STATEMENTS – Newtons Medical Supplies

NEWTONS MEDICAL SUPPLIES LTD.

MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT

This Modern Slavery and human Trafficking Statement is a response to Section 54(1), Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. This covers activities and actions for the financial year ending 31 July 2023.

Newtons Medical Supplies Ltd. (‘the Company’, ‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘our’) is committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking violation and have zero-tolerance towards slavery and human trafficking in our supply chain. We set standards in place that will minimise or eliminate any potential risks and establish a relationship with integrity, trust where we encourage and require our manufacturers and suppliers to manage the risk of modern slavery in their own supply chains.

This statement sets out the actions we are taking to understands the factors and potential risks related to the company, our industry, and steps we can implement to prevent these. This statement is available and will be provided a copy to anyone who makes a written request within 30 days.

Our Business

Newtons Medical Supplies Ltd. operating within the medical sector in the United Kingdom since 2015. We source and supply medical consumables and equipment to care providers, dentists, veterinary practices, schools, businesses or individuals and ensure they have all the resources they need to care for their patients, employees, pupils, service users or for their own use. The company also provides specialist equipment and consumables to help make Endoscopy Departments as hygienic, safe, and effective as possible – and offer an extensive range of general hygiene and cleaning products customers.

We are in working partnership with the NHS Supply Chain to ensure that hospitals have all required equipment and consumables at the highest quality. 98% of key direct suppliers are in the United Kingdom and locally sourced whilst 2% are based internationally. We work in transparency with high standards of procedures in place regarding Modern Slavery. Based on our assessment and supply chain management, we do not consider to be operating in a high-risk environment.

For further details about Newtons Medical Supplies Ltd. please refer to: www.newtonsmedicalsupplies.co.uk

Policies in relation to Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

The company aims to raise awareness and minimise the issue of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. We support the Government objectives to eradicate this and how our role plays within the Supply Chain through transparency and our company’s purpose, mission, and strategic direction.

We have the following policies in place adjacent to our Modern Slavery Statement:

· Ethical Policy

· Labour Policy

· Discrimination and Equality Act 2010

· Sustainability

· Quality Policy

· Whistleblowing

· Supplier Code of Conduct

· Recruitment Policy

· Employee code of Conduct

Due Diligence

As part of our efforts to monitor and reduce the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring in our supply chain, we have adopted the following due diligence procedures:

Ensuring that we promote company values and principles.
Regular monitoring, assessing the conditions set under all employees in the company. Employees are also all aware of the company standards and values for the Modern Slavery Act and regular training is complete.
Encourage all employees, suppliers, or customers to report for any sign of slavery or human trafficking.
Monitoring our suppliers and manufacturers, ensuring to collaborate with suppliers that share the same values the company stands for through internal supplier audits, and supplier evaluation.
We try to promote and ensure that there is transparency with the company and our suppliers through the Supplier Code of Conduct and Ethical Questionnaire

Our due diligence procedure aims to:

Identify and action potential risks in our business and supply chains
Monitor potential risks in our business and supply chains
Reduce the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring in our business and supply chains

Risk and Compliance

The Company has evaluated the nature and extent of its exposure to the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring in our supply chains through:

Regular monitoring and updating our supplier lists
Conducting annual Modern Slavery Statement review to our manufacturers
Ethical Questionnaire
Supplier Evaluation and contract review
Having Risk profile for countries we have business or relationships with
News analysis and the insights of labour and human rights group

The following outcome of each assessment will determine the response and control measures to implement.

To demonstrate the standards and regular monitoring, Newtons Medical Supplies completes the Government modern slavery risk identification and management tool (“MSAT”) and Labour Standards Assessment Tool (“LSAT”).

Training our staff

The company requires its staff to complete training and ongoing refresher courses on slavery and human trafficking. The Company training covers:

How to identify the signs of slavery and human trafficking
What initial steps should be taken if slavery or human trafficking is suspected
How to respond and action potential slavery or human trafficking issues to the relevant parties within the Company
What external help is available
What steps the company should take if suppliers in its supply chain do no implement anti-slavery policies in high-risk scenarios, including their removal from the company supply chain.
ILO’s 11 Forced Labour Indicators

Other forms of materials provided for staff as part of their training and awareness are:

· Leaflets and Posters

· Modern Slavery Guidebooks

· ILO’s Forced Labour Indicators Booklet

· E-Learning

· Information providing contact details for the Modern Slavery Helpline

Effectiveness

The company uses Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure its effectiveness and ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in its business and supply chains. These KPIs are as follows:

We will contact suppliers to enquire about their modern slavery practices every 12 months
We will train our staff about modern slavery issues and increase awareness within the company
We will carry out a regular audit of suppliers where 85% of suppliers are covered each year.
We will carry out necessary assessments for countries listed as in risk of any modern slavery based on Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Global Slavery Index and using necessary tools that will help us mitigate and reduce the risk of any form of Modern Slavery in our supply chain.

This statement was approved by the Director of Newtons Medical Supplies Ltd.

Colin Newton

Director

Date: March 2024