Modern Day Anti-Slavery Policy

Introduction

This statement addresses the period of 1st January 2021- 31st December 2021 and is published in line with section 54(1) Modern Slavery Act 2015. 

Modern slavery is often a hidden crime involving the illegal exploitation and restriction of freedom for personal or commercial gain. It is a term that covers situations of exploitation through forced labour, human trafficking and servitude in which an individual cannot leave or refuse due to threats, violence, coercion and abuse of power. Victims of modern slavery can be of any age, ethnicity, nationality and gender. 

About Dunster House 

Dunster House is a family run business with 27 years of designing, manufacturing and retailing garden lifestyle products. We are unique within the marketplace as all our design concepts are created in the UK before being manufactured in one of our 14 factories overseas, which are spread across 8 sites. This enables complete control over every process, from purchasing timber to final distribution to the customer. 

Our commitment to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015

Dunster House Ltd has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and we are committed to implementing and enforcing policies to ensure modern slavery does not take place anywhere within Dunster House Ltd or in any business which is associated. We are committed to ensuring that every employee has access to the statement, consistent with the legislation outlined in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the relevant policies. 

We are dedicated to providing a safe working environment for all our staff and for those who are in contact with the business either directly or indirectly. We are strongly committed to create a fulfilling and opportunity filled platform for all members of staff. We strive to provide the highest level of professionalism, integrity, fairness and honest to preserve longevity of the company for the benefit of all our staff and customers. 

Our Supply chain

Due to the size of our company and nature of the job roles, we assess ourselves to be low risk of modern slavery in our business. In addition, our supply chains are limited as we only procure goods and services from third party sister companies and rarely with overseas contractors. Therefore, we assess ourselves as low risk of modern slavery within our supply chains. 

Our Policies in relation to Modern Slavery Act 2015

The following policies are available to all staff through Dunster Wiki (and People HR):

• Bullying and Harassment Policy - http://dunsterwiki/Bullying_and_Harassment_Policy 
• Whistle-Blowing Policy – http://dunsterwiki/Whistleblowing_Policy
• Abusive and Threatening Behaviour Policy - http://dunsterwiki/Abusive_and_Threatening_Behavior_Policy

Embedding our Principles 

At Dunster House, we continue to embed our principles through: 

• Ensuring that all staff have access to this statement and the above policies through our intranet and HR system.  
• Taking action to embed a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery

Plans for 2021/2022

Over the next year, we are continuing to strengthen our approach to manage the risk of modern day slavery and embedding our principles with the steps below

• Implement awareness training for staff at inductions and inform them of the appropriate action if they suspect a case of Modern Slavery. 
• Explore due diligence approaches for both our business and supply chains

This statement will be reviewed and updated every year. 

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