The Tweedmill Textiles Story

Tweedmill Textiles has been established for over 50 years. Life started in a small base North Wales due to the successful growth of the business, we moved to a fully contained site in 2014, which has given the opportunity to raise the Tweedmill brand.

We are renowned for our quality and creativeness. Our products are produced from a core range of materials, consisting of quality fabrics and yarns.

A family run company which has built a household Worldwide brand by manufacturing a quality product that sits beautifully in any home or garden setting, while our range of ladies & Gents accessories look fabulous rain or shine.

Mission Statement

‘Quality is woven into us’ – Bart Ryan Beswick Managing Director

Our commitment to ensuring that our customers are completely satisfied with both our products and service it our number one priority.

To achieve this aim, we rely on the hard work, and dedication of our ‘Tweedmill family’, and believe that the success of our business is driven by the following key values.

• Attention to detail.
• Mutual trust and honesty
• Loyalty
• Outstanding quality
• A high level of professional expertise
• We all work together closely to achieve our company goals.

Training and Development Policy

To ensure we continuously improve and achieve high levels of both customer and employee satisfaction, we must continually invest in the abilities and knowledge of our team, ensuring that we have the right skills at the right time.

Tweedmill has created a L&D strategy that allows all staff the opportunity to achieve the company goals and objectives, by acknowledging the importance of following a plan that challenges and supports the appropriate learning competencies of our team.

Using a range of identifying processes, such as reviews, appraisals, and development records we have designed a growth programme that is a combination of internal and external training pathways, which can be modified to suit specific job role requirements.

We encourage our team to work closely with their colleagues, mentors, and managers to progress and expand on their working experience and by building positive learning relationships with local training centres and colleges, who offer Frameworks skills, apprenticeships and NVQ’s it aids our commitment to facilitate a personal development journey throughout the employee lifecycle.

The way we work.

Tweedmill Textiles Ltd have become renowned for providing quality and reliability.

We are proud of what we have achieved, and our aim is to build on this success.

Our ethical and business values ensure that we are focused and all work to the same standards.

We are all responsible for: -

• Establishing and maintaining a good working relationship with our colleagues, customers, suppliers, and stakeholders.
• Creating an environment of openness, honesty, and integrity.
• Treating everyone with respect and fairness, while retaining quality, reliability, efficiency, and value for money.
• Committed to reducing our environmental impact offering continual improvement of our performance, raising environmental awareness, and working with a comprehensive set of operating procedures.

We value the views and opinions of our team, acknowledge any suggestion for improvement, and have an open approach to working through sustainable recommendations.

Equal Opportunities Policy

The provision of equal opportunity to all employees is an important aspect of how we deliver our product and service. Any discrimination, victimisation, harassment, or bullying will not be tolerated and is considered a serious disciplinary offence.

All employees will be treated with dignity and respect, and we will make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment and procedures to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly.

Harassment Victimisation and Bullying Policy

Any form of harassment, victimisation or bullying will not be tolerated. It is our firm belief that any behavior of this type is totally unacceptable and reprehensible.

We ensure the provision of a safe and positive working environment free from any harassment, victimization, intimidation or bullying and are committed to ensuring that our policy is upheld and that everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Harassment and vicitmisation are discriminatory acts which are criminal offences.

Non-Retaliation Policy

All Tweedmill Textiles employees are protected from retaliation for raising a question or concern or participating in an investigation pertaining to alleged breach of laws, the Code, policies, or procedures. Tweedmill Textiles is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free of harassment, intimidation, retaliation, and discrimination.

Crucial to these objectives is promoting an atmosphere where employees feel safe to engage in open, honest communication. Raising questions or concerns at any time without fear of retaliation.

Tweedmill Textiles strictly prohibits any form of retaliation against employees who raise issues or ask questions, make reports, participate in an investigation, refuse to participate in suspected improper or wrongful activity, or exercise workplace rights protected by law, including disclosure to identified public entities and disclosure of company confidential or proprietary information to the extent such disclosure is required or permitted by law.

Grievance definition

We define a grievance as any complaint, problem or concern of our employee, workplace, job or co-worker relationships.

All employees can file grievances for any of the following reasons:

• Workplace harassment
• Health and safety
• Management
• Unacceptable changes in employment conditions

This list in not exhaustive. However, employees should try to resolve less important issues informally before they resort to a formal grievance.

Employees who file grievances can:

• Speak with their direct supervisor or HR department.
• Write a letter of grievance detailing the situation.
• Attend a meeting with someone of their choice.
• Appeal on any formal decision

Employees who face allegation have the right to:

• Receive a copy of the allegations against them.
• Respond to the allegations.
• Appeal on any formal decision

The company is obliged to:

• Have a formal grievance procedure in place.
• Communicate the procedure.
• Investigate all grievances promptly.
• Treat all employees who file grievances equally.
• Preserve confidentiality at any stage of the process.
• Resolve all grievances when possible.
• Respect its no-retaliation policy when employees file grievances with the company or external agencies (e.g., equal employment opportunity committee)

Quality Policy

It is our aim to provide products and services to the highest standard to meet our customer’s expectations of quality, service, reliability, and safety.

To help us achieve our objectives we have stitched in place a set of standards, processes, and procedures.

• To establish and maintain a good working environment involving all personnel to encourage the continued improvement of both our products and services.
• Ensure that we all understand the importance of our responsibility to control the environment in which we work.
• Provide evidence of quality performance using our monitor, review, and report procedure.
• Engage and develop good working relationships with our suppliers to maintain quality and customer satisfaction.
• To implement continual improvement processes, procedures, and reporting systems.

We are a dedicated team committed to the provision of a quality product and service that we ourselves would be more than happy to receive.

Environmental Policy

To reduce our environmental impact, we continually review the improvement of our performance while raising environmental awareness and work to a comprehensive set of operating procedures.

While aiming to promote the company ethos to our stakeholders our responsibility for ensuring that the environmental policy is implemented and reviewed is fundamental to its effectiveness.

We as a company will endeavor to

• Act in accordance with all relevant regulatory requirements.
• Review and monitor our environmental performance,
• Continually make improvements to lessen our environmental impacts,
• Encompass environmental factors into business decisions,
• Increase awareness and if required provide training,

The aim is to manage our business practices in such a way that it reduces the impact on our environment.

Health and Safety Policy

The health, safety, and welfare at work of all our employees and others who may be affected is our priority. Our policy is monitored/managed continuously, and the company will take action to prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health. Provisions are in place to reduce the risk of harm from work activities.

The bespoke training program facilitates the development of competent personnel. We engage and consult with all employees in regards health and safety conditions and expectations.

Undertaking full and comprehensive risk assessments, which are monitored and reviewed regularly. 

All equipment, machinery and tooling are well maintained and serviced to the required standard.

Emergency evacuation procedures in case of fire and any other significant incident are well practiced and audits are conducted. Fire safety and first aid training is performed by a local qualified centre, this training is recorded and reviewed.

We operate CoSHH and safe working practices for the use and storage of substances.

A copy of our policy is available on request.

ETI Base Code

Here at Tweedmill Textiles we believe that everyone should be treated with respect and be able work in a safe environment.

We pledge to provide good working standards that meet with UK Law and the ETI Base Code. This commitment is promoted to all stakeholders which includes our suppliers.

Using a process that requires raising awareness, training and monitoring, Tweedmill Textiles ensures that continual improvement and compliance within the ETI Base Code is achieved.

1. Employment is freely chosen.

There is no forced, bonded, or involuntary prison labour. Workers are not required to lodge "deposits" or their identity papers with their employer and are free to leave their employer after reasonable notice. 

2. Freedom of Association and The Right to Collective Bargaining Are Respected. Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively. The employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and their organisational activities. Worker’s representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace. Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted under law, the employer facilitates, and does not hinder, the development of parallel means for independent and free association and bargaining. 
3. Working Conditions Are Safe and Hygienic.

A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment. Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training, and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers. Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided. Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of the workers. A member of senior management shall assign responsibility for health and safety. 

4. Child Labour Shall Not Be Used.

There shall be no new recruitment of child labour. Where child labour is found, the employer shall develop or participate in and contribute to policies and programmes which provide for the transition of any child found to be performing child labour to enable her or him to attend and remain in quality education until no longer a child; "child" and "child labour" being defined below. Children and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night or in hazardous conditions. The policies and procedures relating to the employment of children shall conform to the provisions of the relevant ILO standards. 

5. Living Wages Are Paid

Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards, or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. In any event wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income. All workers shall be provided with written and understandable information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period concerned each time that they are paid. Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without the expressed permission of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded. 

6. Working Hours Are Not Excessive.

Working hours comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, which ever affords greater protection. In any event, workers shall not on a regular basis be required to work more than 48 hours per week and shall be provided with at least one day off for every 7-day period on average. Overtime shall be voluntary, shall not exceed 12 hours per week, shall not be demanded on a regular basis and shall always be compensated at a premium rate. 

7. No Discrimination is practised.

There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination, or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation. 

8. Regular Employment is provided.

To every extent possible work performed must be based on recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice. Obligations to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations arising from the regular employment relationship shall not be avoided through the use of labour-only contracting, sub- contracting, or home-working arrangements, or through apprenticeship schemes where there is no real intent to impart skills or provide regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be avoided through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts of employment. 

9. No Harsh or Inhumane Treatment is allowed.

Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited. 

10. Environmental Impact is managed.

Suppliers should measure and where appropriate, seek to reduce the environmental impacts of their business activities. In addition to complying with local laws, steps should be taken to optimise the use of energy and natural resources and reduce the generation of waste. 

Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

Introduction

We are committed to eliminating acts of modern-day slavery and human trafficking within our business and from within our supply chains. Our annual turnover is under £36 million and although we are not legally obliged to report on slavery and human trafficking, this statement is made in accordance with section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Organisational structure, business, and supply chains

We are a manufacturer and supplier of textile products and are an independent company operating within the UK. Our business comprises of manufacturing unit and head office based at Unit 22 Castle Park Flint Flintshire CH6 5XA.

Policy on slavery and human trafficking

We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in any part of our business or in our supply chains. This policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere within our supply chains.

Due diligence

We foster a culture that encourages the identification and reporting of any such risks within our business. We recruit all our employees either directly or through recruitment agencies who are members of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

Assessing and managing risk

We have a whistleblowing policy in place and, as part of our efforts to identify and mitigate risks within our supply chain, we are introducing systems to identify, assess and monitor potential risk areas.

Effectiveness in combating slavery and human trafficking

We have zero tolerance to slavery and human trafficking. To ensure that all those in our supply chains comply with our values we are putting in place a supply chain compliance programme that will require our suppliers to confirm that they have a slavery and human trafficking policy in place and that they require the same from their suppliers.

Training

We are providing appropriate training to ensure that relevant employees understand the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking within our business and supply chains.

Code of Ethics

• Ensure that all working conditions are safe and are continually monitored.
• To provide a product and service that we as individuals would be happy to receive
• Implement and promote openness, honesty and integrity within the company and create an organisational culture where everyone feels protected and confident.
• All stakeholders to be treated with respect and fairness.
• Adhere to all Tweedmill Textiles policies and procedures.
• Raise awareness of our environmental bearing and actively work toward lessening the impact.
• Promise to provide good working standards that are compliant with both UK law and the ETI base code.
• Work towards a continual improvement program whist raising awareness. Provide training and closely monitor our performance.

Anti-bribery

The Company values its reputation for ethical behaviour and for financial probity and reliability. It recognises that over and above the commission of any crime, any involvement in bribery will also reflect adversely on its image and reputation. Its reliability. It recognises that over and above the commission of any crime, any involvement in bribery will also reflect adversely on its image and reputation. Its aim therefore is to limit its exposure to bribery by:

• setting out a clear anti-bribery policy,
• establishing and implementing anti-bribery procedures as appropriate
• communicating this policy and any relevant procedures to employees and to others who will perform services for the Company.
• undertaking appropriate due diligence measures before engaging others to represent the Company in its business dealings.
• monitoring and reviewing the risks and the effectiveness of any anti-bribery procedures that are in place. Policy The Company prohibits the offering, giving, solicitation or acceptance of any bribe (whether cash or other inducement)
• to or from any person or company (wherever they are situated and whether they are a public official or body or private person or company),
• by any individual employee, agent or other person or body acting on behalf of the Company,
• to gain any commercial, contractual, or regulatory advantage for the Company in a way that is unethical,
• or to gain any personal advantage (pecuniary or otherwise) for the individual or anyone connected with the individual.

This policy prohibits any inducement that results in a personal gain or advantage to the recipient, or any person or body associated with them, and which is intended to influence them to take action that may not be solely in the interests of the Company or of the person or body employing them or whom they represent. This policy is not meant to prohibit normal and appropriate hospitality or the giving of a gift on a festival or at another special time, providing they are customary in a particular market, are proportionate and are properly recorded. Inevitably, decisions as to what is acceptable may not always be easy. If you are in any doubt as to whether a potential act constitutes bribery, the matter should be referred to a director before proceeding.

Bart Ryan Beswick Managing Director of Tweedmill Textiles Ltd