Modern slavery and human trafficking policy statement

Care UK is proud of the steps we have taken to eradicate slavery and human trafficking in our supply chain and business.

This statement is made by Care UK and published in the context of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. This statement details our policies and practices in recognising and preventing human trafficking and slavery in our business and supply chain during the year ending 31 December 2024.

Our structure and supply chains:

Care UK is one of the largest residential care providers for older people in the UK, operating 164 care homes as at the date of this statement. Our Fulfilling Lives approach to care and quality enables us to continue to fulfil the lives of residents by prioritising their personal preferences, wellbeing and independence. Each of our care home teams is encouraged and supported to listen to residents and relatives, to work in partnership with regulators and to constantly develop their own skills to deliver the best possible care. We continue to use the latest technologies to support best practice care to support both residents and their families. 

Care UK Care Services Limited is part of the Care UK group (Group), and our ultimate parent company is Debeaubien Care Limited (Debeaubien). Debeaubien’s head office is in England. The Group has over 12,000 employees and operates in England, Scotland and Wales.

As of January 2025, the Group contracts with 1,225 suppliers. Our supply chains include procurement of agency staff, medical consumables, facilities maintenance, utilities, food suppliers and waste management. 

Our policies in relation to slavery and human trafficking:

We are committed to ensuring there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. Our Anti-slavery and Human Trafficking Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains. In addition, the following policies are available to all staff through the Care UK intranet:

These policies set out the standards required of our staff and include details of the mechanisms in place which can be used to report issues or concerns about modern slavery linked to our organisation. 

Due diligence process:

As part of our governance processes, we provide any suppliers with contractual terms that oblige them to comply with all applicable anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We will only work with suppliers who treat their obligations towards modern slavery with the same importance that we do.

We ensure that staff are legally entitled to work in the UK and that the contract is directly with them.

Risk assessment and management:

We have in place systems to;

Key performance indicators to measure effectiveness of steps being taken:

No reports have been received from employees, the public, or law enforcement agencies to indicate that modern slavery practices have been identified.

Training on modern slavery and human trafficking:

To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking and the confidence to take action, our modern slavery policy forms part of the induction process for all new colleagues. Regular updates to training are also provided if required. Our colleagues are encouraged to identify and report any potential concerns around slavery or human trafficking and we have strong measures in place for the protection of whistle blowers.

This statement is made pursuant to Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 for the financial year ended 31 December 2024. The board of Care UK Care Services Limited has approved this statement.

Andrew Knight, Chief Executive Officer

1 February 2025