Introduction

Modern slavery is a heinous crime and a morally reprehensible act that deprives a person's liberty and dignity for another person's gain. It is a real problem for millions of people around the world, including many in developed countries, who are being kept and exploited in various forms of slavery.

Every company is at risk of being involved in this crime through its own operations and its supply chain. At Betty Brown Wigs Limited, we have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and are fully committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in our operation and supply chain. This statement sets out the actions taken to understand potential risks and implement preventative steps during the financial year.

Our Business and Supply Chains

We establish a relationship of trust and integrity with all our suppliers, built upon mutually beneficial factors. Our supplier selection and on-boarding procedure includes due diligence of the supplier's reputation, respect for the law, compliance with health, safety and environmental standards, and references.

Note: We have not been made aware of any allegations of human trafficking/slavery activities against any of our suppliers; however, we remain vigilant and will report any such activity to the authorities immediately.

Risk Assessment

In the past year, we conducted a risk assessment of our supply chain taking into account:

• The risk profile of individual countries based on the Global Slavery Index.
• The business services rendered by the suppliers.
• The presence of vulnerable demographic groups.
• News analysis and insights from labour and human rights groups.

Our Policies

We operate the following policies for identifying and preventing slavery and human trafficking:

• Whistleblowing Policy: We encourage all employees, customers, and suppliers to report any suspicion of slavery without fear of retaliation via a confidential helpline.
• Code of Conduct: Defines the ethical behaviour expected of employees when representing our business and managing our supply chain.
• Purchasing Code: Updated to make explicit reference to slavery and human trafficking in all supplier contracts.

Supplier Due Diligence

Betty Brown Wigs conducts due diligence on all new and existing suppliers at regular intervals, including:

• Auditing health and safety standards, labour relations, and contracts.
• Requiring improvements to substandard employment practices.
• Sanctioning suppliers that fail to improve performance.

All suppliers must attest that:

• They do not use forced, compulsory, or slave labour.
• Employees work voluntarily and have a right to leave.
• Contracts include reasonable notice periods.
• No deposits/bonds are required, and salaries are not withheld.
• Passports or work permits are not withheld as a condition of employment.

Training & Awareness

We have raised awareness by placing posters across our facilities and delivering targeted email communications. Our mandatory e-learning course for staff and supplier contacts covers:

• Identifying signs of slavery (e.g., unrealistically low prices).
• Reporting procedures and external help available for victims.
• Steps Betty Brown Wigs Ltd will take if a supplier fails to implement controls.

Measuring Performance

We use the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure our effectiveness:

• Completion rates of mandatory training.
• Volume of reports made via whistleblowing channels.
• Verification of supplier ethical statements and systems.
• Findings from our cross-functional Human Rights reviews.