This statement sets out the actions that Cats Protection is taking to ensure the organisation complies with the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 during 2021.
Cats Protection (CP), incorporating Cats Protection Trustee Ltd and Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd, is the UK's leading feline welfare charity. We help around 200,000 cats and kittens every year thanks in no small part to our network of over 230 volunteer-run branches and 36 centres. We also provide an array of cat care information via our publications, website and Helpline; promote the benefits of neutering to prevent unwanted litters from being born and becoming the abandoned cats of tomorrow and seek to educate people of all ages about cats and their care.
Cats Protection as an organisation is committed to ensuring the business and its supply chains are free of slavery. Cats Protection acknowledges responsibility to comply with all principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and will perform due diligence to provide transparency throughout the organisation.
We work with over 1,500 suppliers across the UK and Europe who supply goods and services to support the operational cat work of the Charity. In addition, Cats Protection works with suppliers who assist with revenue-making activities such as fundraising and retail sales through our network of shops. These suppliers include small, medium and large businesses that provide us with an array of supplies and services including cat food, veterinary drugs and services, IT software and print. We are starting to work more proactively and collaboratively with our key suppliers to understand their polices, protocols and response to the potential risks of modern slavery.
Cats Protection is continuing to apply and undertake changes to our policies and procedures, to minimise the risk of modern slavery in our supply chain, and have introduced a Supplier Code of Conduct and new clauses within our contracts to mitigate this risk. Should our preferred suppliers not be able to reassure us that they have taken measures to lessen the risk within their supply chain then Cats Protection will, where possible, source from alternative suppliers.
The level of management control required for our supply chain will be continually monitored in accordance with Cats Protection’s Finance and Procurement policies which apply to all relevant staff and volunteers.
It is important that those involved with the Charity understand the importance of this commitment and key personnel, within Procurement and Finance, responsible for our relationships with suppliers, have already been trained in this area. We have also made available an eLearning course, which raises the awareness of modern slavery, to all our staff and volunteers.
The Executive Directors are responsible for ensuring that Cats Protection complies with the Act. In doing this it is supported by in-house legal, human resources and procurement expertise.
Cats Protection Executive Management Team takes full responsibility for implementing our policies and objectives to tackle modern slavery and will provide the necessary resources to ensure that our practices are effective in minimising the risk of modern slavery taking place within our supply chains.
In line with requirements under the Modern Slavery Act we will publish an annual transparency statement setting out the ongoing steps we are taking as well as regularly reviewing our operations to ensure our policies remain fit for purpose.
James Yeates
Chief Executive Cats Protection
Date: 17th June 2021