Modern Slavery Statement — Garden Maintenance Dulwich

Commitment to Ethical Labour Practices

Garden Maintenance Dulwich sets out a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labour across all operations. As a provider of Dulwich garden maintenance and local green-space services, we recognise our responsibility to ensure that every person who contributes to our work is treated with dignity and fairness. This statement applies to all employees, contractors, and suppliers engaged by our garden care Dulwich teams.

We promulgate clear expectations in our contracts and procurement processes. Our leadership is accountable for ensuring that our neighbourhood garden maintenance services are free from exploitation. We maintain policies that make clear that exploitation of any kind will not be tolerated, and that any breach will result in immediate action including contract termination and reporting to the appropriate authorities.

Policy Framework and Responsibilities

Our board and senior management have endorsed a set of policies that govern ethical labour standards. These policies require compliance with UK and international laws on modern slavery and supply chain transparency. Everyone working in Dulwich garden maintenance is required to complete training on recognising signs of coercion, unfair remuneration, and restricted freedom of movement.

We require mandatory pre-engagement checks for new staff and contractors, including identity verification and right-to-work documentation. Our recruitment for garden care in Dulwich emphasises direct hiring and formal contracts rather than informal or agency arrangements that may conceal exploitative practices.

To reinforce our expectations, we operate a programme of supplier audits and assessments designed to identify risk and ensure compliance with our zero-tolerance stance. Audit measures include site visits, documentation review, and confidential worker interviews to confirm wage, hours and living conditions.

We maintain a risk-based approach to supplier audits: higher-risk suppliers undergo more frequent, rigorous checks. Our supplier audits examine employment records, health and safety compliance, subcontracting practices and evidence of worker freedom. Where non-compliance is identified we demand corrective action plans, and may suspend or terminate relationships if improvements are not made.

Reporting channels are an essential element of our approach. We provide multiple safe and confidential routes for workers, contractors and members of the public to raise concerns about suspected modern slavery in our operations or supply chain. These channels include anonymous reporting mechanisms and escalation procedures that protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Instances raised are investigated promptly and documented.

Key measures we use to prevent and address modern slavery include:

• Contractual commitments requiring compliance with anti-slavery provisions;
• Supplier due diligence and periodic on-site audits;
• Worker awareness sessions and accessible reporting routes;
• Remediation plans with clear timelines and sanctions for non-compliance.

Our reporting process ensures that every allegation is recorded and escalated to senior management. Investigations are conducted impartially, with support services offered to affected individuals. If exploitation is discovered within our Dulwich garden maintenance network, we cooperate fully with law enforcement and specialist services to ensure appropriate protection and remediation for victims.

We also require transparency from our direct suppliers and sub-contractors. Suppliers must provide evidence of their own policies and practices to prevent modern slavery and to demonstrate that their workforce is engaged lawfully and ethically. We assess supplier performance and use contractual leverage to improve standards across the sector of garden maintenance services in Dulwich.

Annual review and continuous improvement: This modern slavery statement and our associated policies are reviewed at least once a year by senior leadership. The annual review evaluates the effectiveness of audits, training, reporting channels and remediation activities. Findings from the review inform updates to our procedures, additional training needs, and changes to supplier risk categorisation. The review process aims to ensure that our Dulwich garden care operations remain resilient against evolving risks of exploitation.

In conclusion, Garden Maintenance Dulwich is committed to maintaining ethical standards across its operations. We keep a strong focus on prevention, detection and remedy through clear policy, regular supplier audits, accessible reporting channels and an annual review cycle that drives continual improvement in our fight against modern slavery.