Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
This statement identifies the steps we have taken to mitigate the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking occurring in our operations or supply chains.
The Company
Count & Sol is a consultancy operating in England and Wales and Ghana. Further information about where we operate can be found our legal notices.
As a consulting company providing professional services, the Company predominately employs professionally qualified lawyers. In our offices we also employ staff who provide administrative, facilities and business services. Our supply chain consists of suppliers who provide goods and services to us to enable the Company to deliver these professional services. Most goods and services the Company procures are based in the UK or Ghana.
The main categories of goods and services that we procure both directly and indirectly are:
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Information and communications technology (ICT): which includes computer hardware and software, cloud services and SAAS providers, printers, online subscriptions, and mobile phones.
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Professional services: such as external tax advice or legal counsel, foreign legal counsel, barristers, forensic experts, consulting services and training programs.
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Workplace services: such as stationary, office fit outs, leasing, office management, utilities, cleaning, and security.
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Hospitality and catering: catering on-site and for events, venue providers and branded merchandise.
Our approach
The Company has a zero-tolerance approach towards any form of slavery, servitude, forced or bonded labour, or human trafficking (collectively referred to as 'modern slavery' in this statement). We will not support any arrangement or relationship that is knowingly involved in modern slavery. We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery in our business or in our supply chains, and to acting ethically and with integrity in all our relationships.
Our practices in relation to combating modern slavery
We consider the Company to be relatively low risk in relation to modern slavery, given the sector in which we operate. Our current practices in relation to combating modern slavery are set out below.
Employment
We apply the highest possible standards in the recruitment and employment of our people. We conduct due diligence on our prospective employees prior to them joining. When recruiting, we comply with all local employment legislation and any applicable regulations. All of our staff are expected to comply with relevant laws and professional codes of conduct, as well as our internal anti-slavery and human trafficking policy, whistleblowing policy, and other policies and procedures. We are committed to pay all our employees a fair living wage. This commitment is also extended to contractors of the Company.
Training
We organise online training on modern slavery that must be completed by key individuals who we have identified as dealing with any aspect of procurement on behalf of the Company. The Company-wide anti-slavery and human trafficking policy forms part of the induction pack that is given to employees when they join the Company, and training is provided as necessary.
Our suppliers
We have conducted a risk assessment across the different types of goods and services we procure to assess the risk of modern slavery or labour violations.
As part of the Company’s supplier onboarding process, we conduct risk assessments and perform due diligence across a range of relevant areas. This includes suppliers’ modern slavery policies and practices, with one element of the due diligence process specifically focused on the interrogation of suppliers’ modern slavery policies and practices, and an expectation their processes are as stringent as ours as a minimum.
The Company does not make any demands of such suppliers that may lead them to violating laws, including modern slavery. We encourage them to improve their own compliance with anti-slavery laws and to flow this through their supply chain.
Supplier contracts also incorporate provisions requiring the supplier to comply with all applicable laws, statutes, regulations, and codes relating to labour, anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, including but not limited to the Modern Slavery Act.
With regard to existing suppliers of goods and services, our due diligence has not identified any occurrence of modern slavery. We also require such suppliers to carry out due diligence on their own suppliers.
Third party professionals
We have a pro-forma letter of engagement for instructing a third-party professional, such as an expert or a foreign lawyer. In this pro-forma letter, we require the third-party professional to warrant that they comply with labour, anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, including but not limited to the UK Modern Slavery Act, and that any subcontractor used by the third-party professional in relation to the engagement does likewise.
Steps that we will be taking to combat modern slavery in the 2025-2026 financial year:
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We will continue to roll out online training on modern slavery to all relevant staff.
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Wherever possible we will contract with new suppliers on the basis of our pro-forma contracts. Where it is not possible to contract on the basis of our pro-forma contract, we will be ensuring that modern slavery issues are addressed in each contract.
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We will be increasing the levels of due diligence performed on both new and existing suppliers in relation to modern slavery and ensuring that such checks are adhered to as part of our global procurement policy.
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We shall develop practices for scrutinizing party relationships within our supply chain and their adherence to modern slavery legislation.
Count & Sol’s Board has approved this statement on behalf of the Company on 30 May 2025.