Modern Slavery Act Statement

In accordance with Section 54, Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act (the Act), this statement sets out the steps Call Assist has taken to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in our supply chains or in any part of our business.

Overview

The act requires commercial organisations supplying goods or services with a turnover of more than £36 million to prepare and publish an annual “slavery and Human Trafficking statement. Whether or not Call Assist meets the official criteria to publish such a statement, we consider it ethically correct to do so.

Business

At Call Assist we focus our expertise in assisting our customers “at the event” when they have experienced a vehicle breakdown, or their vehicle has been involved in an accident. Call Assist provides a white labelled product and is the name behind many household vehicle breakdown brands, as well as the service provider for insurer, broker, warranty and intermediary schemes.

Company’s Structure

Call Assist Limited is a vehicle rescue company, providing services to its customers via a contractor network. We also trade under the names of startrescue.co.uk and startravel.co.uk.

Call Assist Limited was incorporated on 16 November 1998 with the registered office located in the UK. Call Assist is owned by Call Assist Holdings Limited which is also registered in the UK.

Supply Chain Standards

Call Assist Limited employs in excess of 400 people in our UK call centres. Our HR processes ensure that those recruited, including through employment agencies, have appropriate approvals to work.

Call Assist provides service through a network of Recovery Operators throughout the UK and an additional network in Europe, providing assistance in over 40 countries. We regularly contact and inspect our recovery operators and as a very minimum, operate a due diligence process which includes modern slavery. In the 22-23 financial year, no issues were reported.

Our standard terms and conditions require our suppliers to adhere to all applicable legislation and make specific reference to the “Act”.

We also use routine services for the maintenance and support of our office operations. We do not act as a producer, manufacturer or retailer of physical goods and services and have no supply chain in relation to such activities.

Modern Slavery

Modern slavery is an international crime, affecting millions of people around the world – a growing global issue that transcends age, gender, and ethnicities. Sadly, vulnerable people from overseas as well as across the UK, are forced to work illegally against their will across many different sectors from agriculture, construction, hospitality, retail, manufacturing, and more. Call Assist does not believe it is wholly immune from such a risk.

We continue to review and adapt our policies and procedures to ensure that reasonable steps are taken to detect, report and prevent modern slavery and human trafficking taking place. Our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically, transparently and with integrity in all our business relationships.

Policies in Relation to Slavery and Human Trafficking

Modern slavery, forced or compulsory labour, servitude and human trafficking are severe violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms. In line with our core values, we are committed to contributing to the eradication of modern slavery.

Call Assist is committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in its supply chains or in any part of its business.

We continue to review and adapt our policies and procedures to ensure that reasonable steps are taken to detect, report and prevent modern slavery and human trafficking taking place. Our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically, transparently and with integrity in all our business relationships.

Additionally Call Assist operates the following to support our modern slavery commitment:

• An open office culture, allowing our employees to report anything they determine to be of concern.
• Employment policies that protect our people form unfair treatment and promote a fair and inclusive workplace.
• Robust recruitment processes in line with relevant employment laws
• A strategy to support the physical and mental wellbeing of our people.

Due Diligence Processes for Slavery and Human Trafficking

Whilst modern slavery can be found among any population, we recognise certain groups are particularly vulnerable, including:

• Domestic and foreign migrant workers
• Contract, agency, and temporary workers
• Vulnerable populations (e.g. refugees)
• Young or student workers

As part of our commitment to identify and mitigate against the risk of slavery and human trafficking, we continue to:

• Work to identify potential risk areas in our supply chains including those suppliers who may have a higher risk of being affected by modern slavery and human trafficking.
• Strive to improve our monitoring standards for higher risk suppliers.
• Review our contracts to ensure our supply chains meet our own standards in relation to the “Act”.
• Maintain our approach to zero hours contracts of employment, meaning that such contracts of employment will not be agreed unless expressly requested by the employee and only where reasonable justification is provided.

Training

As our business model is largely call-centre based, we recognise our own risks in relation to the employment of younger members of staff and indeed the attrition rate that this may therefore generate. We are therefore committed to active training at induction and at least annually thereafter to ensure our commitment towards eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking is understood and adhered to at all times.

Approval of this statement

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our modern slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 30 April 2023.

This statement has been approved by the Board of Directors.