Modern Slavery Statement for financial year 2023-24
VMS Automotive Group is committed to doing business fairly and ethically and supports the aims of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
This statement is made pursuant to s.54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that VMS (Fleet Management) Ltd has taken, and is continuing to take, to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain.
Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. VMS (Fleet Management) Ltd has a zero tolerance approach to any form of slavery. We are committed to acting ethically, with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of slavery taking place within the business or our supply chain.
Organisation’s Structure
VMS Automotive group is privately owned and operated and has 14 national sites, with the Head Office situated in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and a 24/7/365 operations centre in East Anglia, supported by our own mobile services teams and national network or repair centres.
We provide a range of services including accident and vehicle management, full range of contract hire and fleet management solutions, together with a wide range of support services.
At VMS, we take ownership of every part of the management process, ensuring a truly unique and bespoke service to our customers, which we believe, is unrivalled in the fleet industry today.
Our Supply Chain
Our supply chain provides us with vehicles, from cars to specialist vehicles, vehicle consumables and maintenance support services.
Our Policies
We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. We have a number of policies in place within our business and annual declarations from our supply chain to ensure compliance. The relevant policies are outlined below:
- Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Policy
- New Supplier Process, Forms and Check
- Supply Chain Management Policy
- Annual Supplier Declarations
- Anti-Bribery & Corruption Policy
- Equal Opportunities Policy
- Whistleblowing Policy
We carry out due diligence in the following ways, by communicating policies to our staff and suppliers where possible, we build long standing relationships with our supply chain and ensure our expectations of business behaviours are understood and that robust checks for new suppliers are in place.
Supplier audits and annual declarations to include Modern Slavery
Thorough supply chain due diligence thorough investigation of any issues/concerns raised systems in place to encourage the reporting of any concerns and the protection of whistle blowers. Tracking, monitoring and preventing the risk of occurrence through diligent management. Use of supporting HR and recruitment companies as a third party check of our recruitment and personnel policies.
Training
Management at all levels are responsible for ensuring those reporting to them understand and comply with this policy and are given adequate and regular training on it. Management will track completion of this training for thier direct reports.
Our employees and supply chain are made aware of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking through the distribution of our relating policies.
Our Effectiveness in Combating Slavery and Human Trafficking
We ensure our effectiveness in the following ways:
- Preparing the annual statement
- Checks and audits within our systems
- Checks of our payroll system
- Annual supplier declarations and audits where applicable
- Depot audits
- Staff training
Adherence
We have zero tolerance to slavery and human trafficking, and we expect all those in our supply chain and contractors to comply with our values.
The Company will not knowingly support or deal with any business or organisation that is involved in slavery or human trafficking.
Approval for this statement
This statement was approved by Aaron Laraman, the Managing Director.
