If you have an ethical audit this year, you should be aware that Sedex has now introduced its SMETA 7.0 methodology. Whilst many aspects of the audit are the same as your previous audit, there are some major changes to be aware of.
That’s why we’re encouraging all our ethical audit customers to ensure they prepare as much as possible for their next audit. Being prepared not only helps the audit to run more smoothly, but it could also result in fewer non-conformances.
Here are our 5 top tips for a more efficient SMETA 7.0 audit:
1. Book Your Audit Well in Advance
The earlier you book, the more chance you have of securing the audit window that you want. Get in touch with our Ethical Audit Team by calling 01756 700802 or emailing samantha.day@vwa.co.uk . Remember to specify whether you require a 2-pillar or 4-pillar audit and the number of workers you have on site.
2. Read the New Documentation
We recommend that you familiarise yourself now with the contents of the:
Sedex Supplier Manual and Annexes and the
Workplace Requirements and their Interpretation Guidance documents.
You will find the Sedex Documents on our website together with other useful information.
Download them, print them and read them carefully so that you understand the changes to the clauses you will be audited against. Refer to the documents regularly, so that you can ensure you are fully versed on the content before the audit takes place.
3. Put Together a SMETA 7.0 Audit Folder
Keeping everything in one place, where everybody involved can access it, is an excellent way to prepare for your SMETA 7.0 audit. Together with the Manual and guidance documents mentioned above, start collating your documentation in readiness for your audit.
For example, under SMETA 7.0 you will find that there is an additional requirement to have a number of Risk Assessments and Policies in place. Making sure that you have prepared these in advance and know which ones can help you to meet the Workplace Requirements, can demonstrate that you are actively using them, and this should help the audit to run more smoothly.
4. Use Our SMETA 7.0 Checklists
We have compiled two useful checklists in reference to relevant risk assessments and suitable policies for SMETA 7.0. The checklists relate to requirements for each section of the ETI Base Code to ensure you have left no stone unturned in your audit preparation.
5. Understand What’s New for SMETA 7.0
There are three key changes in SMETA 7.0:
Workplace Requirements (WR)
There are clearly defined expectations for workplace conditions, based on the ETI Base Code and Local Law, ensuring a consistent approach to assessing compliance with labour standards.
Collaborative Action Required findings (CAR)
CARs help to identify issues that may be outside the control of a site and may require co-operation from third parties. Although they are a type of non-conformance, there are no timescales required for their verification.
Whereas the auditor might have raised ‘observations’ on previous audits, these have become obsolete. Instead, a new grading of a ‘CAR’ has been introduced.
**NEW** Management Systems Assessment (MSA)
This is a deeper dive into your management systems to identify potential risks and opportunities for improvement. Where areas of a management system are found to meet requirements in terms of policies, management commitment, communication and monitoring a ‘robust’ grading will be awarded, signified by a green tick.
Information about all these can be found on our Ethical Resources webpage.
PLEASE NOTE
Because our auditors have additional areas to cover in SMETA 7.0, time for discussion or guidance during the audit will be extremely limited, except for in opening and closing meetings or management interviews. Worker interviews, payroll and working hours reviews all still must be completed as well as the new Management Systems Assessment. Therefore, preparation is key to ensuring a smooth audit.
We are happy to answer your questions before the day so please read the guidance and get in touch with your queries.