Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
This statement is made in respect of the financial year ending November 2026. It sets out the steps that Gloucester Road Service Station (Bournemouth) Limited, trading as GRS Recovery, has taken to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in any part of our business or our supply chains.
Our organisation and business
GRS Recovery has provided roadside assistance and vehicle recovery since 1992. We operate from Unit J Elliott Road, West Howe Industrial Estate, Bournemouth, BH11 8JR, covering Dorset, Hampshire and the surrounding areas, with vehicle transportation across the United Kingdom.
Our services are roadside assistance and vehicle recovery for all makes and models including prestige and electric vehicles; vehicle transportation and logistics; commercial vehicle servicing and maintenance through our HGV workshop; and the recovery, storage and release of vehicles on behalf of Dorset Police and BCP Council.
We are a small employer. All our staff are directly employed and paid through PAYE, and all are subject to police vetting before they begin work.
Our supply chains
Our supply chains are short and predominantly UK-based. They consist principally of:
- subcontract recovery operators used to support us at busy periods or outside our area;
- vehicle, equipment and parts suppliers, and our uniform and PPE supplier;
- fuel, tyre and consumable suppliers;
- salvage agents, authorised treatment facilities and licensed waste carriers who take end-of-life vehicles, fluids, batteries and tyres;
- contractors carrying out maintenance, servicing and works at our premises;
- professional services including accountancy, insurance, IT and HR advice.
We assess the areas of greatest potential risk to be subcontract labour, agency or temporary labour used by our contractors, and the lower tiers of our vehicle parts and consumables supply chain, where visibility is more limited.
Our policies
Our approach is set out in GRS-POL-41 Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy, and the same content is included in our Staff Handbook, which is issued to every employee. Related policies include our Corporate Social Responsibility Policy, our Anti-Bribery and Anti-Facilitation of Tax Evasion policies, and our Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblowing) procedure, through which any concern about slavery or human trafficking can be raised without fear of detriment.
Due diligence
The steps we take include:
- verifying the right to work in the UK of every person we employ, before they start;
- confirming that every employee is paid at least the National Minimum Wage, and paying all staff through PAYE directly into a bank account in their own name;
- requiring police vetting clearance for all staff;
- collecting and reviewing health and safety, insurance and compliance documentation from contractors and subcontractors before they work for us, recorded in our contractor management system;
- including an obligation in our commercial agreements requiring suppliers to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and to impose the same obligation on their own suppliers and subcontractors;
- appointing a named individual, Richard Welch, Managing Director, to oversee compliance with the Act.
Risk assessment and management
We keep our supply chain under review and focus our attention on the areas identified above. Where we engage a subcontract recovery operator, we satisfy ourselves that they are an established business with directly engaged, properly paid staff. Where we identify a concern, we raise it with the supplier and, if it is not resolved satisfactorily, we cease to use them.
Effectiveness
During the period covered by this statement we identified no instances of slavery or human trafficking in our business or our supply chains, and no concerns were raised through our whistleblowing procedure. We measure effectiveness by the completion of right to work and vetting checks for every new starter, the currency of contractor compliance documentation, and the absence of substantiated concerns.
For the coming year we intend to formalise our supplier approval and monitoring procedure and to introduce a written record of modern slavery risk against each significant supplier.
Training
Training on slavery and human trafficking is available to all employees. Awareness of the policy forms part of induction for every new starter, and employees involved in engaging suppliers and subcontractors receive further guidance on recognising and reporting the warning signs.
Approval
This statement was approved by the board of directors of Gloucester Road Service Station (Bournemouth) Limited and is reviewed annually.
Signed:
Richard Welch
Managing Director
Date: 28th July 2026