Modern Slavery Statement

Organisation
This statement applies to Victorian Plumbing Ltd (referred to in this statement as 'We', 'the Organisation' and 'Victorian Plumbing'). The information included in this statement refers to the financial year 2020/2021.

Organisation & Structure
Victorian Plumbing Ltd is an online retailer of bathroom fixtures, accessories and decor products. It is headquartered in Skelmersdale, England with other sites across the North West and Midlands.

Products sourced from EU, Middle East, South Asia and East Asia are sold to consumers in the UK, EU and worldwide through the organisations principal trading website, www.victorianplumbing.co.uk

At the end of the 2020 financial year, the Organisation employed 369 permanent staff at its UK sites across Merseyside, Manchester and Birmingham. Approximately 85% of its staff were directly employed and not in any category generally accepted as vulnerable to modern slavery in the United Kingdom.

During the last financial year, the Organisation employed temporary workers to meet short term peaks in demand for its products and services. These workers were employed via recruitment agencies who meet the Organisation’s requirements of:

• Ensuring all temporary workers have valid documentation and the right to work in the UK
• Being of reputable standing.

Definition Of Modern Slavery
The Organisation considers that modern slavery encompasses

• Human trafficking
• Forced work, through mental or physical threat
• Being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse, or threat of abuse
• Being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property
• Being physically constrained or having restrictions placed on freedom of movement

Commitment
Victorian Plumbing Ltd recognises its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery. The Organisation commits to complying with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 through continuous review of practices in relation to its own labour force and external supply chains.

We do not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

Victorian Plumbing recognises that the supply of goods for sale can involve procurement from intermediary traders who have further relationships within the supply chain. In order to combat modern slavery within complex relationships, this will be an area of focus for 2021.

The Organisation makes thorough checks to ensure that every employee or temporary part of the workforce is eligible to work in the UK. The Organisation practices in accordance with Home Office guidelines on the 'Prevention of Illegal Working'.

Victorian Plumbing ensures all staff responsible for hiring are familiar with proper checks to ensure that all employees have the right to work in the UK. We also ensure all employee working hours are within limits set by the Working Time Regulations 1998.

All employees are paid in accordance with the National Living Wage.

Risk Areas & Mitigation Of Risk
The main area of risk in Victorian Plumbing’s normal course of business is within the supply chain. The complex nature of relationships and multi-party agreements requires further focus to ensure the Organisation is not inadvertently exposed to modern slavery. Details of this are highlighted below.

Impact Of COVID-19
During the period, the impact to normal day-to-day conditions caused by COVID-19 caused no delay or change to our focus on modern slavery.

During any government measures in domestic and foreign settings, all employees still had proper resources, working conditions and remuneration. We also continued the same modern slavery monitoring procedures as before.

Focus For 2021

• The Organisation plans to open a foreign office in each large supply country to allow for closer working relationships and in-house audit processes. These audits will be developed to maintain that suppliers throughout the supply chain work to our product quality standards, health and safety standards, and to prevent exposure to modern slavery. This also includes a review of any existing agreements to make improvements where necessary.
• Victorian Plumbing will look to develop a new dedicated modern slavery agreement for use in domestic relationships with businesses such as temporary worker recruitment agencies and service contractors.
  We will continue to monitor all aspects of our business to ensure high standards of welfare and
• wellbeing are maintained.