listening Policy
The Trust Whistleblowing Policy to enable staff to raise concerns.
Safeguarding Policies
- Safeguarding Adults Policy and Guidelines
- Child Protection and Safeguarding Children: Policies and Procedures
- Responding to Patients, Carers, Public who are Victims of Domestic Abuse Policy
Recruitment and Section Policies
- Non-Medical staff
- Senior Medical and Dental Staff
- Junior Medical and Dental Trust Doctors Posts
- Staff Bank
- Volunteer
- Prevention of Illegal Working
- Locum Appointments Procedure (Medical and Dental)
The Trust’s policy on the Use of Contractors provides additional assurance, and clearly refers to the “Right to Work”, stating that:
Checks must be undertaken for all workers to confirm that a worker has the legal right to work in the UK, the contractor must see one of the documents or combinations of the documents specified in List A or List B (included in the policy) of the Employment Check Standard.
The worker must only provide documents from List B if they cannot provide documents from List A
The documents must show that the worker is entitled to do the type of work being offered.
If the worker shows one of the original documents, or combinations of documents contained in List B, it indicates that they only have limited leave to work in the UK.
The contractor must evidence that checks have been repeated before the expiry date of the document/s, at which point the worker must produce evidence that they have applied for further right to work and/or leave to remain or cease working for the contractor.
Priorities for 2022/23
Further refine and update the annual Modern Slavery Action Plan (Current plan is
included below).
• Continue to work with NHS Supply Chain to gain assurances on their supply Chains
which supply the Trust.
• Continually review procurement processes to ensure the Trust is meeting its
commitments to eradicating modern slavery in its supply chains.
• Work with partners across the NENC ICS to deliver a coordinated approach.
