Modern slavery statement

The University of Lancashire, founded in 1828 in Preston with campuses in Burnley and Westlakes, is one of the UK’s leading modern universities. With a vibrant community of 32,000 students and staff, it is dedicated to academic excellence, student success, research and knowledge exchange that changes lives.

Contributing over £300 million annually to Lancashire’s economy, the University drives growth in key sectors such as Cyber and Digital Security, Health and Health Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing. Nearly 40% of its graduates remain in Lancashire, reflecting its deep commitment to the region’s prosperity.

A recognised leader in widening access to higher education, the University creates life-changing opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds. Its teaching emphasises real-world learning, industry engagement, and career development, supported by world-class facilities and global partnerships.

Its research has real-world relevance and global impact, particularly in health, digital technology, sustainability, and social policy.

Our subsidiary, University of Lancashire Resources Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University and is subject, in any procurement dealings, to the same vetting processes in place for the University, as set out below.

The University has an annual turnover in the region of over £300 million, of which c£100 million is spent on goods and services to support the running of the University, with a further c£28 million a year on average on its capital program over the last 5 years.

The University is supported by Procurement & Commercial Services in the delivery of significant procurements and the oversight of contract management.

The University procures a significant range of goods, works, and services across key categories of spend including but not limited to Soft Facilities

Management, Construction & Hard Facilities Management, Information, Communications & Technology, Business & Administration Services, and Medical Supplies.

The University expects its suppliers and other business partners to uphold the same high ethical standards in promoting safe and fair working conditions and promoting ethical sourcing within their supply chains. Whilst the University believes the risk of modern slavery in our supply chains is low, our policies and practices are designed to identify and mitigate any risk.

The University mitigates the risk of modern slavery occurring in its workforce by ensuring that directly employed staff are recruited in line with robust HR recruitment policies. A Whistleblowing Policy is in place for members of staff to raise any concerns about wrongdoing by the University.

Staff employed on a temporary basis via agencies are recruited only through established sources that can provide assurance, via the procurement procedures referred to below, that they fully comply with legislation relating to the rights and welfare of their candidates and employees.

The Procurement team is responsible for managing the University's supply chains.

Procurement spend covers a vast range of goods, services, and works and therefore the risk of modern slavery and trafficking is significant. The University currently assesses that the principal areas of procurement which carrying increased risk of modern slavery and human trafficking are:

• Construction
• Manufacturing and electronics
• Garment/ textile production, including footwear
• Food processing
• Services, including hospitality, security services, cleaning, and catering
• Logistics, including warehousing and transport
• Healthcare and social care

It is therefore vital that the University works closely with suppliers in the above categories to understand and assess where items originate and the conditions under which the supply chain operates. The University, particularly the Procurement team, is committed to working with suppliers to further develop this knowledge and understanding and to assist in improving conditions wherever possible. Early engagement with suppliers and supply chains on any project allows the Procurement team to identify potential risks in producing or delivering the requirement and, if necessary, mitigate or eliminate these risks through the competitive tender process.

As part of the University’s initiative to identify, manage and mitigate risk, we have in place, along with consortia partners whose purchasing frameworks we use, processes and systems to:

• Identify and assess potential risk areas in our supply chains
• Mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring in our supply chains
• Protect whistleblowers

These measures are embedded into the University’s procedures, and we are also aware that similar measures have been taken within other public sector frameworks and contracts that we can access to supply the University.

The University is a member of the North Western Universities Purchasing

Consortium (NWUPC), which operates under the banner of UK Universities

Procurement Consortia (UKUPC), a body dedicated to improving both the quality and level of collaborative procurement across the HE sector. Together, these consortia have published a shared Sustainability Policy to which all members, including the University, are committed. This policy sets out the steps that must be taken in major contract procurement processes that are conducted for consortium members to help to ensure that slavery and human trafficking do not occur in the supply chain.

The University of Lancashire is signed up to the NETpositive Futures Supplier Engagement Tool (HE), and we are committed to improving our understanding of our supply chains.

The NETpositive Supplier Engagement (HE) Tool provides access to a single mechanism for engaging our supply chain on issues of modern slavery and human trafficking. This tool was developed by the North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium (NWUPC), the University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) and the North Eastern University Purchasing Consortia (NEUPC).

The University can provide the Engagement Tool (HE) to our suppliers, enabling them to generate their own bespoke Action Plans. It allows us to interrogate generated data that is generated to understand not only how our suppliers progressing in relation to modern slavery (and sustainability) but also to better understand their needs. The tool provides the following functions:

1. Provides a single mechanism to engage contracted and non-contracted suppliers on issues of modern slavery
2. Collects data on which of our suppliers are aware of and engaged with aspects of modern slavery (and those who are not)
3. Provides a mechanism for us to offer support, guidance or training to our supply base and to share best practice among them
4. Enables us to track actions being taken and progress made by our supply chain in addressing aspects of modern slavery
5. Provides us with access to this information in real time
6. Allows us to build modern slavery into our contract management processes based on the action plans developed by your suppliers

The University will review methods to better encourage suppliers to sign up to the tool and use it effectively.

The intention is for the University to actively encourage suppliers to use NETpositive in our joint efforts to combat modern slavery, rather than simply asking them how they approach it.

The University has a “Responsible Procurement” Policy that ensures that decisions on the procurement of goods, works or services are undertaken in line with our commitments under the following themes:

• Delivering social value
• Improving environmental sustainability
• Promoting ethical sourcing practices
• Encouraging equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University is committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or any part of our business. To ensure this commitment is met consistently and appropriately, the University addresses modern slavery within its trading terms.

Our People Policies ensure that workers are appointed legally, and rigorous checks are carried out on all new appointments both permanent and fixed term, including student workers and international researchers. These policies are fully supported by

Guidance for Managers. The appointment of temporary or interim resources is approved by the Resources Committee and monitored by both Human Resources and Procurement.

The University has appointed a Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, who will be supported by the People team in delivering the agenda from the staff perspective. The People Team is responsible for supporting equality and diversity policy development and implementation and seeks to engage all University staff in promoting a positive and fully inclusive work environment. The University gives legal consideration to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 through an Equality Impact Assessment process by reviewing all the equality impact assessments carried out on the University policies, functions, and practices.

The University is committed, in its pursuit of academic excellence, to equality of opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity.

The University spends approximately £128 million on goods, services and works per annum, including major capital programmes, and therefore has a significant opportunity to leverage its supply chain to deliver additional benefits to the University, students, local residents, businesses and communities.

By paying careful attention to how goods, services or works will be delivered, who may be delivering them and what else the supplier can do to deliver added value, the University aims to deliver social value, improve environmental sustainability, promote ethical sourcing practices and encourage equality, diversity, and inclusion.

The University has rolled out the Procurement Code, which sets the mandatory rules on behalf of the University and its wholly owned subsidiaries, including all staff of the

University and any persons or organisations responsible for supplier selection and awarding, managing and monitoring procurement contracts on behalf of the University. The Procurement Code applies to all procurement activity and the approach to responsible procurement supplements this.

To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery in our supply chains, Procurement staff complete awareness training.

The University is committed to acquiring goods, services or works without causing harm to others. The University supports the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code, which is founded on the conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and is an internationally recognised code of labour practice. The standards are:

• Employment is freely chosen
• Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected
• Working conditions are safe and hygienic
• Child labour shall not be used
• Living wages are paid
• "Regular employment is practised." This outlaws precarious and unreliable zero-hour contracts where attendance at work is at the employer’s discretion.
• "No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed." This includes physical, sexual and verbal abuse as well as subhuman working conditions and practises.

The University has zero tolerance for slavery and human trafficking. Any supplier or potential supplier who does not adhere to our values will be suspended or removed from the University's supplier list and will not be considered for future supply unless they can demonstrate full compliance with the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Contract clauses on modern slavery have been introduced to all the University’s contracts to ensure that, should a supplier breach such conditions, the University has the right to terminate the contract.

Recognising the evolving challenges of modern slavery and human trafficking, the University is committed to strengthening transparency across its supply chains. This commitment will be delivered through regular reviews of trading terms, proactive engagement with suppliers via tools such as NETpositive, and the use of feedback from platforms like the Social Value Portal to drive continuous improvement. By fostering collaboration and promoting awareness, we aim to ensure that our suppliers are supported in addressing risks and enhancing sustainability practices.