Zero Tolerance

Checkatrade operates a zero-tolerance policy to Modern Slavery and proudly backs the intentions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”).

Modern Slavery is an infringement on basic human rights, such as the right to life, freedom from torture and the right to fair and just working conditions. It manifests in many ways, including Human Trafficking, Forced Labour; Debt Slavery; Child Slavery; Domestic Slavery, Child and Forced Marriage and Slavery in the Supply Chain.

At Checkatrade, one of our company values is Do the Right Thing. So, we are on a continuous journey of improving our Modern Slavery practices and policies which we remain committed to keeping at the front of our minds as the business evolves.

Checkatrade’s Structure

Checkatrade is the trading name of Vetted Limited and is a digital platform and print directory connecting people with trades and tools to make home improvements easy. Checkatrade currently operates solely in the UK.

Checkatrade’s Supply Chain and Due Diligence

Our supply chain consists mainly of suppliers of professional and skilled services. We therefore do not believe our supply chain carries an elevated degree of risk relating to Modern Slavery and / or Human Trafficking. However, we remain vigilant about changes in the supply chain and to our supplier base which may alter this assessment.

We have implemented a wide range of supplier due diligence processes to ensure our suppliers understand their responsibilities under the Act and we have updated our standard supplier contracts, so that suppliers are contractually bound to comply with the requirements of the Act. In most cases failure to comply would constitute a material breach of our contractual arrangements, permitting a termination right for Checkatrade.

We believe that by having this deeper understanding of our suppliers we will be better placed to identify early indicators and/or raise suspicions in relation to matters of modern slavery with them and/or appropriate authorities.

Checkatrade’s Tradespeople

In accordance with the Checkatrade Standard, we expect the tradespeople on our platform (our “Tradespeople”) to behave honestly and professionally in all their dealings. Our Tradespeople agree to comply with the terms of the Act when they sign up to our Master Service Terms and any applicable Product Terms (“Membership Agreement”).

Our Membership Agreement makes the required Modern Slavery obligations clear and the Checkatrade Standard includes an obligation that our Tradespeople pay and treat employees and contractors fairly and in line with the law.

Tradespeople who wish to become members of Checkatrade must pass rigorous vetting checks. This scrutiny, combined with the skills and certifications required, provide us with high levels of assurance.

We require our Tradespeople to uphold this standard and conduct throughout their membership.

Checkatrade Policies

We are committed to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of Modern Slavery within the business or in our supply chain. We have internal procurement policies in place, including our recruitment and Whistleblowing policies, that demonstrate our commitment to this. We would also draw your attention to the section below entitled “2025 Actions” for details of our future state policy landscape.

Training

A comprehensive suite of online training is always available to our current employees, and we request our new employees to complete the training when there employment commences. . We undertake an annual review of our policies and training, and all employees were recently enrolled on refresher training in November 2024.

Each year we communicate to our employees alerting them to the dangers of Modern Slavery and making them aware that should they know of, or suspect, any incidence of Modern Slavery they can report it following our confidential Whistleblowing procedures. We make it clear that we take any such reports extremely seriously and we will act on them quickly.

2024 Actions

The following actions were undertaken by Checkatrade in 2024, following which we:

• enhanced our customer complaints process, to make it easier to report Modern Slavery issues within our platform;

• further developed long-standing relationships with our new and existing suppliers, clearly stating our expectations regarding Modern Slavery operating principles and compliance through our precedent Modern Slavery clauses, which flow down within our supply chain;

• reviewed and updated our end-to-end Procurement Policy to ensure we adequately assess any Modern Slavery risk for new and existing suppliers; and

• updated and refreshed our Whistleblowing policy to re-state and further clarify our embedded practices, so concerns relating to Modern Slavery and/or Human Trafficking may be raised confidentially and with ease.

2025 Actions

The following actions are underway or will be undertaken by Checkatrade in 2025:

• we will complete a refreshed set of risk assessments for all key suppliers, by February 2025;

• we will carry out site visits for a selected number of supplier partners in late January / early February 2025;

• an updated and enhanced supplier code of conduct will be published within February 2025, where we will ensure all new suppliers and existing key suppliers confirm alignment;

• a renewed supplier questionnaire will be issued, which includes a dedicated section on modern slavery to ensure adherence. Key suppliers will also be asked to attest to their original answers every year and will be required to update us with any changes; and

• within the evolution of our Deactivation Policy, we will consider the application of matters relevant to breaches or conduct issues relating to Modern Slavery.

Future Considerations

As a Company, our commitment to combating Modern Slavery in all its forms remains unchanged. We acknowledge the findings of Baroness O’Grady of Upper Holloway, Chair of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee (published October 2024), who recently emphasised that the UK’s response to modern slavery has not kept pace with advancements made by other nations. We recognise that the time may be right for reform and welcome new measures increase the effectiveness of measures to combat the issue. To date, we have implemented robust policies, regular risk assessments, and comprehensive training programmes to safeguard human rights across our business. As an active supporter of regulatory frameworks and initiatives promoting collaboration with industry partners to promote accountability and transparency, we consider that our historical dedication to eradicating modern slavery reflects our broader commitment to ethical business policy and practice.

The Act

In accordance with the requirements of the Act, this statement can be found on our website and will be reviewed annually.

Jambu Palaniappan – CEO and Director

19th January 2025

Our financial year end is 31 December. This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Vetted Limited’s (t/a Checkatrade) Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2025. It was approved by the Vetted Limited Board of Directors on 19th January 2025.