The British Science Association is committed to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and considers modern slavery and human trafficking unethical and abhorrent. We believe that a modern slavery statement is an important part of demonstrating this commitment and we have opted to adopt a statement which we will review annually on our website, although we are not required to have such a statement under current regulations.

The BSA is a registered charity with a Royal Charter. We are working for a future in which science is more relevant, representative and connected to society.

We take several steps to reduce the likelihood of modern slavery or human trafficking occurring in our organisation or its supply chain.

We have a Code of Ethics that all staff and Council members (trustees) and Volunteers sign. It includes the following commitment: 

“treat everyone fairly and with dignity, honesty and respect….We will…not tolerate inappropriate, discriminatory, offensive or harmful behaviour towards any person who works for, volunteers with, or comes into contact with the charity.” 

We have reviewed our Whistleblowing policy (available on our website) through which anyone can report concerns about modern slavery or human trafficking.

All BSA staff undertake Safeguarding training annually. We reviewed our Safeguarding Policy in 2023 and in February 2024 became a member of the Funder Safeguarding Collaborative. 

We regularly review our recruitment policies and provide refresher training about conducting ‘Right to Work’ checks for managers hiring employees on short contracts. We have introduced the use of identity verification software.

We use reputable UK-based suppliers for goods and services, such as our occasional use of temporary workers in our offices. We never pass on recruitment costs to applicants or employees. As a member of the Living Wage Foundation, we are an accredited Living Wage employer.

We place a high level of importance on sustainability and seek to reducing our environmental impact. Many of our meetings and events are held digitally to avoid unnecessary travel, we use public transport in almost all circumstances, avoid overuse of printing and adopt a ‘digital-first’ approach for documentation.

In the 2024-25 financial year, we will review the risks in our use of temporary worker agencies, our landlord’s cleaning services, platforms which broker links with freelancers and third-party suppliers, and company and contractor framework agreements.

Due for next review: Spring 2025