Jellycat Ltd Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement 2021/22
This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 which was passed in the UK in recognition that throughout the world there are offences of slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking. It highlights the need for discourse and awareness of the topic and requires UK businesses to produce a statement regarding the steps they have taken throughout the financial year to demonstrate the part they have played in mitigating this issue.
We at Jellycat are determined that slavery and human trafficking in any form should not enter our supply chain, and the integrity with which our products are created should be upheld all the way through the manufacturing process and beyond.
Our Business
We have a Head Office in London, a UK warehouse facility, an office in Minneapolis, USA and an office in Shanghai, China. In each location, our senior management have a clear directive to report any concerns in relation to modern slavery and to act upon them without delay.
Our Supply Chain
Since our establishment in 1999 we have strived to develop, maintain and uphold direct and sustainable relationships with all our manufacturers and suppliers as this provides us with a transparency throughout every step of the manufacturing process. It also encourages a partnership based on honesty and openness. Our supply chain, the people who help manufacture and deliver our products, includes manufacturers in Asia, international shippers and 3rd party warehouses in Hong Kong, Minneapolis, and Shanghai.
We have always worked closely with any new manufacturer to ensure they are audited to social and ethical standards before we commence any manufacturing of Jellycat products. Subsequent annual audits are conducted wherever any Jellycat design is manufactured, and these all follow a recognised audit programme such as ICTI, SA8000 or BSCI and include worker interviews, documentary evidence checks and site tours. These assessments and audits can be planned or unannounced and are carried out by both third parties and senior Jellycat personnel.
Our Policies
We are committed to the wellbeing and welfare of our colleagues and workers in our supply chain. To reinforce our zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery, we introduced the Jellycat Responsible Sourcing Code of Practice (JCRSCOP). The JCRSCOP is used in conjunction with our long-standing, existing requirements for social compliance transparency and regular third-party audits.
It specifies in more detail the obligation of those manufacturers and suppliers that work with us to adhere to the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 ensuring there is compliance and support within the management of our manufacturers and suppliers, embedding the understanding that Jellycat will not tolerate any form of modern slavery.
All our key tier 1 manufacturing partners have signed the JCRSCOP to demonstrate their commitment to the standards we have laid out within it.
Our Progress
In this financial year, 2021/22, we continued to support all suppliers remotely due to local and regional travel restrictions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We focused on continuity of production with our manufacturers to ensure they upheld their obligations to the workers in our supply chain.
Whilst travel in person was limited, we maintained close contact through email and video conferences/calls. As soon as travel restrictions eased, resumed travelling for face-to-face meetings with our suppliers and manufacturers.
We began working directly with key tier 2 suppliers to ensure they are aware of our expectations and the requirements within the JCRSCOP. We also encouraged and supported our manufacturing partners to make their suppliers aware of the requirements within our JCRSCOP. Going forward we will ask for a commitment from key tier 2 suppliers to ensure compliance with the JCRSCOP is documented and reported back to us.
The JCCOP for manufacturing quality and the JCRSCOP are both evolving documents that we continue to review and update.
We continue to have a direct ongoing dialogue with key partners within the supply chain to reiterate the values integral to our business and that these need to be adhered to within their supply chain too.
Next Steps
Looking forward into the next financial year (2022/23) our scope will broaden further to suppliers within the UK, including those who supply packaging materials to our warehouse and production of marketing materials.
We will continue to map out key tier 2 suppliers and engage with them to ensure their adherence to the JCRSCOP and our commitment to ensuring modern slavery and human trafficking does not enter our supply chain.
We will continue to engage with logistics partners at our warehouses in the handling of our direct to consumer and business to business orders.
We will continue to assess our policies in the areas of recruitment, whistleblowing, supply of goods and services and due diligence assessments.
We will review and update training and support information for Jellycat colleagues as well as our key third party partners.
This statement is made in reference to section 54 (1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 for the financial year 2021-2022 and has been approved by the Board of Directors
Arnaud Meysselle
CEO
On behalf of the Board of Directors
