ABOUT US
Next Step Support Ltd has been successfully providing Supported Living services with Accommodation for more than 10 years throughout a number of London boroughs.
Our support service and accommodation is provided to adults ( 18+) with a range of diverse needs including Mental Health, Learning Disability, Substance Abuse, as well as personal care services regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are a private independent provider, and work in close association with 3 other family owned support services. This association brings benefits, as we are able to provide a service with local community knowledge, across a number of boroughs and communities, and the association provides access to an extended range of resources.
We never use agency staff. All of our support workers are directly employed by Next Step Support Ltd, and assigned to specific services.
We value our reputation with the local authorities and professionals for being a responsive service provider. Next Steps Support Ltd accommodation portfolio continues to expand to accommodate new and future demands for our service.
Next Step Support Ltd are committed to maximising the potential for independence, and this includes supporting our existing service users to “step down” into fully independent living accommodation
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy of care, it’s about you and your choices
Our clients are the focus of everything we do at Next Step Support Ltd. Our high standards of quality care are tailored to our client’s individual and personalised needs.
Next Step Support Ltd provide a high standard of Person Centred Care, reflecting current guidelines and practice from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Skills for Care (SFC), and appropriate specialist organisations and charities. External training is sourced from these specialist organisations and recognised training providers.
Our philosophy ensures:
- Your choices matter
- Your needs are individually assessed
- A personalised and unique plan of care (Person Centred Plan) is created with you at the forefront of the planning process
- We believe in the individuality of the clients that we support
- We value your family and friends participation to ensure your needs are understood and met
- We promote your rights to your own ethical and religious needs and beliefs
- Our professional staff design outcome focused care plans to meet your needs
- Our staff are highly trained to meet relevant local and national regulatory requirements
- We provide effective and appropriate support through continued staff development
- We support you with honesty and integrity
Modern Slavery Statement
Whilst not considered a “relevant “ company within the legislation, in having an annual turnover below the £35M threshold, Next Step Support Ltd is committed to best practices in all areas of its operations. This statement sets out the steps that Next Step Support Ltd has taken and is continuing to take, to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain.
Next Step Support is a United Kingdom-based company who provides Supported Living Services to vulnerable adults.
Our activities focus on the provision of supporting vulnerable adults and enabling them to live independently. We collaborate closely with external stakeholders, such as Local Authorities, Housing Associations, Training Providers and External Recruitment Agencies.
Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. Next Step Support Ltd has a zero- tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery and human trafficking. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our supply chains.
Throughout our business, we rely on our people and supply chains to deliver our services effectively. It is our collective responsibility to ensure compliance with the Modern Slavery Act by adhering to our policies and procedures.
We are committed to promoting safe and fair working conditions while responsibly managing environmental and social issues within our organisation and supply chain. We expect our suppliers and business partners to uphold the same high standards and to extend this commitment throughout their own supply chains.
Our Position
We will not accept any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying and we require all of our managers to implement policies designed to increase equality of opportunity and inclusion for all employees including agency workers. We have also developed and implemented policies and processes which are intended to extend these commitments through our supply chain.
Policies
We have several internal policies to ensure that we are conducting business ethically and transparently. These include:
- · Human Rights policy and our Ethics Policy where we confirm that we will not tolerate or condone the abuse of human rights within any part of our business or supply chains and will take seriously any allegations that human rights are not properly respected
- · Whistleblowing Policy, aimed principally at our employees but also available to others working in our supply chains, encourages staff to report any wrongdoing which extends to human rights violations like Modern Slavery. All reports will be fully investigated, and appropriate remedial actions are taken, and we will work closely with social care and health providers ensuring that our policies and procedures dovetail with local procedures and best practice
- · A robust recruitment policy, including conducting eligibility to work in the UK checks for all employees to safeguard
- · Employee Code of Conduct consistent with any professional codes of conduct
- Training Policy & Procedure - Raising awareness of the nature of what modern slavery means by way of training and communication to our people to combat the hidden nature of this issue
We uphold the highest standards of ethical and moral responsibility, striving to be a responsible business that fosters trust, cooperation, and sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships with our stakeholders.
Our Position
We will not accept any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying and we require all of our managers to implement policies designed to increase equality of opportunity and inclusion for all employees including agency workers. We have also developed and implemented policies and processes which are intended to extend these commitments through our supply chain.
Our Policies
We have a set of policies and procedures covering the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults.
In addition to the various policies described we also have a code of conduct in relation to behaviours which forms the business framework. It provides our people with:
The guidance and support necessary to carry out their work in the right way and is designed to help our people understand our core values including the responsible behaviours which underpin them.
The guidance and support for every employee when undertaking their work to do so in accordance with these values together with all of our policies and procedures.
Our Whistleblowing Policy offers a clear mechanism for employees and those within our supply chain to report suspected policy breaches, encouraging them to raise concerns about any unlawful activity, including potential risks of slavery or human trafficking. By embedding our values and Code of Conduct, we reinforce our zero-tolerance stance on harassment, victimisation, or reprisals against anyone who speaks up.
Risk Assessments
Our supply chains include procurement of staff, consumables and facilities maintenance. We will ensure that further steps are taken support the eradication of modern slavery, that staff understand how to recognise modern slavery and the appropriate safeguarding reporting processes are followed should there be concerns within our supply chains, with customers or suppliers.
Performance indicators
We will know the effectiveness of the steps that we are taking to ensure that slavery is not taking place within our business or supply chain if:
- · No reports are received from employees, the public, or law enforcement agencies or local safeguarding teams to indicate that modern slavery practices have been identified
Our Employees
We are committed to ensuring that employment with us is freely chosen, working conditions are safe, child labour is not used, wages meet or exceed the minimum requirements, working hours are reasonable, discrimination is not tolerated, and all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.
We conduct thorough checks to ensure that all new applicants are suitable for the role they have applied for, with job offers contingent upon the successful completion of the required vetting procedures.
Before starting employment, all our employees undergo identity verification and Right to Work checks. We also conduct reference checks and enhanced DBS screenings. Employees are hired directly or on a permanent basis, with safeguards in place to ensure salaries are paid directly to them.
Our recruitment process follows a strict, mandatory procedure, and our onboarding process ensures full compliance with all legal requirements
Our Employee Handbook and Code of Conduct outline our policies and key procedures. Every employee receives access to these documents upon joining, serving as the foundation for their management and guidance.
Our commitment
We will monitor the effectiveness of our actions against modern slavery and human trafficking and will develop further standards where necessary to:
- support our existing anti-slavery and human trafficking policy (and related policies)
- provide training for our employees on identifying any potential unlawful or unethical conduct within our operations and supply chain
- continue to assess the risks associated with our existing supply chain
We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in our business dealings and relationships and to maintaining systems and controls designed to ensure modern slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in our business or across our supply chain.
This statement is made in accordance with section 54(1) of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Atlas modern slavery and human trafficking statement as agreed by the senior management team.
Responsibility for this Statement
The ultimate responsibility for the prevention of modern slavery rests with Lorraine Leitch, Human Resources Manager, for ensuring that this policy and its implementation complies with our legal and ethical obligations. Managers at all levels are responsible for ensuring that those reporting to them understand and comply with this policy and are given adequate and regular training on it and the issue of modern slavery.
Responsibility for this Statement
The ultimate responsibility for the prevention of modern slavery rests with Lorraine Leitch, Human Resources Manager, for ensuring that this policy and its implementation complies with our legal and ethical obligations. Managers at all levels are responsible for ensuring that those reporting to them understand and comply with this policy and are given adequate and regular training on it and the issue of modern slavery.
Assessment of effectiveness in preventing Modern Slavery
We understand that modern slavery risk is not static and will continue our approach to mitigating this risk. We will assess the risk via our internal auditing processes.
This statement is made according to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the modern slavery and human trafficking statement of Next Step Support Ltd for the financial year ending 2026. Lorraine Leitch who has approved of Next Step Support Ltd has approved this statement.
Approval for this statement
This statement was approved by the Human Resources Manager
Lorraine Leitch
Date: 22 May 2025