Modern Slavery Statement — Garden Maintenance Southwark

Garden Maintenance Southwark confirms its commitment to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in all forms throughout our operations. This statement sets out the steps we have taken and will continue to take to ensure ethical practices across our services, including garden maintenance in Southwark and related grounds care. We operate a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of forced labour, bonded labour, human trafficking or exploitation. Our approach is based on clear governance, staff training and supplier management to protect vulnerable workers and maintain the highest standards.

We are committed to transparency. All company personnel and subcontractors working on Southwark garden projects must understand and respect our policies. Our code of conduct includes explicit prohibitions against withholding identity documents, charging recruitment fees to workers, or imposing debt bondage. Supervisors receive bespoke training focused on spotting signs of exploitation and reporting concerns. We use robust recruitment checks and verify right-to-work documentation to reduce the risk of modern slavery in our workforce.

Our obligations extend to the supply chain. As part of our supplier assurance for garden services across Southwark and neighbouring boroughs, procurement requires written commitments to anti-slavery standards. Contracts include clauses that permit audits and require immediate remediation where issues are found. We will take decisive action, including contract termination, where suppliers fail to meet these expectations. These measures reflect our firm belief that supplier responsibility is integral to ethical garden maintenance and landscaping.

Zero-tolerance policy and enforcement

Garden Maintenance in Southwark maintains a zero-tolerance stance: any evidence of modern slavery leads to swift investigative and corrective action. Investigations are carried out impartially and with confidentiality where necessary. We protect whistleblowers and ensure that anyone raising concerns will not suffer retaliation. Our disciplinary processes are clearly documented, and we will report criminal conduct to the appropriate authorities and support law enforcement investigations as required.

To ensure effective implementation we conduct periodic supplier audits and site inspections. Audits evaluate employment records, recruitment practices, living conditions (where applicable), and worker interviews. Findings are reported to senior management and corrective action plans are tracked until complete. Where audits identify non-compliance, we collaborate with suppliers to remediate and improve practices, and we escalate persistent failures to contractual remedies including suspension or termination.

We maintain a set of key performance indicators to measure our performance and progress. These include the number of supplier assessments completed, staff training hours delivered, and the resolution rate of reported concerns. These KPIs are reviewed by our leadership team as part of regular compliance reporting and risk assessments relating to labour standards in the horticulture and maintenance sector.

Reporting channels, responsibilities and annual review

We provide multiple confidential reporting channels to help staff, contractors and third parties raise concerns about modern slavery risks in Southwark garden services. Reports can be raised verbally to line managers or using secure internal reporting systems. All reports are logged, assessed and investigated by designated officers. We encourage the use of early reporting so that potential issues can be addressed promptly and compassionately.

Our senior leadership team holds ultimate responsibility for this statement and its implementation. Day-to-day responsibility rests with the compliance and operations managers who coordinate supplier audits, training and remediation actions. We work with external advisors where specialist expertise is required to ensure investigations and remedies align with legal obligations and best practice.

This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains effective and aligned with evolving legal requirements and sector best practice. We will update this Modern Slavery Statement each year to reflect progress, audit outcomes and improvements in our processes for preventing exploitation in garden maintenance roles. By embedding these commitments into our culture, Garden Maintenance Southwark aims to lead by example and contribute to the eradication of modern slavery from our operations and supply chain.