Introduction

As a family-owned furniture retailer with 80 years of trading history, Barker and Stonehouse is committed to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking within our business and supply chains.

We recognise our responsibility to uphold high standards of ethical and responsible business conduct. We are committed to continually reviewing and strengthening our policies, procedures and practices to identify, prevent and address the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking.

This statement sets out the steps we take to understand and manage these risks across our operations and supply chains and reflects our commitment to continuous improvement.

Organisation Structure and Supply Chains

We source furniture and other products from a diverse range of international markets. Approximately 50% of our suppliers are based in Great Britain and Ireland, with the remaining 50% located across other markets worldwide.

Our sourcing arrangements vary, with some suppliers engaged directly by Barker and Stonehouse and others operating through agents or intermediaries. We recognise that the risks of modern slavery may extend beyond our direct, Tier 1 suppliers. Where appropriate, we therefore seek greater visibility of relevant parts of our wider supply chains to strengthen our understanding of potential risks and enable us to focus our due diligence and supplier engagement where they can have the greatest impact.

While many of our supplier relationships are longstanding, we recognise that modern slavery risks can evolve in response to changing economic, geopolitical and labour market conditions. We therefore remain vigilant to the risks associated with the retail sector, international sourcing, and the countries and industries in which our suppliers operate.

As part of our approach to identifying and managing these risks, our buying team undertakes factory visits and, where appropriate, obtains independent inspection reports. We also communicate our expectations to suppliers regarding the prevention of modern slavery and human trafficking within their own operations and supply chains.

These measures help us strengthen our understanding of working conditions across our supply chain, identify potential areas of concern and engage with suppliers to promote ethical and responsible business practices. Where risks or areas for improvement are identified, we seek to work collaboratively with relevant suppliers to understand the circumstances and support appropriate action.

We recognise that preventing modern slavery requires ongoing vigilance and continuous improvement. We will therefore continue to review and enhance our approach as our understanding of modern slavery risks develops and expectations for responsible supply chain management evolve.

Our Policies

We expect all employees, suppliers and business partners to operate in accordance with our Modern Slavery Policy and to respond to reasonable requests for information that enable Barker and Stonehouse to fulfil its legal and ethical responsibilities.

Any violations, concerns or suspected instances of modern slavery brought to our attention will be investigated and addressed promptly. Where a supplier or business partner fails to comply with our Modern Slavery Policy, or where we become aware of practices that may indicate a risk of modern slavery or human trafficking, we will seek to work with them to understand and address the underlying issue.

Our preference is to address the root cause of any identified issue and support appropriate corrective action and improvement. However, where concerns cannot be satisfactorily addressed, we may consider exercising our contractual rights, including termination of the relevant relationship where appropriate. Where circumstances warrant, concerns or potential breaches may also be reported to the relevant civil or criminal authorities.

We expect all suppliers and business partners to implement and maintain appropriate procedures designed to prevent modern slavery within their own operations and supply chains. These expectations are communicated to suppliers as part of our supplier onboarding and ongoing supplier management processes.

We are committed to respecting, protecting and championing the human rights of all those who work within or alongside our business. Our Whistleblowing Policy provides a confidential mechanism for reporting concerns without fear of reprisal, including concerns relating to human rights violations and modern slavery.

Our approach is supported by the following policies, which establish ethical standards and responsibilities for our employees, suppliers and business partners:

Anti-Bribery Policy

Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Policy

Modern Slavery Policy

Personal Harassment Policy

Right to Work Policy

We recognise that modern slavery risks evolve as our business, supply chains and understanding of these issues develop. We therefore keep our policies and procedures under regular review and seek to strengthen them in response to identified risks, emerging good practice and lessons learned.

Due Diligence, Risk Assessment and Compliance

All new suppliers, as well as our established suppliers, are subject to regular review and associated risk assessment. Our risk analysis evolves as new and emerging risks are identified, allowing us to assess the potential for modern slavery and human trafficking within our suppliers' operations and supply chains.

We seek to work with suppliers that share our commitment to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking and to maintaining appropriate standards of labour and working conditions.

Our risk assessment considers a range of factors, including country of origin, worker demographics, industry and sector, and the complexity and length of the supply chain. Based on our current risk assessment, particular attention is given to sourcing from countries and regions where there may be an increased risk of modern slavery, forced labour, human trafficking or other labour rights concerns.

These currently include:

India – potential risks associated with bonded labour, caste-based exploitation and forced labour in sectors including agriculture and manufacturing.

China – potential risks associated with forced labour, including concerns relating to state-imposed labour and the use of forced labour in certain sectors and supply chains.

Turkey – potential risks associated with child labour and the exploitation of vulnerable and migrant workers, including in sectors such as agriculture, leather and furniture manufacturing.

As a business, we source globally, which increases the potential risks associated with both primary and secondary supply chains. To help identify and assess these risks, we use a combination of announced and unannounced site inspections undertaken by independent third-party auditors, together with visits and assessments conducted by our buying team and appointed agents.

These assessments may include discussions with management and, where appropriate, workers, to help us understand working conditions and identify potential areas of concern.

Where a corrective action plan is issued, we engage with the relevant supplier to monitor progress and verify that the identified issues have been addressed and that the required improvements have been implemented and maintained.

Assessment of Effectiveness

We recognise that addressing modern slavery and human trafficking is an ongoing responsibility and that effective risk management requires continuous monitoring, evaluation, review and improvement.

We assess the effectiveness of the steps we have taken to identify, prevent and mitigate modern slavery risks through our established risk management framework and supplier due diligence processes. These processes include supplier reviews, site inspections, independent third-party assessments, engagement with suppliers, and the monitoring and follow-up of corrective action plans.

During the reporting period, four suppliers had issues identified through our review and assessment processes. Corrective action plans were issued to the relevant suppliers, setting out the actions required to address the identified issues. The issues identified included:

• workers not using the personal protective equipment provided;
• missing air purification systems in canteen facilities; and
• welfare facilities lacking essential toiletries.

None of the issues identified during the reporting period related directly to modern slavery or human trafficking. However, we recognise that broader working conditions and worker welfare are relevant indicators of supply chain conditions and therefore continue to monitor these matters as part of our wider supplier due diligence and risk management approach.

We monitored the implementation of the corrective actions and received confirmation from the relevant suppliers that the recommended improvements had been implemented. This process provides us with assurance that identified areas of non-compliance or concern are being addressed and informs our ongoing assessment of supplier risk.

The findings from our supplier reviews and assessments also provide an opportunity to identify areas where our due diligence processes can be strengthened. We use these findings, together with information obtained through supplier engagement, site inspections, third-party assessments and corrective action plans, to identify emerging risks and inform our future approach.

We continue to strengthen communication and engagement with suppliers in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking. This includes reinforcing our expectations regarding responsible employment practices, worker welfare and compliance with applicable standards, and encouraging suppliers to identify, prevent and address risks within their own operations and supply chains.

Training on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

We collaborate with the Peninsula Group to provide expert training as part of our employee induction and ongoing learning programme.

New staff receive induction training covering relevant commercial and retail topics, including modern slavery and anti-bribery awareness. The training is designed to increase awareness of modern slavery risks, help employees understand their responsibilities and reinforce the importance of ethical business practices.

Training and awareness are particularly relevant to employees whose roles may involve supplier engagement, procurement, buying, human resources, compliance or the identification and escalation of concerns.

We recognise that employees play an important role in identifying and escalating potential concerns. Training therefore supports our wider approach to ensuring that relevant employees understand the risks of modern slavery and know how concerns should be reported.

Training content is reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains relevant to the risks faced by our business and supply chain and reflects developments in modern slavery awareness and responsible business practices.

Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Barker and Stonehouse recognise that modern slavery is a complex and evolving issue and that preventing exploitation requires ongoing vigilance across our business and supply chains.

We will continue to review our policies, procedures and due diligence processes, engage with our suppliers and business partners, and use the findings from our monitoring and assessment activities to identify opportunities for improvement.

Our objective is to strengthen supply chain transparency, promote responsible working practices and ensure that potential modern slavery and human trafficking risks are identified, considered and appropriately addressed.

We remain committed to working collaboratively with our employees, suppliers, business partners and other stakeholders to uphold high standards of ethical conduct and respect for human rights.

James Barker
Managing Director
14th September 2026