This statement, made in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, outlines the steps we have taken in the financial year ending December 2021 to address the risk of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) within our business and our supply chains.
Startline Motor Finance has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery, and we are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure MSHT is not taking place anywhere in our own business or in any of our supply chains.
Startline is a leading provider of specialist finance solutions to the UK motor finance market, working with prominent franchised and independent dealers as well as leading specialist intermediaries. We challenge the traditional approach taken in this sector by providing a uniquely flexible and agile offering that aims to meet the rapidly changing needs of used car buyers and retailers.
As part of our Governance and Risk Management Frameworks we maintain a suite of corporate policies, including our Compliance and Employee Handbooks. These all help mitigate the risk of MSHT and cover areas including Staff Vetting, Anti-Bribery, Outsourcing, Supplier Management, Conduct, Risk Management and Anti-Money Laundering. These policies are supported by a framework of mandatory and tailored training to ensure awareness across the organisation.
At Startline we provide a number of support mechanisms for all employees in respect of mental health and general wellbeing. We also have a firm commitment to diversity and inclusion.
In addition, an independent Whistleblowing process is in place to ensure all employees feel empowered to escalate concerns.
Our supply chain is made up primarily of prominent car dealerships, financial intermediaries, funding partners, recovery firms, legal firms and service providers including IT and training. We hold our suppliers to the same high standards we apply at Startline and our on boarding process ensures appropriate due diligence and ongoing review is undertaken across our supply chain.
Startline is authorised and regulated by the FCA and operates exclusively in the United Kingdom. The nature of our business, the need for specialist trained staff, the geographic location and policies and training in place mean that we consider MSHT to be low risk within the business and our supply chain. However, given the importance of MSHT and our zero-tolerance we continue to monitor this risk and any issues would be escalated through the risk management framework.
This Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking statement is approved by the Board and will be reviewed and updated annually.
Paul Burgess
Chief Executive Officer, Startline Motor Finance Ltd