Better impact on society and the environment

Here at SMS we are committed to serving as a beacon for our communities and a thoughtful steward of the environment. This means taking account of our social, economic and environmental impacts.

While we pledge to remain a zero-emissions company, we recognize that the change cannot stop there. Therefore, a portion of our annual revenues will be donated to The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. https://www.roycastle.org

Modern Day Slavery Statement

Introduction:

The following statement is intended to communicate SMS’s commitment to acknowledging and mitigating potential slavery risk across our business units and supply chains. Recognizing that we have a legal and moral obligation to disallow human trafficking and slavery, we have implemented a series of preventive steps to identify and eradicate any activities that could constitute human rights violations.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics:

Across all our business activities, both internal and external, we aim to exemplify high standards of honesty, integrity and transparency. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics was thus designed to provide a framework for the expected standards and values that SMS advocates as a company. In addition to that, we have also instituted organizatioanl policies that advance our stance on the following topics:

• Ethical Whistleblowing
• Slavery and Human Trafficking
• Ethical Purchasing
• Conduct and Ethics in Business Dealings

Employees:

Prior to hiring employees or re-hiring former employees who have had absences of over 6 months from SMS, we conduct full-fledged background checks, as well as education and employment verification to validate their identities and right to work in the UK. All employees are paid above the National Living Wage set by the UK government, and have access to all rights and benefits as determined by the UK’s legal stipulations.
Employee relations and anti-slavery policies are governed by the Head of HR and Training. SMS’s policies regarding slavery and human trafficking are communicated to all employees as part of inception training that outlines their inherent responsibilities in ensuring compliance. Employees are further encouraged to escalate any concerns regarding modern slavery that may be practiced in any of our business units or supply chains. Organizational staff that are deemed to be in high-risk exposure of such practices have to mandatorily complete online training sessions that cover:

• Risk assessments of slavery and human trafficking
• Identifying slavery and human trafficking
• Subsequent steps when dealing with suspected slavery and human trafficking
• Escalation procedures
• Seeking external help

Supply Chains:

When managing our supplier portfolio, we aim to work with suppliers who produce goods and services without exploiting or abusing labour, governmental regulations/laws, or the environment. We view suppliers as an extension of our company, and therefore originate relationships with only those that uphold our values and standards in equitable wages, fair working hours, non-abuse of labour, non-discrimination, and sufficient health & safety procedures.

Our ethical purchasing policies must be adhered to at all times by employees. Before initiating new supplier contracts, we gain buy-in from suppliers for all aspects of these policies. Any breach can result in repercussions leading up to the termination of the supplier relationship. Where possible, our evaluation and selection process for these suppliers also places an emphasis on slavery and human trafficking policies that the supplier has in place within its own framework.

Due Diligence:

When onboarding new supplier relationships, SMS performs comprehensive due diligence to reduce the risks of slavery and human trafficking. This diligence extends further to our existing relationships, which are periodically reviewed to ensure ongoing compliance. With a vigilant culture and stringent policies concerning ethical behaviour and decision-making, we strongly believe that we have created an environment conducive to optimal human rights practices.