Gardeners Staines Modern Slavery Statement

Gardeners Staines is committed to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in all parts of our operations and supply chain. This modern slavery statement sets out our approach and actions to ensure we eliminate exploitation of workers across the services provided by the gardeners of Staines and by third parties engaged by Gardeners Staines Ltd. We adopt a zero-tolerance policy to any form of forced labour, unlawful restriction of movement, debt bondage, or human trafficking.

We are clear that protecting human rights is a core business responsibility. Gardeners of Staines employees and representatives are required to act ethically and lawfully, and our leadership team ensures that policies and procedures reflect our expectations. The statement covers recruitment, payroll, working hours, accommodation arrangements where provided, and any subcontracted services used by Staines gardeners.

Zero-Tolerance Policy and Core Principles

Our policy is unequivocal: we will not tolerate modern slavery in any form. Gardeners Staines enforces a policy that prohibits exploitative labour practices, and all workers must be free to terminate employment without unreasonable financial penalty. We require proof of eligibility to work where applicable and prohibit passport or ID retention as a condition of work. The policy is communicated to staff and suppliers through contracts, training, and published standards.

Supplier Due Diligence and Audits

We recognise that preventing modern slavery extends beyond our direct employees. As a result, Gardeners Staines Ltd operates a supplier due diligence programme that uses risk profiling to identify higher-risk suppliers, contractors and intermediaries. Suppliers and subcontractors are required to comply with our code of conduct and confirm that they do not use forced labour.

Supplier audits are a key control: we conduct site visits, review payroll records, interview workers where possible, and inspect working conditions. Our approach combines documentation review and physical checks, prioritising suppliers in sectors or geographies with elevated risk. Non-compliance triggers corrective action plans, and sustained breaches can lead to contract termination. We also require subcontracting disclosure so that we can assess the whole chain.

To support compliance, Staines gardeners and our procurement team receive training to recognise indicators of exploitation and to follow escalation procedures. We maintain a supplier questionnaire and contractual clauses that make compliance with anti-slavery standards a mandatory condition of supply.

Reporting Channels and Whistleblowing

We provide secure and confidential reporting channels for employees, contractors and third parties to raise concerns about modern slavery without fear of retaliation. Reports can be made through internal reporting lines, and there are protections in place for whistleblowers. All reports are investigated promptly by senior management and, where necessary, referred to the appropriate authorities.

Our investigations follow a structured process: acknowledgement, risk assessment, evidence gathering, corrective action and, if needed, referral to law enforcement. Strong governance ensures that each case is reviewed for potential systemic issues and that remedial steps are taken to support any affected individuals, such as ensuring safe accommodation and access to legal advice where feasible.

Annual Review and Continuous Improvement This statement is reviewed at least annually and updated to reflect improvements in policy, changes in the law, lessons learned from audits and incident responses, and broader industry best practice. The board and senior leadership formally approve the modern slavery statement and review performance against key metrics including audit outcomes, training completion rates and reported concerns.