Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

1. Introduction and scope

This Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement is made by 1GS Operations Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) for the financial year ending April 2026, in accordance with section 54(1) of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”), where applicable, and as part of our wider commitment to ethical practice and human rights.

Slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking are serious crimes and grave violations of human rights. We have a zero‑tolerance approach to all forms of modern slavery and are committed to taking reasonable and proportionate steps to ensure that it does not occur in our organisation or supply chains.

If our turnover does not meet the statutory threshold under the Act, we nevertheless choose to publish this statement voluntarily as good practice and to demonstrate our commitment to transparency.

2. Our organisation, structure and supply chains

The House of Charity is a incorporated organisation based in the United Kingdom, working to provide training advice and support services to people in necessitous circumstances.

Our operations primarily involve:

  • Direct delivery of hospitality training in the UK.

  • Engagement with volunteers, supporters, beneficiaries and partner organisations.

  • Use of third‑party suppliers for goods and services such as facilities management, IT services, professional advice, fundraising platforms, printing and catering.

We assess our overall risk of modern slavery in our own organisation as low, given the nature of our activities and the fact that most staff are employed directly on standard UK terms and conditions. However, we recognise that risks may arise in parts of our supply chain, particularly where lower‑skilled, temporary or outsourced labour or goods from higher‑risk jurisdictions are involved.

3. Policies and standards

We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our relationships. Our approach to preventing modern slavery is supported by existing policies and standards, which include (as applicable):

  • Code of conduct for staff, volunteers and trustees.

  • Recruitment and HR policies, including checks appropriate to roles and safeguarding requirements.

  • Procurement and supplier standards, which expect suppliers to comply with the Act and with relevant labour and human rights legislation.

  • Safeguarding and whistleblowing policies, which provide routes for raising concerns about exploitation or abuse.

We will keep these policies under review to ensure they contain appropriate references to modern slavery and human trafficking and reflect emerging best practice.

4. Due diligence and risk assessment

We take a risk‑based and proportionate approach to assessing and managing modern slavery risks in our organisation and supply chains. Our measures include:

  • Assessing risk in our operations and supply chains, with particular attention to higher‑risk areas such as facilities, cleaning, catering, temporary labour, construction, and goods or services sourced from outside the UK.

  • Carrying out proportionate checks on key suppliers and partners, considering factors such as sector, geography, use of subcontractors and publicly available information (including any published modern slavery statements).

  • Including modern slavery‑related expectations in procurement processes, tender documents, supplier onboarding forms and contracts, where appropriate.

  • Seeking assurance from significant suppliers that they comply with the Act (where within scope) and have adequate policies and controls to prevent modern slavery.

Where concerns are identified, we will seek to address them promptly, which may include requiring remedial action, reviewing or terminating relationships, or escalating issues to appropriate authorities.

5. Our workforce

The vast majority of our staff are employed directly on terms that are not generally associated with heightened risk of modern slavery in the UK. We do not use recruitment fees, and we do not knowingly work with agencies or intermediaries that charge such fees to workers.

We aim to ensure that all workers associated with our organisation:

  • Have access to clear information about their terms and conditions.

  • Are free to leave their employment or engagement in line with those terms.

  • Have access to appropriate channels to raise concerns, including about exploitation or abuse.

We will remain vigilant and will act swiftly if any indicators of modern slavery or human trafficking are identified in relation to our workforce.

6. Training and awareness

We recognise that modern slavery can be a hidden crime and that awareness is critical to identifying and addressing risks. We therefore:

  • Make this statement available to staff and trustees and highlight it during induction and relevant reviews, as appropriate.

  • Provide or signpost training and guidance for staff involved in procurement, commissioning, HR, safeguarding and partnership work, to help them recognise and manage modern slavery risks.

  • Encourage staff, volunteers and partners to report any suspicions or concerns about modern slavery or human trafficking via line management, safeguarding or whistleblowing routes, knowing that such concerns will be taken seriously.

7. Effectiveness and monitoring

We recognise that eliminating modern slavery risks is an ongoing process. We will monitor the effectiveness of our approach through:

  • Periodic review of our policies and procedures to ensure they include appropriate references to modern slavery.

  • Review of key supplier relationships and procurement processes to confirm that modern slavery issues are adequately addressed.

  • Oversight by the audit and risk committee or equivalent, which will consider modern slavery risks as part of wider risk management and governance.

Based on current information, we assess our overall exposure to modern slavery risk as low, but we will continue to review this assessment and take further steps as necessary.

8. Future commitments

In the coming financial year we intend to:

  • Update relevant policies (such as procurement, safeguarding and whistleblowing) to strengthen references to modern slavery where needed.

  • Continue to perform appropriate due diligence on new suppliers and partners and, where proportionate, require them to confirm compliance with the Act and our standards.

  • Review our supply chain to identify any higher‑risk areas and consider targeted actions in those areas.

  • Raise awareness of modern slavery amongst staff and volunteers through refreshed guidance and training.

9. Approval and publication

This statement has been reviewed and approved by the Director of 1GS Operations Ltd and signed on their behalf by:

Mr Stephen A. Boxall FIH
Managing Director
Date: 1st of July 2026

This statement is published on houseofcharity.org.uk and, where the Act applies, will be updated annually in line with section 54 requirements.