Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement

Financial year: [year] · Last updated: [date]

Template — complete the highlighted details and approve at board/owner level before publishing. (A statement under s.54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is a legal requirement only for organisations above the turnover threshold; many smaller businesses publish one voluntarily as good practice.)

This statement sets out the steps taken by [Full legal company name] trading as Backbone Global Legal Services (“BGLS”) to understand and minimise the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking in our business and supply chains.

Our commitment

We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity, and to preventing modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking in any part of our business or supply chain. We have a zero‑tolerance approach to any such conduct.

Our business

BGLS provides administrative, management and operational back‑office support to law firms, legal professionals and related organisations, operated from the United Kingdom and serving clients internationally.

Our people and policies

We recruit lawfully, verify the right to work of everyone we employ, and pay at least applicable minimum wage rates.
Our staff are engaged freely, with clear terms, and are never required to lodge deposits or identity documents.
We maintain supporting policies (including whistleblowing and equal opportunities) that enable concerns to be raised and dealt with.

Our supply chains and due diligence

Our supply chain is limited and largely comprises professional, technology and office‑services providers, which we consider to be lower risk. We expect our suppliers to comply with applicable anti‑slavery and employment laws, and we take proportionate steps to satisfy ourselves of this.

Risk assessment and steps taken

We keep the risk of modern slavery in our operations and supply chain under review and take proportionate steps to address any risks identified. We will continue to develop our approach as the business grows.

Training and awareness

We raise awareness among our people of the risks of modern slavery and how to report concerns.

Approval

This statement was approved by [name, title] on behalf of [Full legal company name] on [date].