Gardening Paddington Modern Slavery Statement

Gardening Paddington is committed to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in all parts of our business and supply chain. This Modern Slavery Statement sets out our policy, due diligence processes and actions to identify, mitigate and prevent any risk of slavery and forced labour across our Paddington gardening services and related operations. We adopt a zero-tolerance policy for any form of modern slavery and expect the same standards from our suppliers and contractors.

Our commitment as Gardening in Paddington providers includes regular risk assessments, staff training and clear governance. The board of Gardening Paddington approves this statement and the senior leadership team is responsible for implementation. We recognise that small businesses that supply labour, materials and seasonal workers may pose particular risks, and our approach is tailored to reduce those risks through targeted controls and transparency.

We publish this statement annually and review our actions, ensuring the policy remains relevant to the evolving risks in the landscaping and Paddington gardening sector. Key elements of our approach include supplier audits, enhanced onboarding checks, and channels for raising concerns. We require suppliers to adhere to our code of conduct and to provide written assurances that their operations are free from modern slavery.

Our

Zero-Tolerance Policy

is clear: Gardening Paddington will not tolerate forced labour, debt bondage, human trafficking or any form of involuntary work in its operations or supply chain. All workers engaged directly by Gardening Paddington and those employed by our suppliers must have the freedom to leave employment and retain control of identity documents. Violations will lead to corrective action, up to and including termination of contracts and referral to authorities.

As part of our supplier management, supplier audits are a core control. We perform risk-based audits and spot checks on suppliers of plants, materials, seasonal labour and subcontracted gardening teams. Audits evaluate working conditions, recruitment practices, payroll, and compliance with local labour laws. Where we identify issues, we require a remediation plan with clear timelines and follow-up audits to ensure compliance.

We maintain a register of higher-risk suppliers and use a combination of self-assessment questionnaires, documentary evidence and on-site visits. Our procurement team is trained to recognise indicators of exploitation and to escalate concerns. We also embed anti-slavery clauses into supplier contracts and reserve the right to terminate agreements for non-compliance.

To enable safe reporting, Gardening Paddington provides multiple

reporting channels

and whistleblowing options for employees, contractors and third parties. Individuals can raise concerns internally to their manager or via a confidential reporting line managed independently. We encourage reporting of suspected modern slavery and guarantee that reports will be treated seriously and investigated promptly, with protections against retaliation.

Our grievance and reporting framework includes clear steps for investigation, remedial actions and, where appropriate, support for potential victims. We work with local authorities and specialist organisations to ensure that any person identified as a victim receives appropriate assistance and that any criminal activity is reported to enforcement agencies.

Accountability and continuous improvement are central to our approach. We conduct an annual review of our anti-slavery programme, measuring effectiveness against defined KPIs such as the percentage of suppliers audited, number of staff trained, and time taken to resolve reported incidents. Findings from the annual review inform training updates, policy enhancements and resource allocation.