Gardeners Croydon Modern Slavery Statement

Gardeners Croydon sets out this Modern Slavery Statement to confirm our commitment to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking within our business and supply chains. We adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward practices that amount to forced labour, exploitation or any forms of slavery. This modern slavery statement for Gardeners Croydon outlines our approach to risk assessment, supplier oversight and remedial actions where issues are identified.

We recognise that slavery and human trafficking present real risks in some parts of the horticulture and grounds maintenance sectors. Our modern slavery policy is embedded in our procurement and people policies, and we require all employees, subcontractors and suppliers to adhere to our standards. All personnel receive training so they can identify signs of exploitation and understand their responsibilities under our anti-slavery procedures.

Our commitment is supported by senior leadership and is reflected in governance and reporting. The executive team monitors compliance with our anti-slavery commitments and reports on progress to senior managers. We publish this Gardeners Croydon anti-slavery statement annually and ensure that our business practices reduce the risk of modern slavery in our operations and in the work of our external partners.

We apply a proportionate risk-based due diligence approach to our supply chains. Prior to onboarding suppliers we carry out checks that include documentation review, right-to-work verification and validation of employment terms. For higher-risk suppliers we perform enhanced assessments to verify labour standards and conditions.

We conduct regular supplier audits and spot checks to confirm compliance with our expected standards. Audit activities include:

• Contract and payroll verification to ensure fair pay and lawful deductions
• Site visits and worker interviews to assess working conditions and freedom of movement
• Review of recruitment arrangements to prevent debt bondage or exploitative fees
• Corrective action plans where non-compliance or risks are identified

Where audits reveal deficiencies we require suppliers to implement timely corrective actions. Persistent or serious breaches may lead to termination of the business relationship. Our supplier code of conduct sets out clear expectations and the consequences of non-compliance with our slavery and human trafficking requirements.

Gardeners Croydon provides multiple confidential reporting channels so that concerns about potential modern slavery can be raised without fear of retaliation. We operate an internal whistleblowing pathway, secure escalation routes to senior managers and mechanisms for anonymous reporting. All reports are taken seriously, investigated promptly and, where appropriate, referred to external authorities.

We protect whistleblowers and vulnerable workers by ensuring investigations are conducted sensitively and by offering support measures. Our procedures emphasise worker safety and continuity of employment where possible, while ensuring any criminal conduct is addressed through the appropriate legal channels.

Transparency and continuous improvement are central to our approach. We maintain clear documentation of investigations, remediation and supplier performance. We also encourage partners and contractors to adopt similar anti-slavery controls and to cooperate with audits and remedial actions when necessary.

As part of our corporate responsibility, we undertake an annual review of our modern slavery risk management framework. This review examines policy effectiveness, training reach, audit outcomes and the changing risk profile of our supply chains. Results from the annual review inform updates to our procurement processes, training materials and supplier engagement strategies.

We measure progress using key performance indicators such as the number of supplier audits completed, corrective actions closed, cases reported and training completion rates. These metrics are reported internally and shape our continuous improvement cycle for the Gardeners Croydon modern slavery policy.

In conclusion, Gardeners Croydon is committed to preventing modern slavery and promoting ethical employment practices across our operations and supply chains. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward forced labour and exploitation, implement robust supplier audits, provide secure reporting channels and perform an annual review to strengthen our safeguards against modern slavery and human trafficking.