Modern slavery statement
This slavery and human trafficking statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It constitutes our statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2023.
Introduction from the group chief executive officer
A review of our slavery and human trafficking statement was undertaken during the course of the year. We remain committed to improving our practices to combat slavery and human trafficking.Professional - Respectful of each other and our client's needs, committed to business awareness while driving excellence.
Collaborative - Working together in integrated teams, promoting inclusivity, supporting each other, and empowering success.
Honest - Trusted partners for whom transparency and integrity come first, taking responsibility for our work, our people and our shared success.
Organisational structure and supply chains
Currie & Brown is one of the world’s leading physical assets management and construction consultancies, dedicated to advising clients in respect of the management and utilisation of their physical assets. We operate throughout the world and have offices in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, India and the Middle East.As a professional services business our supply chain is relatively limited.
Our policies on slavery and human trafficking
We aim to work in partnership with all our contractors, suppliers and other business partners to ensure that they share and work towards our opposition to slavery and human trafficking. To manage this, as part of our contracting processes, we include specific prohibitions on the use of forced, compulsory or trafficked labour, or anyone held in slavery or servitude, whether adults or children, and we expect our suppliers to hold their own suppliers to the same high standards. We evaluate all new suppliers with respect to modern slavery and human trafficking risk.
Our anti-slavery and human trafficking policy is available to all our staff via the company intranet and we inform our suppliers of our commitment to preventing modern slavery through their service contract.
Our supplier code of conduct further reinforces our requirements for ethical conduct through our supply chain. Our supplier code of conduct is available on our website.
In 2023 we launched a new internal code of conduct which further reinforces our commitment to ethical business practices. This code signposts to employees their responsibility for ensuring this ethos is replicated in the supply chain.
Due diligence processes
People
As a professional services organisation we deliver our services through our high-quality staff and as such we have robust recruitment practices supported by representatives of our People Team in each region in which we operate. Checks are defined in a group minimum standards document on employee vetting and include evidence to support candidates’ ‘right to work’. This close involvement and oversight limits the risk of employing anyone who is forced or trafficked labour.
Where we have sub-consultants or contractors providing services on our behalf, we require them to comply with our terms which include reference to the procedures and practices outlined in the Currie & Brown modern slavery group policy statement.
The prevention, detection and reporting of modern slavery in any part of our organisation or supply chains is the responsibility of all those working for us or under our control. Employees are required to avoid any activity that might lead to, or suggest, a breach of this policy. Employees are encouraged to raise concerns about any issue or suspicion of modern slavery in any part of our organisation or supply chains at the earliest possible stage.
Whistleblowing arrangements
We encourage the reporting of any wrongdoing through internal and external whistleblowing procedures. These procedures also contain arrangements to ensure the protection of whistleblowers. All employees have access to an independent whistleblowing service and through the supplier code of conduct this service has been made available to our supply chain.
Suppliers
We have arrangements to identify and manage potential risk areas in our supply chain and to work with them through requiring their compliance with the Modern Slavery Act and building long-standing relationships with them.
We are committed as an organisation to tackling modern slavery and human trafficking and want to work with suppliers who share our values. To ensure contractors and those in our supply chain comply with our values, we have in place a supply chain compliance programme which includes standard clauses in sub-contractor/sub-consultant contracts.
Risk assessment
During the year we reviewed and updated our modern slavery risk assessment. This assessment concluded that modern slavery within our business is low risk. However, we continue to recognise the benefits in raising staff awareness of the issues to ensure any concerns within the regions in which we operate or on the projects on which we work are raised appropriately.
Measuring effectiveness
We carry out a review exercise annually to gauge the effectiveness of our arrangements.
This review exercise is informed by the updated risk assessment, any whistleblowing reports and the findings of compliance reviews undertaken during the year.
Training for staff
To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our organisation and our supply chains, we have implemented an e-learning package to relevant staff via our online platform.
Continual improvements
We are committed to improving our practices to combat slavery and human trafficking and will provide updates in future statements. This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 for the financial year ending 31 December 2023 and was approved by the Currie & Brown board of directors at their meeting on 23 January 2024.
Signed
Alan Manuel
Group Chief Executive Officer
23 January 2024
Download our Modern Slavery Act statement 2023