Supply chain social audits: what they are, their limitations, and why they matter for human rights due diligence

In this instalment of our supply chain series on risk-based human rights due diligence, Kerry Stares, Partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, is joined by Louise Herring, founder of human rights consultancy Inherently Human, to examine the role of social audits in managing human rights risks across global supply chains.

This video covers:

• What a social audit is, including how tools such as Sedex SMETA and amfori BSCI are used to assess supplier compliance with labour, human rights and environmental standards
• How social audits sit within the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and their role under the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the EU Forced Labour Regulation
• The limitations of social audits, including why academic research shows they can miss severe, complex and systemic abuses such as forced labour and child labour
• The other due diligence tools businesses use alongside audits, including human rights impact assessments, legal reviews, occupational health and safety inspections and know-your-customer (KYC) processes
• Why stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms and trade unions remain essential complements to audit-based approaches

Key takeaways from this video:

• Social audits provide a valuable, point-in-time snapshot of site-level conditions and worker feedback, helping companies identify risk hot spots in higher-risk supply chains
• Audits alone are not sufficient evidence of a robust human rights due diligence process, and should not be relied upon in isolation, particularly where severe or systemic risks are likely
• Effective due diligence under the CSDDD requires a risk-based approach that combines audits with broader assessment tools, root cause analysis and meaningful stakeholder consultation
• Trade unions, grievance channels and worker surveys remain the most sustainable routes to understanding workers' real experiences and resolving issues on an ongoing basis
• Businesses should track trends in audit findings across suppliers, sectors and regions to drive long-term, systemic improvement rather than one-off fixes

Whether you are a general counsel, compliance officer, sustainability lead or procurement professional responsible for managing supply chain human rights risk, this video offers practical, legally grounded guidance on how social audits fit within a wider human rights due diligence strategy under the CSDDD, the OECD Guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Watch now to understand how to use social audits effectively, where their limits lie, and what complementary tools and stakeholder engagement practices your business should be considering as part of a comprehensive, risk-based approach to supply chain human rights due diligence.