Social mission

Woodford operates as a social enterprise, committed to reinvesting our profits into creating positive social change. We believe that children in care deserve more than the traditional models of residential childcare, which too often fail due to poor commissioning and short-term thinking. Our model bridges the gap by offering trauma-informed care that supports both the child’s emotional recovery and personal development. Through our therapeutic, evidence-based approach, we work to break the cycle of trauma and help children move forward in a way that is safe, supportive, and deeply reflective of their individual needs

OUR OBJECTIVES

By providing services in the open market, we create employment and reinvest our profits back into our business. This allows us to tackle social problems caused by family breakdown and improve the life chances of the children who have been taken into care as a result.

We provide emotional and behavioural support for them as well as training and employment opportunities for our colleagues. We care for children from the local area, therefore supporting the communities in which we operate.

We’re providing safe and nurturing environments where children suffering the impacts of trauma can build stable relationships and begin to manage their emotions and behaviours in a positive way.

We’re creating jobs and opportunities for those who may have no previous experience or qualifications, having a positive impact on the communities we work in and providing local authorities with quality services at moral value.

Modern slavery statement

At Woodford, we are fully committed to ensuring that modern slavery and human trafficking have no place in our business or supply chain. As a provider of residential childcare services in the social care sector, we recognize our responsibility to prevent and address any form of modern slavery. We are dedicated to acting ethically, with integrity, and in compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Our Business

Woodford provides residential childcare services aimed at supporting vulnerable children and young people. We create safe, nurturing environments where children can thrive, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards when it comes to protecting human rights and promoting ethical labour practices in every aspect of our operations.

Our Commitment

We are committed to:

• Identifying, preventing, and addressing any risks of modern slavery or human trafficking in our operations and supply chain.

• Ensuring that all employees, contractors, and suppliers adhere to fair labor practices in line with our values.

• Continuously monitoring and improving our policies and procedures to ensure compliance with anti-slavery regulations.

Our Policies

We have implemented the following policies to reinforce our commitment to combat modern slavery:

• Code of Conduct: Outlines our expectations for ethical behavior from all staff, including the protection of human rights and the fair treatment of all individuals.

• Supplier Code of Conduct: Ensures that our suppliers adhere to ethical labor standards and prohibits the use of forced labor, child labor, or human trafficking.

• Safeguarding Policy: Reflects our commitment to protecting the vulnerable children and young people in our care from exploitation, including any form of modern slavery.

Our Supply Chain

As part of our effort to prevent modern slavery, we:

• Conduct due diligence on all suppliers and contractors to ensure they adhere to our ethical standards.

• Require all suppliers to sign our Supplier Code of Conduct, which strictly prohibits modern slavery, human trafficking, and unfair labor practices.

• Regularly assess and monitor our supply chain to mitigate any risks related to modern slavery.

Training and Awareness

To ensure that all staff members are aware of the risks and signs of modern slavery, we:

• Provide training on recognizing and preventing modern slavery and human trafficking, both within our operations and across our supply chain.

• Offer clear guidelines for reporting any concerns or suspicions of modern slavery through confidential reporting channels.

Reporting

We encourage all employees, suppliers, and stakeholders to report any concerns regarding modern slavery or human trafficking. All reports will be handled confidentially, and we will take prompt, appropriate action to investigate and address any issues.

Future Steps

Woodford is committed to continually improving our approach to preventing modern slavery by:

• Regularly reviewing and updating our policies to ensure ongoing compliance.

• Continuing to assess and mitigate risks within our supply chain.

• Enhancing training programs to ensure that all employees and suppliers are fully aware of their role in preventing modern slavery.

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Woodford's modern slavery statement for the financial year ending 2025.