Gardeners Southwark Modern Slavery Statement

Gardeners Southwark is committed to a comprehensive Modern Slavery Statement and anti-slavery approach across all our activities. This modern slavery statement sets out our zero-tolerance position and the steps we take to prevent slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking in our operations and supply chains. We expect everyone who works with us to uphold these standards and to act with integrity.

Our Modern Slavery Policy applies to all employees, contractors and suppliers engaged by Gardeners Southwark. We operate locally across the borough and recognise that even small service providers can be vulnerable to exploitation. We carry out proportionate risk assessments, and we are strongly opposed to practices that contravene human rights or exploit workers, whether in planting services, groundworks or seasonal labour.

As part of our anti-slavery statement, we have implemented clear governance arrangements. Senior management takes responsibility for policy adoption and enforcement, ensuring that the anti-slavery policy is visible in procurement decisions and day-to-day operations. We communicate expectations to our supply chain and monitor compliance through documented procedures.

Gardeners Southwark operates a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery and forced labour. Any confirmed breach will result in swift action, including contract termination and referral to appropriate authorities where required. Our commitment means immediate remediation for affected individuals and appropriate corrective steps to prevent recurrence.

We require our suppliers and partners to confirm that they neither use nor condone exploitative labour practices. This includes clear written declarations in contracts, pre-engagement checks and ongoing monitoring. We also provide training and guidance to staff so they can recognise signs of exploitation and understand their obligations under this anti-slavery policy.

Our due diligence measures include risk mapping, site visits and targeted checks on higher-risk categories such as temporary labour and subcontracted maintenance. We maintain records of checks and follow a documented escalation process when concerns are identified.

To ensure compliance we conduct regular supplier audits and spot-checks. Audit activities include document reviews, worker interviews and verification of payroll and working conditions. Where we identify non-compliance, we implement remedial action plans and, where necessary, suspend or end business relationships with non-cooperative suppliers.

We operate secure and confidential reporting channels to allow employees, subcontractors and third parties to raise concerns. Reports can be made anonymously where desired, and all allegations are treated seriously, investigated promptly and handled with confidentiality. We protect whistleblowers from retaliation and commit to supporting any affected individuals.

Gardeners Southwark undertakes an annual review of this slavery and human trafficking statement to measure effectiveness and update procedures. The review assesses policy performance, audit outcomes, training uptake and incident responses. We use findings to strengthen our approach and to continually improve prevention, detection and remediation measures across the organisation and our supply chain.