Modern Slavery Statement

MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT

This is the Modern Slavery Statement for the University of the West of Scotland for the financial year ending 31^st July 2023. It is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

OUR ORGANISATION

The University of the West of Scotland (“UWS”) is a “body corporate” under the terms of a statutory instrument. UWS’s constitutional basis is contained within the Order of Council 2019. Our governing body is the University Court.

UWS is organised into four academic Schools for learning, teaching and research spread across four campuses in the west of Scotland and one in London. We employ approximately 1719 members of staff.

We have a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking. This Statement sets out the measures that we have taken to prevent these practices from taking place in our own organisation and in our supply chains.

Our Supply Chains

We purchase a wide range of goods and services from suppliers including:

• IT equipment and services
• Professional services
• Residential services
• Estates and facilities management goods and services
• Food and catering supplies
• Books and printing
• Laboratory supplies
• Furniture and stationery
• Waste and recycling services

IDENTIFYING AND MANAGING RISK IN OUR ORGANISATION

Our Staff

Our commitment to employment rights is set out in our People and Organisational Development Policy Statement. 
Rigorous right to work checks are carried out for all new members of staff to ensure that they are legally entitled work in the UK. 

We pay all UWS staff and contractors engaged directly by the University at least the Living Wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation. In 2023 we received accreditation as a Living Wage Employer from Living Wage Scotland. 

When it is necessary to fill employment vacancies using recruitment agencies, our Procurement Team oversee the procurement process and identify the appropriate Framework Agreement entered into by APUC, the Scottish Government or other UK procurement consortia. This ensures that the University only uses recruitment agencies who have been through a rigorous tender process. 

Raising Awareness

We inform staff of our zero-tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking by circulating our Modern Slavery Statement to staff in the UWS e-bulletin. The Legal Services Team delivered training on modern slavery and transparency in supply chains to the Procurement Team in 2023. Bespoke training has previously been provided to other critical departments and further training will be delivered in the next financial year. Optional in-person or virtual training on modern slavery is available to all staff on request. The online ‘Working with the Modern Slavery Act’ module is also available to all staff.

Members of the Procurement Team have undertaken Procurement Regulations & Sustainability training through APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges) and HEPA training on Protecting Human Rights in the Supply Chain. The Team will undertake further industry specific training in the next financial year.

We have added content on fair working practices to the ‘Introduction to UK Culture’ presentation which is delivered to new international students when they join the University. The purpose of this is to raise awareness of what employment protections are in place in the UK to help international students to recognise abuse in the labour market. We will take steps to raise awareness of this issue with the wider student population in the next financial year. 
Donations 

Before accepting any charitable donations, we carry out a number of checks to ensure that the funds do not come from unethical sources and keep a record of the due diligence that has been carried out. The donation will then be subject to approval by our Donations Group, Vice-Chancellor’s Executive or the University Court depending on its monetary value. 

Reporting Concerns

The University adheres to the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and encourages all staff to report possible wrongdoing or malpractice within the University. We introduced the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Procedure in 2023 to inform staff how to raise concerns and what protection they will receive when doing so. Speakup@uws.ac.uk is available as a confidential email address for staff to report concerns to. 

The Report and Support Tool is available to all staff and students. This online platform enables individuals to report issues of concern either anonymously or by identifying themselves. They can also seek support through the tool from both internal and external services if they are experiencing difficulties themselves.  

Identifying and Managing Risk in Our Supply Chains

APUC

We procure goods and services of the qualifying value through the APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges) Ltd Framework. APUC requires all suppliers to adopt their Supply Chain Code of Conduct, which confirms that it does not use forced, involuntary or underage labour, provides suitable working conditions and treats employees fairly.

Modern Slavery Compliance Statement

New suppliers are required to sign up to our Modern Slavery Compliance Statement, setting out their commitment to eradicating modern slavery. The Statement was developed by the Procurement and Legal Services Teams. It is included in all invitations to tender, new supplier forms and non-competitive actions. 

The Procurement Team carry out an annual review of our suppliers’ compliance with the Modern Slavery Act. A selection of suppliers are identified through the Spikes Cavell Annual Spend Report and their Modern Slavery Statements are reviewed against the ‘Modern Slavery Checker’ created by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. This Checker helps organisation to ensure that their suppliers are taking the necessary steps to make their supply chain more transparent. 

Electronics Watch

We are a member of Electronics Watch, an organisation that works to ensure good working conditions in factories producing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) goods bought by public sector members across Europe. 

TUCO

Our Catering and Events Team are committed to sustainable procurement and working with ethical suppliers. To help to achieve this aim, the Team conduct their procurement through TUCO (The University Caterers Organisation) Ltd. Through the TUCO framework, the University has recently introduced new suppliers, who align with our values, into the catering outlets on our campuses. 

Coffee Conscience 

All coffee sold in UWS’s catering outlets is fair trade and purchased through Coffee Conscience who source ethical produce and support community initiatives globally. 

Key Performance Indicators 

(since the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 unless otherwise stated)

• No concerns about modern slavery or human trafficking have been reported to the University directly;
• No concerns about modern slavery or human trafficking have been reported through the Report and Support Tool; 
• 100% of the Procurement Team have received training on compliance with the Modern Slavery Act;
• 100% of UWS staff and contractors engaged directly by the University are paid at least the Living Wage, as set by Living Wage Scotland;
• 100% of contracts tendered through the University’s Procurement Team were entered into using our standard Terms and Conditions in the financial year ending 31 July 2023. 
• 100% of new suppliers tendered through the University’s Procurement Team have signed up to our Modern Slavery Compliance Statement in the financial year ending 2023.
• Internal training delivered or refreshed. In the next financial year, training will be delivered to a minimum of two teams within UWS.

This Statement was approved by the University Court on 27 November 2023 and signed below by the University’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor. 

Professor James MIller FRSE
Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of the West of Scotland

Date: 27 November 2023