Modern Slavery Statement

Modern Slavery Statement for Financial Year Ending September 2023

This statement sets out the steps that Ede & Ravenscroft has taken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain. The statement was approved by the Board of Directors on 25th March 2024.

Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. Ede & Ravenscroft has a zero tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our supply chain.

Our Business
Ede & Ravenscroft is London’s oldest tailor and robe maker and provides legal, ceremonial and academic dress, menswear, womenswear and graduation services.

Our Policies
We operate a number of internal policies to ensure that we are conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner. These include:

• Corporate Social Responsibility Policy
  This policy sets out the organisation’s stance on modern slavery and explains how our employees work with suppliers to set out their employment, remuneration and welfare policies.
• Recruitment Policy
  We operate a robust recruitment policy, including conducting eligibility to work in the UK checks for all employees to safeguard against human trafficking or individuals being forced to work against their will.
• Whistleblowing Policy
  We operate a whistleblowing policy so that all employees know that they can raise concerns about how colleagues are being treated, or practices within our business or supply chain, without fear of reprisals.
• Codes of Conduct
  Our Codes of Conduct explains the manner in which we behave as an organisation and how we expect our employees and suppliers to act.

Our Suppliers
We conduct due diligence on all suppliers before allowing them to become a preferred supplier. This due diligence includes an online search to ensure that particular organisation has never been convicted of offenses relating to modern slavery and audits which include a review of working conditions. Our Anti-Slavery Policy forms part of our engagement with all suppliers and they are required to confirm that no part of their business operations contradicts our policies.

In addition to the above, as part of our contract with suppliers, we require that they confirm to us that:

• They have taken steps to eradicate modern slavery within their business
• They hold their own suppliers to account over modern slavery
• (For UK based suppliers) They pay their employees at least the national minimum wage / national living wage (as appropriate)
• (For international suppliers) They pay their employees any prevailing minimum wage applicable within their country of operations
• We may terminate the contract at any time should any instances of modern slavery come to light

Training
We ensure buyers and operations managers understand the signs of modern slavery and what to do if they suspect that it is taking place within our supply chain.

Our Performance Indicators
We will know the effectiveness of the steps that we are taking to ensure that slavery and/or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain if:

• No reports are received from employees, the public, or law enforcement agencies to indicate that modern slavery practices have been identified

To date there have been no identified instances of modern slavery.

M W Middleton, Chairman

25th March 2024