Modern Slavery Statement

The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC

This statement applies to The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC (referred to in this statement as ‘the Organisation’. The information included in the statement refers to the financial year 2024-2025.

Organisational structure

The organisation is a not-for-profit community interest company based in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The organisation is a federation owned by 42 GP practices partnerships across the borough arranged within six primary care networks. 

The main office is based in the Civic Centre in Uxbridge and clinics are run from various sites across the borough. 

Management Structure

The organisation is led by the Board of Directors comprised of the PCNs Clinical Directors and Executive Management team. The Board is supported by the Clinical Operations Leadership Team, Finance Committee, Quality Governance Committee, Workforce and Training Steering Group and Appointments Committee.

The organisation works with general practice and other healthcare providers in Hillingdon to deliver high quality clinical services to patients.  The aim is to improve care for patients by working collaboratively across primary care and other health and social care partners. The organisation also works to develop and support individual GP practices, PCNs and Neighbourhoods and their changing needs.

The labour supplied to the organisation to provide services work in primary care sites across the London Borough of Hillingdon.

Definitions

We consider modern slavery to encompass:

• Human trafficking
• Forced work, through mental or physical threat
• Being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse
• Being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property
• Being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.

Our Commitment

The organisation acknowledges their responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commit to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We understand that this requires an ongoing review of both internal practices in relation to our labour force and, additionally, our supply chains.

To provide health care services, the main supply chains of the Organisation include those related to provision of clinical staff, supplies and equipment. We do not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

No labour provided to The Confederation in the provision of our services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. We strictly adhere to the minimum standards required in relation to our responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in the United Kingdom.

Potential exposure

In general, the organisation considers its exposure to slavery/human trafficking to be relatively limited. Nonetheless, steps have been taken to ensure that such practices do not take place in our business nor the business of any organisation that supplies goods and/or services.

Steps

The organisation has not, to its knowledge, conducted any business with another organisation which has been found to have involved itself with modern slavery.

In accordance with section 54(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the organisation has taken the following steps to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place:

• reviewing supplier contracts to include termination powers in the event that suppliers are, or are suspected, to be involved in modern slavery
• creating awareness to identify and assess the potential risks in supply chains
• ensuring all staff engaged with providing services at the organisation are subject to thorough and rigorous recruitment procedures that include a DBS check, identity check, confirmation of validity to work in the UK, employment history, suitability for the role and references.
• ensuring any staff provided via third party organisations (such as agencies) are either registered with the regulator and can confirm that staff supplied are free to work in the UK and meet all the requirements for the role being provided for.

Raising Concerns

All employees are made aware of the Raising Concerns, Freedom to Speak Up, and Whistleblowing policies and procedures at the organisation. The purpose of these policies is to enable the organisation to thoroughly investigate allegations of any wrongdoing raised by employees without fear of reprisal.