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Jacobs Allen Limited: Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

Organisational Structure

  1. The organisational structure of the Jacobs Allen Group (referred hereafter as “The Group”) comprises Jacobs Allen Limited and its holding company, JA Audit Limited, both registered in the United Kingdom.
  2. The Group is controlled by a Board of Directors. The Group’s Head Office is located in Bury St Edmunds, with other offices located in Haverhill and Ireland.
  3. The Group is predominantly involved in the provision of accountancy and taxation services to individuals and other businesses in face to face consultancy, by telephone, email or via encrypted Portal formats.

Definitions

The Group considers that modern slavery encompasses:

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

Commitment

  1. The Group acknowledges its responsibilities under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and is committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking within its own businesses, it’s own clients and in its supply chains. The Group understands that this requires an ongoing review of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force, our clients businesses and its supply chains.
  2. The Group has a zero tolerance policy towards modern slavery. It will refrain from entering into business, and/or will discontinue any current business with any other organisation which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
  3. The labour supplied to The Group in pursuance of the services it provides is carried out wholly in the countries where those services are provided i.e. United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland as appropriate.
  4. No labour provided to the Group in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. The Group strictly adheres to the minimum standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland as appropriate, and in many cases exceeds those minimums in relation to its employees.
  5. The Group offers employment contracts on a guaranteed hours basis only; no offers of employment are made on a zero hours basis.
  6. Part-time and fixed-term employees within the Group are provided with the same pro-rata contractual entitlements as full-time and permanent employees. If these are not offered, the Group is able to rely on objectively justifiable grounds.
  7. Group employees are offered a competitive remuneration package and the Group prides itself on the additional benefits it is able to offer its employees from time to time on a wide variety of platforms. It conducts annual staff appraisals to give employees a voice on their individual employment and The Group as appropriate, with commitment to creating career progression in a supportive environment.

Potential Exposure

  1. The Group considers its exposure to modern slavery to be limited. Nonetheless, it has taken steps to ensure that such practices do not take place in its business nor the business of any organisation that we work for or anyone who supplies goods and/or services to it.
  2. In the operation of its business, The Group’s main supply chains are those related to the provision of services. The Group considers its main exposure to the risk of slavery and human trafficking to exist in its supply chains.

Steps

  1. The Group carries out due diligence processes in relation to ensuring slavery and/or human trafficking does not take place within its clients businesses or any supply chains.
  2. The Group has not, to its knowledge, conducted any business with another organisation which has been found to have involved itself with slavery and/or human trafficking.
  3. In accordance with section 54(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, The Group has contacted (or attempted to contact) all first tier suppliers to set out our zero tolerance stance on modern slavery and to ensure that slavery and/or human trafficking is not taking place.
  4. The Group has taken action to monitor reports of modern slavery and will cross reference such reports with our first tier supply chain. The Group will seek to discontinue business with any first tier supplier found by the enforcement authorities to be involved in modern slavery.
  5. The Group encourages use of its whistleblowing policy to report any concerns regarding modern slavery and will investigate any complaints thoroughly.

Training

  1. Upon commencement of employment, all employees undergo a structured environment induction process. All employees are made aware of the Group policies relating to standards of behaviour that it requires from them. The Group will ensure that 100% of new starters will complete the induction within 4 weeks of commencement of employment.
  2. The Group also provides training on awareness of modern slavery to those within The Group who have been identified as having responsibilities in this regard. The Group will ensure that annual update training is provided.

Assessment of effectiveness in combating Modern Slavery

  1. To ensure effectiveness in combating modern slavery, The Group maintains an accurate client and supplier list including contact details. It will ensure action is taken in response to reports of modern slavery in its client and supply chains and any complaints made via the whistleblowing policy will be responded to in accordance with the policy.
  2. The Group confirms its client and supplier lists are regularly kept up to date.
  3. There have been no reports that any of the Group’s clients or suppliers have been involved in activities covered by the Modern Slavery Act.

Policies

The Group also has a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy which further defines its stance on modern slavery. In addition, a Whistleblowing policy is in place which encourages the reporting of any wrongdoing which is in the public interest.

Group Compliance Manager

The Group has a Group Compliance Officer, to whom all concerns regarding modern slavery should be addressed. The Group Compliance Manager will undertake an annual review of The Group’s obligations towards eradicating modern slavery within its organisation and supply chains.

Review

This statement is made in pursuance of Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2010 and applies to all companies within and associated to The Group. It is reviewed for each financial year.

This statement is approved by: