New HSV supplier risk assessment tool supports Modern Slavery compliance

HSV continues to support the health sector to improve its understanding of and compliance with modern slavery obligations by providing guidance and assistance to help limit the cost and effort involved for health services.

As part of this work, HSV has developed a supplier risk assessment tool to help health services identify modern slavery risks in their supply chains.

The supplier risk assessment tool, in the form of a plug and play questionnaire, will make it easier for health services to conduct risk assessments of suppliers.

The interactive questionnaire, which takes less than 30 minutes to complete, has been developed to assess supplier practices and policies on modern slavery. When the questionnaire has been completed, a supplier risk rating is generated based on the responses.

The answers will determine whether the supplier is on track, needs to improve, or requires attention to reduce modern slavery risk in their operations and supply chain.

The tool is part of the support HSV is delivering to health services in addition to the updated HSV Modern Slavery Position Statement recently approved by the HSV Board, which details the eight initiatives that HSV has committed to delivering as part of the Modern Slavery Risk Mitigation Program.

The HSV Modern Slavery Risk Mitigation Program Working Group has tested and provided feedback on the tool to ensure there’s a consistent approach within the health sector.

Alfred Health Procurement Compliance and Supply Chain Surety Manager Joe Neill was one of the working group members who provided feedback.

He says the team did a fantastic job and the tool will help to achieve a uniform approach across the sector.

“If HSV hadn’t developed this tool, each health service would have had to develop their own version, which may not necessarily have been reflective of the legislative requirements,” he says.

Joe says the tool will save time and effort for health services.

“It automatically generates the information they need so it’s simple to use,” says Joe.

Under Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, organisations with more than $100 million in annual revenue are required to report annually on modern slavery risk across their operations and supply chain.

HSV’s Chief Financial Officer John Delinaoum says the supplier risk assessment tool is designed to ease the regulatory burden of compliance for hospitals.

“The risk rating will help health services to clearly identify high-risk suppliers in their supply chain and take the appropriate action to make sure they meet the requirements under the Act,” John says.