Supplier Code of Conduct

Employees and Service Users Respectful treatment:

Our staff and service users have the right to respectful treatment. We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment or victimisation in the workplace or in connection with any Fairhive employees, and we expect our suppliers to provide the same commitment, including to their own employees.
The Equality Act 2010 protects against discrimination, harassment and victimisation. We expect suppliers to be prepared to invest in their relationships with us and establish confidence with our staff and with other suppliers involved in delivery. We also expect suppliers to be able to speak out when our staff or other suppliers are not upholding the values embedded in this Supplier Code of Conduct.

Vulnerable users:

Some contracts deliver services to service users with particular needs such as physical or mental disabilities, medical conditions or other factors that place them in a vulnerable position. Suppliers should ensure that these service users are treated at all times with courtesy and that their dignity, safety, security and well-being is treated as a priority concern.

Human rights and employment law:

Suppliers must comply with all applicable human rights and employment laws in the jurisdictions in which they work and have robust means of ensuring that the subcontractors in their supply chain also comply. This includes complying with the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 or any further legislation enacted relating to Modern Slavery or amendments thereto.
As part of Fairhive’s due diligence, suppliers may be asked to complete an annual questionnaire on Modern Slavery. If a supplier is requested to complete a questionnaire, this must be completed in full and submitted within 14 days after receipt by the supplier. Any violations of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 ( or any further legislation enacted relating to Modern Slavery or any amendments thereto) may lead to termination of a supplier's contract.

Management of risk:

We try to ensure that risk is placed with the party best able to manage it. This means requiring prime contractors not to flow risk inappropriately to subcontractors, and not to assert that they can manage risk that is in fact better managed by us. All parties should also be prepared to share intelligence of supply chain risks, so that material commercial and operational risks, for example the impact of losing a key supplier, can be mitigated.

Continuous improvement:

We expect our suppliers to use recognised industry practices in the delivery of goods and services to, or on behalf of, Fairhive. We also expect suppliers to continuously improve these goods and services and bring innovation, ideas and expertise to help us address our strategic objectives and to support growth and prosperity in the UK.

End-to-end Delivery:

Some of the services that we require are complex, and no single supplier will have complete contractual responsibility for every element of what is needed to deliver to the end service user. We expect suppliers to be aware of how they contribute to that overall delivery, and to work with us and other suppliers to ensure that their product or service is used effectively in the delivery of a high quality service. We expect suppliers to behave in accordance with required standards and be forthcoming with information required where a contract is coming to an end and is in a transitional phase leading to contract exit.

Value:

As a Public Body for the Purposes of Procurement we are expected to obtain value for all expenditure and to be able to, where relevant, demonstrate long-term value. This means that contracts should be priced to offer sustainable value throughout their life, including when changes are needed. Whilst we accept our suppliers make a profit margin in return for the risk they are accepting, we expect suppliers not to exploit an incumbent or monopoly position, an urgent situation or an asymmetry of capability or information to impose opportunistic pricing. We expect suppliers to work in good faith to resolve any disputes promptly and fairly during the life of a contract through good relationship management and, where appropriate, contractual dispute resolution mechanisms, recognising that taxpayer and supplier interests are rarely best served by protracted litigation.

Reputation:

We want to work with suppliers who are proud of their reputation for fair dealing and quality delivery. We also want working with us to be seen as reputation enhancing for the supplier. However, reputation can quickly be lost, for example, by exaggerating the extent of benefits. Equally, we expect suppliers to be protective of our reputation, and ensure that neither they, nor any of their partners or subcontractors, bring ourselves into disrepute by engaging in any act or omission which is reasonably likely to diminish the high standards that the public places in us.

 

Cyber Security:

It is essential that suppliers safeguard the integrity and security of their systems and comply with the relevant government standards and guidance. Suppliers must inform us if they become aware of any cyber security incident that affects or has the potential to affect our data.

Sustainable Procurement:

We expect our suppliers to be aware of, and support us, in complying with our legal and contractual obligations under social value legislation. We expect our suppliers to assist us in the understanding and reduction of supply chain impacts on our environment, and risks related to the security of raw material supply. We expect suppliers to be open and transparent in assisting us in reporting publicly on product or service utilisation and any environmental impacts.

Confidentiality:

Suppliers are expected to comply with the provisions in their contracts and any legal requirements to protect sensitive information. Our suppliers may also be party to confidential information that is necessary for them to be effective partners. This information, even if it is not covered by contractual provisions, should be handled with the same care as information of similar sensitivity in the supplier’s own organisation.

Conflicts of Interest:

We expect suppliers to mitigate appropriately against any real or perceived conflict of interest through their work with us. A supplier with a position of influence gained through a contract should not use that position to unfairly disadvantage any other supplier or reduce the potential for future competition, for example by creating a technical solution that locks in the supplier’s own goods or services.

Ethical behaviour:

We expect the highest standards of business ethics from suppliers and their agents. We expect suppliers to be explicit about the standards they demand of executives, employees, partners and subcontractors and to have the governance and audit processes to monitor and enforce these standards.

Counter Fraud and Corruption:

We demand that suppliers adhere to anti-corruption laws, including but not limited to the Bribery Act 2010, and anti-money laundering regulations. We expect suppliers to have robust processes to ensure that the subcontractors in their supply chain also comply with these laws. We have zero tolerance of any form of corrupt practices including extortion and fraud that we become aware of and we expect suppliers to be vigilant and proactively look for fraud, and the risk of fraud, in their business. Suppliers should immediately notify us where fraudulent practice is suspected or uncovered and disclose any interests that might impact their decision making or the advice that they give to us.

Treatment of Subcontractors:

We expect our suppliers to deal fairly with the subcontractors in their supply chain, observing the principles of the Prompt Payment Code. We expect suppliers to avoid flowing unreasonable levels of risk to subcontractors who cannot reasonably be expected to manage or carry these risks. We expect suppliers not to create barriers to the use of small and medium-sized enterprises who are qualified to provide goods or services, and to encourage innovation in their supply chains to increase the value or quality of supply.

IR35:

Where relevant, suppliers must assist us in matters of IR35 when IR35 is found or suspected in the delivery of the suppliers goods, services or works. This includes, but is not limited to, the timely communication of IR35 findings both to us and the end-user client.

Safeguarding:

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We take our Safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. As a responsible housing provider, we have an important role in to play in keeping people safe.
We are committed to Safeguarding adults who use or are connected to our services and to protecting them from abuse or neglect. Suppliers are also expected to be committed to Safeguarding.

What do mean by Safeguarding adults?

‘Safeguarding’ is the term used to describe the protection of adults in terms of health, well-being and their human rights, which allows them to live free from abuse, harm and neglect.
The Safeguarding duties set out in the Care Act 2014 apply to any adult (any person aged 18 or over) who:

• Has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs)
• Is experiencing, or is at the risk of abuse and neglect, and
• As a result of those needs is unable to protect him or her against abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

 

What can I do if I have any concerns about Safeguarding adults whilst working for the us on a Fairhive contract?
Report it to us at StepUpStepIn@fairhive.co.uk

Safeguarding Children and Young People

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people who use or are connected to our services and to protecting them from abuse or neglect. Suppliers are also expected to be committed to Safeguarding.

What do we mean by Safeguarding children & young people?

In terms of Safeguarding, a child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. The fact that a child has reached 16 years of age, is living independently or is in further education, is a member of the armed forces, is in hospital or in custody in the secure estate, does not change his or her status or entitlements to service or protection.
Safeguarding is a term which is broader than ‘child protection’ and relates to the action taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is defined in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2018) as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s health and development
• Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care and…
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

 

What can I do if I have any concerns about Safeguarding children & young people?
Report it to us at StepUpStepIn@fairhive.co.uk

 

Overall Objective:

The overall objective of this Supplier Code of Conduct is to drive improved performance throughout our supply chains, by building trusting and open relationships with our supply base. Suppliers who provide goods or services to or on behalf of Fairhive, are expected to comply with all aspects of this code. Suppliers should be open and transparent with us in relation to breaches or suspected breaches of this Supplier Code of Conduct and should promptly notify us of any such breach.