Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement 2025/26

Published in accordance with Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015

Financial Year Ending: 31 March 2026

About Changing Lives

Changing Lives is a national charity supporting people facing some of the most challenging circumstances. We work across areas including homelessness, recovery, women’s services, criminal justice, and employability. As a values-driven organisation, we are committed to creating inclusive, safe, and empowering environments for the people we serve and our staff.

Our Commitment to the Modern Slavery Act 2015

We are committed to upholding the principles of the Act and to developing a transparent and effective approach to identifying and addressing the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our business and supply chains.

We recognise that we are at the early stages of developing a mature and embedded response, and this statement reflects a proportionate approach aligned to our size, risk profile, and charitable purpose. We remain committed to improving our practices year‑on‑year.

Organisational Structure and Supply Chains

Changing Lives operates across the UK, delivering services through a range of commissioned and charitable projects. Our supply chains primarily involve UK-based providers in areas such as property maintenance, staffing (including zero-hour and agency workers), IT, facilities, and professional services.

We assess the direct risk of modern slavery in our operations as low, but we recognise that risks may arise through sub‑contractors, staffing agencies, and services involving manual or low‑paid labour.

During 2024/25, we have continued to review the nature of our supply chains to better understand where heightened risk may exist and where additional assurance may be required.

Policies in Relation to Modern Slavery

We have developed a Modern Day Slavery Policy which outlines our zero‑tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking and sets expectations for our staff, contractors, and suppliers. This policy is supported by related policies and procedures, including:

• Safeguarding Policy
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Recruitment and Selection Policy
• Code of Conduct
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy

Our safeguarding responsibilities are particularly robust given the vulnerability of the individuals we support, including survivors of sexual exploitation, people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, and those in crisis.

Assessing and Managing Risk

We are in the early stages of developing a framework for risk assessment, including:

• Mapping of suppliers and identifying high‑risk areas
• Reviewing supplier contracts and onboarding processes
• Exploring due diligence checklists and declarations for suppliers

In 2024/25, we have taken initial steps to plan a more structured approach to supplier assurance, including the identification of priority suppliers for engagement and the scheduling of future review and audit activity.

This will be embedded into our procurement and contract management processes over the coming year.

Due Diligence

At present, we are reviewing and refining our approach to due diligence with suppliers and third parties. This includes:

• Developing a supplier code of conduct
• Considering modern slavery clauses in new contracts
• Encouraging suppliers to provide evidence of anti‑slavery measures

We have also begun engaging with key suppliers to confirm awareness of modern slavery obligations and to plan phased audit and review dates where proportionate and appropriate.

Training

We have begun integrating modern slavery awareness into our staff training and induction processes. This includes:

• Exploitation training module for all operational staff
• Safeguarding awareness sessions

During 2024/25, plans have been developed to introduce targeted modern slavery training for relevant teams, including procurement, recruitment, and contract management, with delivery scheduled for the next financial year.

Monitoring and Evaluation

We are developing a set of internal indicators and reporting mechanisms to help monitor the effectiveness of our approach, including:

• Tracking staff training uptake
• Monitoring safeguarding concerns and whistleblowing reports
• Reviewing supplier engagement activity and planned audit outcomes over time

Approval and Publication

This statement has been approved by the Board of Trustees of Changing Lives and signed by the Chief Executive Officer. It will be reviewed and updated annually and published on our website, with a link clearly marked from the homepage