Chester Zoo OUR ZOO PLAN YOUR VISIT SHOP LATEST NEWS PREVENTING EXTINCTION BOOK YOUR TICKETS Home Corporate information Modern Slavery Act Modern Slavery Act This statement is published in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It sets out the steps that the North of England Zoological Society has taken to ensure that slavery or human trafficking is not occurring in any part of our organisation, in that of our direct suppliers, supply chain or other partner organisations. This statement relates to the financial year ended 31 December 2020. Our Ethical Business Policy demonstrates our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing effective systems and controls, to reduce the risk of slavery and human trafficking taking place within our organisation or our supply chains. Areas of Risk The Society has identified a number of areas of heightened risk in relation to its operations; these have not changed since the last reporting period, as the Society has not made any significant changes to its activities and processes (nor has the Covid-19 pandemic has any significant impact): 1. Overseas conservation partners 2. Overseas suppliers of retail merchandise 3. Construction contractors and subcontractors 4. Suppliers of fresh produce for catering and animal feed 5. Its own staff and volunteers Due Diligence The Society has undertaken due diligence to reduce the risk of human trafficking and slavery within its operations and supply chains. Written confirmation is obtained from conservation partners and all suppliers with whom the Society has had expenditure in excess of £100,000 over the 12 months prior to the date of this statement. Where possible, additional assurance has been taken, by verifying the Modern Slavery Act statements of qualifying organisations. Our Supply Chain We have 723 active suppliers and in the last 12 months we spent over £100k pa with 28 of those suppliers. A large number of our suppliers have turnovers which trigger a requirement to comply with the obligation to produce a Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”). We expect that the companies who supply us to give us commitments (as and when contracts are entered into or renewed) that they will: – Comply with the Society’s Ethical Business Policy – Comply with all applicable laws relating to slavery and human trafficking (including the Act) – Undertake their own due diligence into their own supply chains and business partners; and – Ensure that any contracts with their subcontractors have similar obligations. We ask the same of our conservation partner organisations and education partners. The implementation of this depends on negotiating formal agreements as and when they come up for renewal. Training our team A training programme is in place to ensure relevant staff are aware of the organisation’s responsibilities in accordance with the Act. It helps staff identify any concerns around modern slavery as they go about their duties and how to escalate this in the organisation. The training forms part of the new starter process for relevant staff and refresher training is then provided annually via an e-learning course. Actions for the next reporting period The Society will be continue to deliver training courses in order to maintain the awareness and understanding of staff who work in the areas of heightened risk. New suppliers and partners will be expected to confirm their compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 before their relationship with the Society is formalised. This statement and the commitments and actions within it will be reviewed and updated each year. Jamie Christon Liz Carnie Chief Executive Officer Corporate Director 30 June 2021 FOLLOW, SHARE AND WATCH! Contact us Work with Us Corporate information Press and Media PLAY! Schools Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Modern Slavery Act Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, CH2 1EU Registered Charity No. 306077 Website designed and built by Ultimate Chester Zoo Visit England Visit England 2021