University of Oxford modern slavery statement summary (2026)

Organisation address
University Offices,
Wellington Square,
Oxford,
Oxfordshire,
United Kingdom,
OX1 2JD

We asked the organisation a series of questions about its modern slavery statement. Its answers are published on this page as a statement summary.

This statement provides information for 5 of 6 recommended topics

What is a modern slavery statement?
UK law requires certain organisations to publish an annual modern slavery statement on their website, setting out the steps they are taking to address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains. Read more in the government guidance on publishing modern slavery statements.
Link to full statement
Go to full modern slavery statement on organisation’s website

PDF version of the statement

Warning The file has been uploaded directly by University of Oxford and has not been reviewed, assessed or moderated by the Home Office for suitability and accessibility.
If you need an accessible version of this PDF file, please contact University of Oxford for further assistance.
Download

GPC Modern Slavery Statement 2024-25 Approved 20102025.pdf

File uploaded: 05 August 2026 at 2:55pm
PDF | 143.88 KB

Download file

About this statement summary

All answers relate to the financial year covered by the statement. The organisation is responsible for all the information it provided. Some of our questions are optional, so organisations may not have answered all of them. The statement summary does not replace the full modern slavery statement – below we provide a link to the full statement on the organisation’s website.

Contents

Statement period and sign-off details

The statement covers the following period:
1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025

The statement was signed off by:
Irene Tracey (Vice Chancellor)

It was approved by the board (or equivalent management body) on:
20 October 2025

Recommended topics covered by the statement

Government guidance encourages organisations to cover a range of topics in their modern slavery statements, setting out the steps they’re taking to address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains. Read about the recommended topics in the statutory guidance.

We asked the organisation to tell us which topics its statement covers.

Topics recommended by government guidance Organisation’s response
The organisation’s structure, business and supply chains Covered
Policies Covered
Risk assessment Covered
Due diligence (steps to address risk) Covered
Training about modern slavery Covered
Goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the organisation's actions and progress over time Not covered

The organisation’s sectors and turnover

Sectors

The organisation operates in the following sectors:

  • Education and research

Turnover

Its turnover in the financial accounting year of this statement was:

Over £500 million

If the organisation is a public body, this amount is based on the organisation’s budget for the year of the statement.
What does 'turnover' refer to in group statements?
If this is a group statement, this includes the total turnover for all the organisations covered by the statement.

Number of years producing statements

The organisation has been producing modern slavery statements for the following number of years:
More than 5 years
How does this work for group statements?
If the statement is for a group of organisations, this answer applies to the organisation with the longest history of producing statements.

Policies (optional)

We asked the organisation whether its policies include the following provisions in relation to its domestic and international supply chains, as well as its own operations.
Policy provisions we asked about Organisation’s response
Freedom of workers to terminate employment Not included
Freedom of movement Not included
Freedom of association Not included
Prohibits any threat of violence, harassment and intimidation Not included
Prohibits the use of worker-paid recruitment fees Not included
Prohibits compulsory overtime Not included
Prohibits child labour Included
Prohibits discrimination Not included
Prohibits confiscation of workers' original identification documents Included
Provides access to remedy, compensation and justice for victims of modern slavery Not included
Other
The University’s policy covers slavery, forced and compulsory labour, human trafficking, child labour, unsafe working conditions and excessive working hours.

Training (optional)

We asked the organisation whether it provided training on modern slavery, and who it was for.
What counts as training?
We explained that by ‘training’ we meant anything designed to increase knowledge and skills around identifying, addressing or preventing modern slavery risks. This could range from formal training courses to broader awareness-raising activities such as workshops or webinars.
We asked who the training was for Organisation’s response
Your whole organisation No
Your front line staff No
Human resources Yes
Executive-level staff No
Procurement staff Yes
Your suppliers No
The wider community No
Other
No

Monitoring working conditions (optional)

Engaging with others

We asked the organisation to tell us who it engaged with to help monitor working conditions across its operations and supply chains.
We asked who the organisation engaged with Organisation’s response
Your suppliers Yes
Trade unions or worker representative groups No
Civil society organisations No
Professional auditors No
Workers within your organisation No
Workers within your supply chain No
Central or local government No
Law enforcement, such as police, GLAA and other local labour market inspectorates No
Businesses in your industry or sector No

Social audits

We asked the organisation to tell us about any social audits it used to look for signs of modern slavery.
What are social audits?
A social audit is a review of an organisation’s working practices from the point of view of social responsibility, and should include an evaluation of working conditions in the organisation’s operations and supply chains. By their nature, audits of supplier workplaces represent a snapshot in time.
Organisation’s response
The organisation did not answer this question.

Grievance mechanisms

We asked the organisation how workers in its operations or supply chains could raise concerns or make complaints.
Organisation’s response
The organisation did not answer this question.

Other ways of monitoring working conditions

We asked the organisation whether it had any other ways of monitoring working conditions across its operations and supply chains:
Supplier due diligence, preferred supplier annual reviews, Modern Slavery Act confirmations and targeted questions on actions taken to combat modern slavery.

Modern slavery risks (optional)

Warning Identifying modern slavery risks is a vital step towards eradicating it. The government encourages organisations to be as open and transparent as possible, to improve understanding, collaboration and best practice around tackling this worldwide problem.
We asked the organisation to describe up to 3 priority risks it focused on during the period of the statement, including details of the affected workers, the activity involved, and the location.

Priority risks for this organisation (1 of 3)

Modern slavery risks in procurement of higher-risk goods, including PPE, IT equipment and branded clothing, through centrally managed supply chains.
Questions we asked about this risk Organisation’s response
Where it was most likely to occur Organisation’s response: Within your supply chains.
  • Tier 1 suppliers
    Provide their products and services directly to your organisation.
  • Tier 2 suppliers
    Provide products and services to your organisation via your Tier 1 suppliers.
  • Tier 3 suppliers and below
    Provide products and services to your organisation via your Tier 2 suppliers or the next higher level in the chain.
Who was it most likely to affect Organisation’s response: No details provided
In which country Organisation’s response: No details provided
Actions or plans to address this risk Organisation’s response: The University uses supplier due diligence questionnaires for contracts over £125,000 and recommends them for £25,000 to £125,000 contracts. Preferred suppliers are reviewed at least annually, asked to confirm Modern Slavery Act compliance and provide policy statements, and review templates flag high-risk goods and services to prompt supplier discussions on onward supply chains.

Priority risks for this organisation (2 of 3)

Modern slavery risks linked to outsourced labour, including security, cleaning and housekeeping services, within centrally managed spend.
Questions we asked about this risk Organisation’s response
Where it was most likely to occur Organisation’s response: Within your supply chains.
  • Tier 1 suppliers
    Provide their products and services directly to your organisation.
Who was it most likely to affect Organisation’s response: No details provided
In which country Organisation’s response: No details provided
Actions or plans to address this risk Organisation’s response: The University maintains Living Wage and Oxford Living Wage accreditation covering employees and contractor/subcontractor staff working regularly on University premises in the UK. Supplier due diligence and annual preferred supplier reviews seek Modern Slavery Act confirmations, policy statements and details of actions taken to combat modern slavery.

Priority risks for this organisation (3 of 3)

Employment-related risks in activities conducted outside central University operations and oversight, including temporary staffing and overseas work.
Questions we asked about this risk Organisation’s response
Where it was most likely to occur Organisation’s response: Within your own operations.
Who was it most likely to affect Organisation’s response: No details provided
In which country Organisation’s response: No details provided
Actions or plans to address this risk Organisation’s response: The University completes appropriate pre-employment checks, provides recruitment guidance including on under-18s, uses TSS processes for temporary workers and asks external agencies to confirm equivalent checks.

Indicators of forced labour (optional)

We asked the organisation whether its statement refers to finding any International Labour Organization (ILO) indicators of forced labour.
What are ILO indicators of forced labour?
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has produced a list of the most common signs of forced labour. They’re based on the definition of forced labour as ‘all work or service which is extracted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.’ More details and guidance are available on the ILO website, and in their publication ILO indicators of forced labour
Organisation’s response
The organisation told us its statement does not refer to finding any International Labour Organization (ILO) indicators of forced labour.

Demonstrating progress (optional)

We asked the organisation how its statement demonstrates progress over time in addressing modern slavery risks. They provided the following answer:
In the 2024/25 statement we have committed to reviewing risk assessment processes in 2025/26.