Modern Slavery Statement — Gardening Blackheath

Our commitment

Gardening Blackheath recognises the importance of upholding human rights across all operations and supply chains. We operate a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking. This statement sets out how Gardening in Blackheath, and its teams, identify, prevent and respond to risks of exploitation, and the steps we take to ensure our Blackheath gardening services remain ethical and transparent.

Scope and policy

Our zero-tolerance stance applies to all staff, contractors and suppliers. All employees of Gardening Blackheath are required to comply with our anti-slavery obligations. We ensure employment is freely chosen, wages are paid fairly, and working hours meet legal requirements. Bullying, coercion or withholding identity documents are strictly prohibited and will trigger disciplinary action and, where appropriate, referral to authorities.

Due diligence and supplier audits

Gardening Blackheath carries out proportionate due diligence on suppliers and partners. We assess risk through supplier questionnaires, contract clauses and on-site checks. Key actions include:

• Risk screening of new and existing suppliers focusing on geography, sector and worker vulnerability.
• Contractual requirements that mandate compliance with anti-slavery standards.
• Scheduled supplier audits and spot checks to verify practices in the field and in supply chains.

We maintain a programme of supplier audits and use the findings to drive improvement. Where non-compliance is identified, we require corrective action plans, provide support to remediate issues and, if necessary, terminate relationships with suppliers who fail to meet our standards.

Reporting channels and worker safety

Gardening Blackheath provides multiple safe, confidential reporting channels for workers, subcontractors and members of the public to raise concerns about suspected modern slavery. These channels include an internal reporting mechanism, a protected whistleblowing route and clear escalation procedures. All reports are treated seriously, investigated promptly and handled with confidentiality.

We encourage anyone concerned about exploitation within Blackheath gardening services to report issues without fear of retaliation. Reports are assessed by our compliance team and, when necessary, referred to external authorities. We also offer support to affected individuals, including helping them access appropriate services and legal protections.

Training and awareness are central to our approach. The Gardening Blackheath team receives regular mandatory training on recognising signs of modern slavery, safe recruitment practices and how to use reporting channels. We also provide guidance to subcontractors and suppliers to raise awareness across the wider supply chain.

Monitoring, performance and continuous improvement are embedded in our approach. We track key performance indicators related to supplier audit outcomes, number and nature of reports, and remediation actions taken. This monitoring allows Gardening in Blackheath to measure the effectiveness of our policies and identify areas for improvement.

Consequences for breaching our standards are clear: suppliers or employees found complicit in modern slavery face contract termination, reporting to authorities and other legal remedies. We favour remediation where feasible, but we will not tolerate ongoing exploitation and will take decisive action where necessary.

We review this Modern Slavery Statement and our associated policies at least annually. The annual review ensures our processes, supplier audits, reporting channels and training remain effective and responsive to emerging risks. Gardening Blackheath remains committed to transparency, collaboration and continuous improvement to eliminate modern slavery from our operations and those of our partners.