Modern Slavery Statement

Modern Slavery
Statement 2023 to 2024

At Independent Living Fund Scotland (ILF Scotland) we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that there is no form of modern slavery or human trafficking within our organisation or our supply chains.

Introduction

ILF Scotland conducts its business activity in accordance with our stated core values of ensuring that the interests of disabled people are at the heart of our decision-making processes and that we treat everyone with dignity, trust and respect. We apply these inherent values across our organisation and with all others that we come into contact with.

ILF Scotland is a Non-Departmental Public Body and as such is fully committed to working with organisations, agencies and other bodies to assist the Scottish Government to meet its agreed policy objectives.

Our organisation has adopted a “zero tolerance” towards slavery and human trafficking and we will endeavour to take all reasonable and pragmatic steps to ensure that it is not present in our core business or with third parties with whom we engage.

This statement will become an integral element of our suite of organisational policy and guidance documents and will be subject to regular review and enhancement to ensure compliance.

ILF Scotland supports the worldwide commitment to securing elimination of forced labour.

Structure

Established on 1 July 2015, ILF Scotland is a Scottish Non-Departmental Public Body and a company limited by guarantee. We are directly responsible for the assessment and delivery of financial awards intended to support disabled people to live independent lives in their communities.

Based in Scotland, ILF Scotland oversees this commitment across Scotland and Northern Ireland, working closely with Health and Social Care Partnerships and Trusts, together with other agencies, to assess need and to provide appropriate levels of financial support to enable disabled people to live independently.

ILF Scotland employs a wide range of appropriately trained and experienced personnel to carry out the required assessments with disabled people and to determine the necessary requirements to support their independent living goals and objectives.

ILF Scotland aims to adopt and influence new ways of utilising social policy to improve its primary purpose and to secure ground breaking approaches to managing our workforce.

Key to our organisational successes is a strong commitment to actively engaging and listening to those we support and to those we employ.

Supply Chains

Supply Chains are an integral element of our successful organisation and the appointment or adoption of any third-party provider is carried out utilising the procurement protocols expected of us and as laid out by the Scottish Government. In doing so we expect that all potential contractors and suppliers will demonstrably comply with clear ethical and moral standards whilst maintaining high business and professional standards in relation to all policy and legislative requirements. ILF Scotland operates within, and is guided accordingly by, the practices clearly laid out by Scottish Government procurement policy and practice.

Policies on Modern Slavery (Due Diligence and Risk Assessment)

ILF Scotland adopts a non-tolerance approach to all issues associated with modern slavery and / or human trafficking and this approach is built upon and enshrined within a suite of organisational policies that are regularly reviewed and updated as required.

In keeping with organisational commitment of openness and transparency, all our policies including Anti-Bribery and Corruption are publicly available. We will develop additional support and guidance to our workforce as required.

Our organisational commitment to and adoption of internal and external policy and practice scrutiny will continue to be a mainstay of our attitude to policy practice.

Measuring Effectiveness in Slavery and Human Trafficking

• Slavery and human trafficking is included in our risk register and we undertake regular risk reviews to prioritise action and channel resources accordingly.

• We have developed an appropriate level of knowledge about the third parties we deal with to ascertain any likely risk of slavery or human trafficking.

• Our contract costs are set at a fair price and we commit to interrogate bids that appear unrealistically low.

• We raise awareness among smaller suppliers to improve understanding.

• We work with inspectorates and law enforcement to share information.

• Any incidents of modern slavery and human trafficking are reported in accordance with Scottish Government or Northern Ireland guidance on compliance procedures.

• We have a number of policies to ensure that we are conducting our business with integrity and transparency including our Whistleblowing policy.

• We advertise the whistleblowing and the Modern Slavery Helpline numbers.

• Staff are trained to spot the signs of potential victims and report appropriately through induction eLearning, on-going Peer groups discussing the annual Modern Slavery Statement and eLearning to ensure a degree of additional scrutiny is applied through our review process.

- If anyone believes or suspects that a contravention of above policy has occurred, or may occur, they should notify; Their line manager; or
- Chief Operating Officer; or
- Chief Executive Officer

Appropriate action will be determined at that stage. This may include contacting Police Scotland, Police Service of Northern Ireland or the UK Modern Slavery helpline.

• We encourage openness and will support anyone who raises genuine concerns in good faith under this policy.

This statement was approved by our Board of Directors on 25 June 2024.

ILF will continue to regularly monitor the effectiveness of our compliance procedures and where necessary take appropriate corrective steps to address any instances of modern slavery and or human trafficking.

ILF Scotland’s financial year end is 31 March each year. This statement covers the preceding period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. We will aim to publish any revised statement within six months of the financial year end.

You can view an electronic version of this statement on our website: www.ilf.scot

Signed:

Peter Scott

Chief Executive Officer

Date: 25 June 2024