Modern slavery statement

This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that Family Fund Group has taken and is continuing to take to ensure modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our operations and supply chain during the financial year ended 31 March 2025.  Whilst we are not obligated to provide this statement, we have chosen to do so to demonstrate our commitment to this important issue. 

The statement applies to Family Fund Trust and the subsidiary organisation Family Fund Trading Ltd (trading as Family Fund Business Services (FFBS)), henceforward referred to as “Family Fund Group”.  

Statement 

Family Fund Group is committed to helping those who need it most and respecting human rights as laid out in the International Bill of Human Rights and the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015. As our grant-giving programmes and fulfilment work provide help to those with vulnerable characteristics (disability and low income), we are aware that there is a possibility of interacting with instances of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.   Further, we seek to ensure we adhere to the principles as set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in order to further exemplify our values and ethical standards.    This is our first statement, and, we are working towards being able to evidence a zero-tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking within our operations and supply chain.    

Organisation Structure and Supply Chains 

Family Fund Group employs 192 members of staff at the financial year end 31^st March 2025.  We also recognised the contributions of volunteers, primarily our Board of Trustees and the Non-Executive Directors of FFBS who volunteer their time. 

We will apply our approach to the following groups of people we come into contact with: 

• Family Fund staff including Executive Directors  
• Volunteers, including supported interns and those on work experience 
• Trustees and Non- Executive Directors  
• Families and applicants we come into contact with through our charitable grants, fulfilment and service provision
• People working with and organisations within our supply chain and other third-party organisations. 

We engage in a supported internship programme to support young people with disabilities into work, in partnership with Blueberry Academy. With this partnership, we ensure that supported interns are properly informed about the programme, they understand that it is unpaid, and that they can opt out at any time. They are accompanied by a work coach from Blueberry Academy whilst working at Family Fund.  In 2025 we are launching our Volunteer Framework, which has been guided by an Internal Steering Group – representatives from across the Group whose role it is to ensure volunteers received this same level of information. 

We offer work experience placements and university internship placements. We have a robust work experience policy designed to protect and guide those doing these placements. Risk assessments are carried out for work experience students.  

Suppliers of goods and services to Family Fund must comply with legislation, regulation and standards relating to the relevant industry, and we do this during our robust initial and ongoing Due Diligence processes.  This may include, for example, child and forced labour, health and safety of workers, non-discrimination, employment law, human rights, fraud, bribery and corruption.    

Relevant policies and practices 

We have commenced a full review of all relevant policies to ensure our teams are aware of the dangers of slavery and human trafficking, and this will be completed by the end of 2025. This will include HR policies, supplier policies and relevant processes and procedures.  

Some existing policies are in place to mitigate the risks of modern slavery and trafficking, and to tackle it where it may be identified as a concern: 

• Anti-bribery and Corruption Policy 
• Anti-bullying and Harassment Policy 
• Employee Wellbeing Policy 
• Equal Opportunities Policies (various) 
• Ethical Code of Conduct 
• Policy on checking criminal records 
• Procurement Policy 
• Supplier Engagement and Management Framework 
• Whistleblowing Policy 
• Work Experience Policy

Family Fund have a Safeguarding Statement, and we have a dedicated Safeguarding team who are vigilant in identifying indications of modern slavery and human trafficking and escalating in an appropriate manner to each situation, with an aim of maintaining the best interests of victims.   

Due Diligence Processes 

As part of our risk-based approach to achieving compliance with the Modern Slavery Act, Family Fund Group undertakes due diligence when considering taking on new suppliers and commits to regularly reviewing existing relationships.  Additionally, we request that third parties we engage with are committed to (and are able to provide evidence of) their obligations in respect of Modern Slavery.   We are committed to taking appropriate reporting steps if we suspect any evidence of slavery or human trafficking has arisen in our supply chain. 

In the coming year we intend to review this process so that we can achieve the following:  

• When working with our suppliers we will look to assess and monitor product, sector or geographical risks of modern slavery and human trafficking. 
• Promoting and educating compliance of the Act through our procurement policy and associated procedures. 
• Reviewing our supply chain as a regular component of risk assessment and management to ensure that risk is mitigated. 
• Taking appropriate reporting steps if we suspect any evidence of slavery or human trafficking has arisen in our supply chain. 

Training 

We will roll out training to all key staff about modern slavery and trafficking during 2025. We currently have UNCRC training as mandatory for all staff, which provides training regarding the human rights of a child.  We will ask all employees in the coming year to familiarise themselves with this statement. 

Risk Assessment and Management 

We have identified risk areas where we may come into contact with Modern Slavery within Family Fund Group. These are: 

• From family and other customer applications – which would be directed towards the Safeguarding Team with a mind-set that focuses on the best interests of the victim. 
• From our procurement and supply chain across the group – where we would follow our due diligence and reporting process. 
• In non-reimbursed roles within the organisation (such as volunteers, interns and work experience students) – we follow robust policies, ongoing informed consent and partnerships with other organisations to ensure non-reimbursed roles do not constitute Modern Slavery and that such roles are ethical and fulfilling. 

We are committed to completing a review of our Modern Slavery risk, in line with our risk management framework, in this next year and annually thereafter. 

Our approach for continued improvement 

This is our first statement, and we are committed to working towards a zero-tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking within our operations and supply chain.   The following notes the actions we will undertake in the coming year (in addition to those listed above): 

• We will embed the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking within our risk assessments and risk management practices.   
• Complete a managed review of internal procurement policies, procedures and guidelines that reinforce and compliment this statement. 
• Ensure that supply chain strategy takes the risk of modern slavery into account in decision making. 
• Understand how this statement can be amplified and taken through all facets of the work that we do in the Family Fund Group. 

This is the start of our journey, and one which we will continue to monitor and evolve as we move forwards. 

This statement has been approved by the Family Fund Trust Board of Trustees, who will ensure it is reviewed and updated annually.