Organisation
This statement is made on behalf of RST Residential Investments Limited (referred to in this statement as ‘the Organisation) pursuant to the section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The information included in the statement refers to the financial year 2020/2021.
Organisational structure
RST Residential Investments Limited is the parent company of a series of development and operational companies undertaking business in England and Wales. There are 5 regional offices, each headed by a Regional Managing Director and a Board of Directors oversee all operational matters.
The labour supplied to the Company in pursuance of its operation is carried out in England and Wales.
The Group carries out the following business:
- Property development
- Construction
- Property Investment
For further information please visit www.acornpropertygroup.org
Definitions
The Organisation considers that modern slavery encompasses:
- human trafficking
- forced work, through mental or physical threat
- being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse of 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.
Commitment
The Organisation acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Organisation understands that this requires an ongoing review of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.
The Organisation does 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 Organisation in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. The Organisation strictly adheres to the minimum standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation.
Supply chains
To fulfil its activities, the main supply chains of the Organisation include direct relationships with a number of primarily UK based suppliers offering a wide range of services to the Organisation. Some of the Organisation’s first-tier suppliers are intermediary traders and therefore have further contractual relationships with lower-tier suppliers
Potential exposure
In general, the Organisation considers its exposure to slavery/human trafficking to be limited.
Impact of COVID-19
During the reporting period covered by this statement, the COVID-19 pandemic had taken hold. For several months, the UK was placed into lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. This created several challenges for the Organisation, as it did for others across the nation.
The Organisation welcomes the UK Government’s decision, as confirmed in April 2020, to allow for a delay of up to 6 months in the publication of modern slavery statements without the risk of facing penalty.
Despite the permitted, delay, the Organisation remains in a position to publish its statement for the financial year 2019/2020 in line with the original publishing requirements.
The Organisation concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic did not adjust the risk of modern slavery to a level above that which existed before the pandemic, which is as set out under ‘POTENTIAL EXPOSURE’ above.
The Organisation’s modern slavery risks were subject to the same monitoring procedures during the pandemic as at all other times.
Steps
The Organisation carries out due diligence processes in relation to ensuring slavery and/or human trafficking does not take place in its organisation or supply chains, including conducting a review of the controls of its suppliers.
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 our supplier contracts to include termination powers in the event that the supplier is, or is suspected, to be involved in modern slavery
- measures in place to identify and assess the potential risks in its supply chains
- undertaking impact assessments of its services upon potential instances of slavery
- any actions taken to embed a zero tolerance policy towards modern slavery
- training provided to staff on modern slavery as necessary.
Statement
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our Group’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 30th September 2020 and was approved by the Board of Directors of RST Residential Investments Limited on 19th October 2020.
Signed by Mette Blackmore on behalf of the Board of Directors.
30th May 2022
Click here to view the signed document
