Here are the steps CWRT has taken and continues to take to understand and minimise the potential risk of modern slavery in its business and supply chains.

This statement is published in line with section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

 

ABOUT CWRT

The Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) is a not-for-profit, FCA accredited, specialist finance and business support provider committed to supporting businesses and individuals primarily based in Coventry and Warwickshire.

CWRT is an ethical lender supporting entrepreneurship and jobs in communities under-served by mainstream providers. We do this by channelling investment into traditionally overlooked businesses, helping them to rebuild, adapt, diversify, and add new employment in the months to come.

CWRT, as a Community Development Finance Institution, is devoted to tackling local disparity in the market by offering dedicated loan and business support packages specifically designed to support these SMEs through volatile markets and tightening credit conditions. Our aim is to enable businesses to become sustainable, to proposer and to contribute to the local economy.

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Find out more about CWRT

 

OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE MODERN SLAVERY ACT 2015 

CWRT is committed to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the abolition of modern slavery and human trafficking.

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we're committed to creating and ensuring a non-discriminatory and respectful working environment for our staff. We want all our staff to feel confident that they can expose wrongdoing without any risk to themselves.

Our recruitment and people management processes are designed to ensure that all prospective employees are legally entitled to work in the UK and to safeguard employees from any abuse or coercion.

We do not enter into business with any organisation, in the UK or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to be involved in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

 

OUR SUPPLY CHAIN

Due to the nature of our business, we assess ourselves to have a low risk of modern slavery in our business and supply chains.

Our supply chains are limited and we procure goods and services from a restricted range of UK and overseas suppliers, mainly through UK government frameworks.

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OUR POLICIES IN RELATION TO THE MODERN SLAVERY ACT 2015

The following policies are available to all staff through CWRT’s dedicated Compliance SharePoint site:

• Code of conduct

• Employee handbook

• Bullying and harassment policy

• Diversity and inclusion policy

 

EMBEDDING THE PRINCIPLES 

We will continue to embed the principles through:

• providing awareness training to staff on the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and informing them of the appropriate action to take if they suspect a case of slavery or human trafficking.

• ensuring staff involved in procurement activity are aware of and follow modern slavery procurement guidance on GOV.UK.

• ensuring that consideration of the modern slavery risks and prevention are added to CWRT's policy review process as an employer and procurer of goods and services.

• making sure CWRT’s procurement strategies and contract terms and conditions include references to modern slavery and human trafficking.

• continuing to take action to embed a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery.

• ensuring that staff involved in buying or procurement and the recruitment and deployment of workers receive training on modern slavery and ethical employment practices.

This statement has been approved by Sheridan Sulskis, CEO and Director, for the financial year ending 31 March 2024.

This statement will be reviewed and updated every year.