Social Impact

We have broken social impact into three critical areas modern slavery, social value and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Modern Slavery

The Modern Slavery Act 2015, in essence, applies to all commercial organisations supplying goods or services with a minimum turnover of £36 million per year, or those typically termed "large businesses". However, tackling Modern Slavery or understanding should not just be for the large businesses; we can all do our bit.

PA Housing starts with our staff and suppliers being observant when out and about dealing with any issues via our safeguarding policy. Then, it is about getting the word out, speaking about Modern Slavery, and being aware of the signs.

The Procurement Team is delivering best practices and ensures that there is a robust supplier onboarding process and that our procurements capture the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Spotting the signs of Modern Slavery

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Shows signs of physical or psychological abuse.

Looks malnourished or unkempt, anxious/agitated, or appears withdrawn, and neglected.

They may have untreated injuries.

ISOLATION

Rarely allowed to travel on their own, seem under the control, under the influence of others.

Rarely interact or appear unfamiliar with their neighbourhood or where they work.

Relationships that don't seem right. For example, a young teenager appearing to be the boyfriend/girlfriend of a much older adult.

POOR LIVING CONDITIONS

Living in dirty, cramped, or overcrowded accommodation and/or living and working at the same address.

RESTRICTED FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

Having no identification documents.

Having few personal possessions and always wearing the same clothes day in, day out. What clothes they do wear may not be suitable for their work.

Having little opportunity to move freely. They may have had their travel documents retained, e.g., passports.

UNUSUAL TRAVEL TIMES

Being dropped off/collected at work on a regular basis, either very early or late at night.

Unusual travel arrangements – children being dropped off/picked up in private cars/taxis at unusual times and in places where it isn't clear why they'd be there.

RELUCTANT TO SEEK HELP

Avoiding eye contact, appear frightened, or hesitant to talk to strangers.

Fearing law enforcers for many reasons, such as not knowing who to trust or where to get help, fear of deportation, fear of violence to them or their family.

Further support
The Procurement Team have identified organisations who are working to tackle Modern Slavery; these sites will be able to give you greater insight.

Social Value

In 2012, the Social Value Act was launched. Within the Act, there is a requirement for including social value within procurements, and PA Housing is committed to delivering this. Social value is about contributing, enhancing, and making a fundamental difference to society. It should also include giving, going above and beyond to improve wellbeing, financial inclusion, digital inclusion, and employability. For PA Housing, it is about making a difference to our residents and the communities we serve and you operate within.

PA Housing believes that together, we can deliver social value and that delivery is based on generosity – it's not just an additional item to cost into a contract for us. There is a real opportunity for our supply chain to add value to our communities. PA Housing has a framework, and this publication can be found in our documents and guidance section.

In addition, PA Housing has a Procurement Manager who is committed to delivering social value and has a dedicated working group who work with our supply chain.

Further Support

We know that understanding the social value and being aware of how you can support it may be confusing. Still, we are passionate about delivering social value through our procurements as an organisation. Furthermore, we understand that different contract lengths and contract values will provide differing interactions. If you have any questions or would like to discuss how you can pledge your support, please email us.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We believe that Everybody is unique and we're committed to promoting equality, diversity, inclusion, and a culture that actively values difference. We recognise that people from different backgrounds and experiences can bring valuable insights to the workplace and enhance our work. As an organisation, we are committed to working with suppliers and contractors who have the same outlook and ethos.

We also appreciate that we will be working with suppliers of different sizes and differing levels of investment into equality, diversity, and inclusion. To ensure that our suppliers commit to a policy, we ask suppliers to evidence their policies via our procurements. This is a mandatory item for suppliers to have. Consideration has been given to the different suppliers, and suppliers who do not have a policy are asked to make a statement that they will commit to working to the ethos of PA Housing's policy, which can be found in the documents and guidance section.