Modern Slavery Statement
Introduction
This statement is made pursuant
to section 54, Part 6 of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the Act).
The statement sets out the steps that GastGo has taken and our
commitment to improving our practices to ensure that slavery and
human trafficking is not taking place in our platform or any parts
of our business. The Act and our publishing of this statement is
intended to help clients and professionals to make better, more
informed choices about the services they purchase and the
independent professionals they support or with whom they do
business.
GastGo is committed to acting ethically and
with integrity in all its business dealings and relationships and
ensuring that it is not involved, directly or indirectly, in the
commission or facilitation of modern slavery and human trafficking,
or any additional offences set out in the Act. GastGo also expects
its employees, business partners and independent professionals to
apply the same high standard, and to take reasonable steps to ensure
other parties they do business with maintain the same high
standards.
Our Business
GastGo is
an app for independent professionals in the hair and beauty industry
that helps professionals supply services to busy clients in a studio
or home mobile visits. GastGo offers technological tools for
independent professionals professionals such as online booking,
collecting payments and other customer service support. We have a
dedicated team available 24 hours a day and operate in the UK and
USA.
Our Policies on Slavery and Human Trafficking
GastGo is committed to ensuring that it is not involved,
directly or indirectly, for any reason, in the commission or
facilitation of modern slavery and human trafficking. Our Code of
Conduct reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with
integrity
in all our business relationships, to implement
effective controls and processes, and apply a risk-based approach in
seeking reasonable assurance that our professionals and clients are
not involved in the commission or facilitation of modern slavery or
human trafficking.
Our Code of Conduct includes a
whistleblowing policy which encourages and empowers our staff and
independent professionals to identify and disclose details of any
suspected modern slavery or human trafficking, either within our
business practices, or within the business practices of our clients.
Our Code of Conduct is available on our website and everyone is
encouraged to familiarise themselves with it as part of
responsibility when using GastGo.
Our staff undertake
mandatory training on our Code of Conduct. Due Diligence Process for
Slavery and Human Trafficking as part of our initiative to identify
and mitigate risk in this area, we carry out appropriate due
diligence, taking a risk-based approach when entering into business
relationships with independent professionals. This may include
making requests of prospective suppliers to complete a
self-assessment due diligence check, the extent of the checks being
proportionate to and dependent on the assessed risk level of the
supplier. This self-assessment due diligence compliance check will
typically require information relating to that supplier’s compliance
with the requirements of the Act (or equivalent legislation in their
jurisdiction), including details of any required or voluntary modern
slavery statements, its relevant policies and confirmation that it
has program in place to ensure modern slavery and human trafficking
does not exist.
In addition, where a supplier confirms it
is required to make its own statement in accordance with the Act, or
confirms to us that it does so voluntarily, GastGo will review the
content of the statements published. We have also started to
introduce specific contractual obligations relating to the
prevention and mitigation of modern slavery risks in our vendor
contracts on a risk
assessed basis.
Training
To ensure a high level of understanding of the risk of modern
slavery and human trafficking amongst our staff, we are introducing
dedicated training on the requirements of the Act as part of our
compulsory staff induction and onboarding and subsequent compulsory
compliance training program. This training is intended to encourage
our staff to be vigilant to the risks of modern slavery and human
trafficking and take action where appropriate and necessary.
Our
People & Culture team also have the responsibility to monitor
and show that GastGo own staff are recruited and treated within the
confines of local laws and regulations, and are not a victim of any
modern slavery or human trafficking offences arising from their
employment.
Targets and Updates
Our
key targets are to ensure all our staff have completed the dedicated
training regarding the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking
and to refine our vendor risk assessment criteria and procedures for
storing vendor risk assessments and supporting documentation. We
will update this statement on a regular basis to reflect
improvements in our best business practice and guidance.
Approval
This
statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the UK's Modern
Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our modern slavery and human
trafficking statement. The statement was approved by the Board of
Directors.