Financial Year: 2026
Publication Date: 3 February 2026
Applicable to: Hardihood Healthcare Ltd and all its subsidiaries
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Hardihood Healthcare’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement for the financial year 2026. It outlines the steps we have taken and continue to take to ensure that modern slavery and human trafficking are not taking place within our business or supply chains.
As an organisation providing residential care to vulnerable children and young people, we recognise our profound ethical and legal responsibility to uphold the highest standards of conduct. We are committed to acting with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships, and to implementing effective systems and controls to safeguard against any form of modern slavery.
Hardihood Healthcare Ltd operates registered children’s homes in England, providing therapeutic residential care for young people aged 9-17 with complex mental health and behavioural needs. Our workforce comprises directly employed care, clinical, education, and support staff.
We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in any form, including servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking. We are committed to:
Complying with the letter and spirit of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Ensuring transparency in our own business and our approach to tackling modern slavery.
Acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships.
Implementing due diligence processes for mitigating risk in our business and supply chains.
Providing protection for whistleblowers.
Our Safeguarding Policy, Whistleblowing Policy, and Recruitment Policy all support this commitment and provide clear frameworks for reporting concerns.
Our supply chains are limited but include:
Staff recruitment agencies (for temporary cover)
Providers of food, utilities, and maintenance services
Suppliers of therapeutic equipment and furnishings
Professional service providers (e.g., legal, accounting, training)
We assess all significant suppliers for modern slavery risks as part of our procurement and contracting processes.
To identify and mitigate risks, we:
Direct Employment: Conduct rigorous right-to-work checks, follow safe recruitment practices (including DBS checks and thorough reference verification), and ensure all employment is voluntary.
Agency Staff: Only use reputable, audited agencies that comply with the Act and confirm their workers are employed legally and fairly.
Supplier Adherence: Expect our suppliers to comply with the Modern Slavery Act. Our standard terms require compliance, and we may terminate contracts where breaches are identified.
Sector-Specific Risk Awareness: We recognise that the social care sector can be vulnerable to exploitation. We mitigate this through robust HR practices, fair pay above the national living wage, and direct management oversight.
To ensure a high level of understanding of modern slavery risks, we:
Provide training on modern slavery and our related policies to key staff involved in recruitment, procurement, and management.
Include awareness of modern slavery indicators in our mandatory safeguarding training for all care staff.
Ensure our Whistleblowing Policy is communicated to all staff and provides safe, confidential avenues to raise concerns.
We encourage all employees, volunteers, contractors, and other stakeholders to report any suspicion of modern slavery or human trafficking without fear of retaliation.
Concerns can be raised with a line manager, the Designated Safeguarding Lead, or via our confidential Whistleblowing Hotline.
All reports will be investigated promptly and in line with our disciplinary and safeguarding procedures.
We will cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies where appropriate.
We monitor the effectiveness of our approach through:
The number and nature of concerns raised and subsequent investigations.
Completion rates of mandatory safeguarding and modern slavery training.
Regular review of recruitment and procurement practices.
This statement will be reviewed and updated annually. Our policies and procedures are subject to continuous improvement.
This statement has been approved by the Board of Directors of Hardihood Healthcare Ltd, who are responsible for ensuring its implementation.
Signed:
Hardihood Healthcare Ltd
Date: 3 February 2026
