Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Policy

Purpose

To ensure that everyone at MediServices Healthcare Ltd is aware of the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy and Procedure in line with local and national guidelines. This policy refers to adults who may be at risk. This policy must be read alongside the Safeguarding policy. MediServices Healthcare Ltd will ensure that staff understand Redditch Borough Council safeguarding reporting procedures and that these procedures are communicated to all staff.

To support MediServices Healthcare Ltd in meeting the following key lines of enquiry/quality statements

Key Question	Key Lines of Enquiry	Quality Statements
SAFE	S1. How do systems, processes, and practices keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse?	QSS3: Safeguarding
WELL-LED	W1. Is there a clear vision and credible strategy to deliver high-quality care and support, and promote a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive, and empowering, which achieves good outcomes for people?	QSW1: Shared direction and culture QSW2: Capable, compassionate, and inclusive leaders
WELL-LED	W2: Does the governance framework ensure that responsibilities are clear, and that quality performance, risks, and regulatory requirements are understood and managed?	QSW5: Governance, management and sustainability

SAFE

Key Lines of Enquiry: S1. How do systems, processes, and practices keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse?

Quality Statements: QSS3: Safeguarding

WELL-LED

Key Lines of Enquiry: W1. Is there a clear vision and credible strategy to deliver high-quality care and support, and promote a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive, and empowering, which achieves good outcomes for people?

Quality Statements: QSW1: Shared direction and culture, QSW2: Capable, compassionate, and inclusive leaders

WELL-LED

Key Lines of Enquiry: W2: Does the governance framework ensure that responsibilities are clear, and that quality performance, risks, and regulatory requirements are understood and managed?

Quality Statements: QSW5: Governance, management and sustainability

To meet the legal requirements of the regulated activities that MediServices Healthcare Ltd is registered to provide:

The Modern Slavery Act 2015
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Human Rights Act 1998
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Scope

The following roles may be affected by this policy:

All staff
Registered Manager
Other Management

The following service users may be affected by this policy:

Patients

Objectives

To promote awareness of concerns surrounding slavery and human trafficking and promote the commitment of MediServices Healthcare Ltd to addressing slavery and human trafficking in all its forms. To ensure that identification, protection, care, and support for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking is at the heart of our safeguarding procedures.

Policy

Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms, such as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour, and human trafficking, all of which include the deprivation of a person’s liberty by another to exploit them for personal or commercial gain. MediServices Healthcare Ltd has a zero-tolerance approach to Modern slavery within the business and supply chains and we are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our dealings and relationships. We will implement and enforce effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in MediServices Healthcare Ltd.

All staff will be made aware of the issues surrounding slavery and human trafficking while being encouraged and supported to report any concerns to MediServices Healthcare Ltd management. We will also support any staff that may be subject to slavery or human trafficking. Where modern slavery or human trafficking is identified, MediServices Healthcare Ltd will share information with the Redditch Borough Council Safeguarding Team to safeguard the individual from harm and to prevent future situations from arising, to promote the elimination of routes and sources of slavery or human trafficking.

All line managers are responsible for ensuring that those reporting directly to them comply with the provisions of this policy in the day-to-day performance of their roles. All employees who suspect any members of the workplace to be victims of modern slavery must notify their line manager. All employees will be informed of the Freedom to Speak Up and Whistleblowing Policy and procedure. This policy and associated procedure enable MediServices Healthcare Ltd to thoroughly investigate allegations of any wrongdoing raised by employees within MediServices Healthcare Ltd without fear of reprisal.

Procedure

Reporting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Concerns

The following procedure must take place where there are any concerns that someone is a victim of modern slavery or human trafficking. MediServices Healthcare Ltd must ensure that staff are aware that victims of modern slavery or trafficking will often not self-identify. Many will present with a different issue.

A concern is identified – this could be a patient as a victim or perpetrator, or a patient informs us of a concern they have.
If an individual or group of people are in immediate risk of danger or harm, the police must be immediately notified by calling 999.
The staff member must discuss this with their line manager and the registered manager immediately.
The registered manager contacts and escalates the concern immediately to the Redditch Borough Council Safeguarding Adults Team.
A notification is made to the CQC via the provider portal.

Safer recruitment

All staff engaged with providing services at MediServices Healthcare Ltd will be subject to thorough and rigorous recruitment procedures that will include a DBS check, identity check, confirmation of validity to work in the UK, employment history, suitability for the role, and references, this will minimise the chance of employing a person that has been, or who is subject to, slavery of human trafficking.

MediServices Healthcare will only use staff provided by third-party organisations (such as agencies) that are either registered with the regulator or who can confirm that the staff being supplied are free to work in the UK and meet all the requirements for the role being provided for.

Emergency Contact

In the event of urgent advice required please call the office on 020 3868 6249 and ask for the Registered Manager or the Governance Lead.

For clinical advice please ask for the Head of Clinical Governance. In an emergency, please follow the hospital procedures and call the emergency team internally.

Clinical Governance

MediServices Healthcare continuously strives to uphold an excellent standard of service.

Led by our Medical Director, our clinical governance committee ensures that the quality of all services is continually monitored and reviewed.

Governance

Testimonials

MediServices Healthcare is committed to providing seamless insourcing and outsourcing solutions, our clients are at the heart of everything we do.

Another appointment today for ultrasound. The technician was absolutely brilliant!! His name was Bart, and he kept me laughing through the whole process, he was courteous, efficient, very friendly, and treated me with dignity & respect. Well done!! We need more like him. I sit on the Patients Relations Team as a volunteer, so I always take notice of how staff help to support patients.

Elaine Everton - Patients Relations Team Volunteer— Walsall Manor Hospital

Edili Quinones-Ortiz was in theatre with myself doing the Spinal Cord Monitoring on Monday 31 July. I was extremely impressed with her skills and professionalism, and wanted to feed this back to you. Myself and my team would be very happy to have Edili monitor for us the future.

Mr Reynolds, Consultant Spinal Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Spinal Surgery— Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust

MediServices Healthcare Ltd has been supporting us on an ad-hoc basis since 2021 with our waiting lists. We have found them always responsive and their sonographers have fitted well within our inhouse teams. Their team are extremely helpful and always strive to improve the service they offer, by asking for feedback. Great team to work with and would definitely recommend their service.

Hayley Whitehouse, Professional Lead for Ultrasound/Deputy Radiology Service Manager— Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

In order to support our diagnostic backlogs, following a competitive tender MediServices Healthcare was contracted to support us for a period of 9 months. During this time they helped us to provide both EEG and EMG patients with their tests in a timely manner.

Coordinating the effective transfer of information and contacting patients for both EEG and EMG tests was a huge undertaking. However, the service that was provided was excellent, and would not have been possible without the proactive nature of the team and the exemplary team members allocated to this project. I would like to thank MediServices Healthcare, most sincerely, for their patience and the high-quality service that was provided over the period of 10 months.

Sam Tyrell - Service Delivery Manager— Neurophysiology Department. The Royal London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

SRFT have been working with MediServices for a number of years.

SRFT is one of the largest neurosciences centres in the country and has a significant and growing need for neurophysiological services including IOM and EMG. We have found MediServices to be consistently professional, flexible, and responsive to our service needs over this period and would have no reservations in recommending their services to other providers.

Sam Dickens— Divisional Director Of Operations And Performance At Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

We have worked with MediServices for over 12 months and developed a close working partnership with both the visiting neurophysiologists and health care assistants (HCAs). Their continuing professionalism and commitment to supporting our neurophysiology service have enabled our neurophysiology service in Wolverhampton to maintain waiting times and provide patients with first-rate service.

The MediServices team has seamlessly integrated into the team, quickly adapting to our routine of working, but more importantly have been friendly and willing to help with any issues. We have utilised MediServices in a variety of ways, to reduce EMG and EEG waiting lists or to cover Consultant leave and MediServices have accommodated our needs with no fuss in negotiating the best arrangement to provide a complete service.

Patients have nothing but praise for all the MediServices personnel, complimenting them on their kindness and ability to make them, as patients, feel relaxed and at ease.
Stephanie Collins— Assistant Manager Neurophysiology Department

I wanted to say thank you so much for the excellent professional support you have given the department over the past 8 months (EMG/NCS). We have really enjoyed working with you. The consultants that you have provided us have been of excellent professional standards.

I would like to say Dr A has been amazing and has been an absolute pleasure to work with. We are now in the excellent and fortunately position to have appointed a substantial consultant, but I would still like to keep our working relationship open so that if we did need cover for sickness or holidays we could get in touch.
Kelly Bill— Clinical Service Manager, Neurophysiology. Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Thought I would drop you a line to say how brilliant the two members of staff were that completed the EEG on my son today. They made him feel completely at ease, were patient and answered all of our questions as well as being very kind.
Mrs C.C. MediServices Healthcare— Working on behalf of Barts Health NHS Trust

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