Document control
- Version: 2.0
- Responsible: Chris Boyle
- Approver: Board of Trustees
- Approved date: November 2024
- Next review date: October 2026
1. Introduction
The Royal Academy of Engineering (the Academy) remains committed to taking the appropriate measures to mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking within our organisation and supply chains. This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the Academy’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ended 31 March 2024.
2. Our Organization
The Academy is a charity dedicated to harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. As the UK’s national academy for engineering and technology, we bring together the most talented and successful engineers – our Fellows – to advance and promote excellence in engineering for the benefit of society. Our 1,600 Fellows, drawn from business and academia, voluntarily contribute their time and expertise across all branches of engineering, including emerging technologies.
3. Supply Chain
The Academy engages suppliers to support our operational activities, primarily in the following areas:
- Facilities management
- Information technology
- Catering and events management
- Finance
- Legal and
The risk of modern slavery in our supply chain continues to be considered low due to the nature and limited number of suppliers we engage.
Commitment 1: Consolidate a log of our suppliers and check whether our high-value suppliers have an adequate modern slavery statement. |
23/24 progress: The Governance Team have consolidated a log of Academy suppliers and checked that all our high-value suppliers have a modern slavery statement. Additionally, the Governance Team continues to perform annual spot-checks of our suppliers to ensure they have modern slavery statements. In cases where a statement is missing, we proactively engage with the supplier to understand their approach and ensure compliance. Additionally, we have refined our procurement and due diligence procedures and continue to deliver updated training and resources to all relevant staff. |
4. Our Grant Activities
Our grants, prizes, and awards involve engagement with various organisations, primarily research institutes and engineering organisations. These entities are required to adhere to the Academy’s key policies, including our Modern Slavery Statement. The risk of modern slavery in our grant activities remains very low.
Commitment 2 - The grant-making procedures will undergo a detailed review through the internal audit process in the next two years as per our annual audit plan. This internal audit will ensure that controls are effective and provide recommendations for improvement. |
23/24 progress: Following the internal audit completed in April 2023, which confirmed the very low risk of modern slavery in our grant programmes, we are preparing for a follow-up audit in 2025 to further ensure alignment with best practices and ethical standards. |
5. Policies
The Academy maintains core polices including procurement, whistleblowing policies and a code of conduct for Fellows and employees.
In the last financial year, a law firm helped us review our Procurement Policy and supplier contract templates to ensure that content related to modern slavery remains relevant and effective. We have ensured that the content on modern slavery is present, effective, and still applicable.
6. Due Diligence Processes
The Academy is committed to fostering long-term relationships with suppliers, focusing on advancing policies that minimise risks related to slavery and human trafficking.
Commitment 3 – The Academy is committed to conducting thorough due diligence on various entities with which it associates. This includes, but is not limited to, suppliers contracting over £30k, grantees, development partners, Fellowship candidates, and in-country partners. |
23/24 progress: To enhance our due diligence, we have fully implemented a specialist due-diligence solution that screens individuals and organisations against various watchlists, including those related to human trafficking. This solution includes continuous monitoring, ensuring that the Academy remains informed of any changes in the due diligence status of our suppliers. We will continue to refine our approach to ensure comprehensive risk mitigation. |
7. Risk Assessment and Management
The risk of modern slavery within the Academy remains lows and is documented in the Corporate Risk Register. The risk is managed through our corporate risk management process, which includes quarterly reviews by the Audit and Risk Committee.
8. Key Performance Indicators
There are still no key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of our modern slavery efforts, given the low risk associated with our operations. Our priority continues to be on improving training and evaluating procedures through the internal audit function
9. Training
All new employees attend a mandatory induction session, which includes information on our policies. These policies are accessible via the intranet, and all employees are required to familiarise themselves with the core policies upon joining the Academy.
The Head of Risk and Compliance will be responsible for the documentation and implementation of the modern slavery related procedures.
Commitment 4 - Training will be provided for any changes to policy and procedures as a result of the recommendations arising from the recent legal advice. We are also assessing whether e-learning is an appropriate avenue for modern slavery training at the Academy. |
23/24 progress: Our compliance e-learning pathway, introduced in 2023, now includes a module on modern slavery, which is mandatory for all staff members. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of this training and its suitability for raising awareness and understanding of modern slavery risks at the Academy. |