Gardening Fitzrovia Modern Slavery Statement

Gardening Fitzrovia confirms its commitment to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in all areas of our work. This Modern Slavery Statement sets out the steps we take to ensure that our gardening services supply chain operates ethically and without exploitation. We describe our policies, oversight, and responsibilities to demonstrate a clear zero-tolerance approach to forced labour, debt bondage, and other abuses.

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy across our organisation. All staff and contractors are expected to comply with our anti-slavery policy and report concerns immediately. Our directors have ultimate accountability for preventing slavery and human trafficking, and this is embedded in our procurement and people policies.

This slavery and human trafficking statement outlines the scope of our due diligence on supply chains and workforce practices. We require new suppliers to sign our supplier code which includes clauses that prohibit forced labour, child labour and the withholding of identity documents. We also assess risk factors such as subcontracting practices, migrant labour usage and employment intermediaries.

Supplier audits and monitoring

We operate a risk-based supplier audit programme. Audits are performed both on-site and remotely and focus on payroll, recruitment records and living conditions where applicable. Where issues are identified we use corrective action plans and follow-up visits until compliance is restored. Our supplier audits combine documentation checks with worker interviews to ensure that practices match policies.

Audit process and expectations

Audits cover compliance with legal requirements, fair working hours, transparent contracts and safe working conditions. We evaluate suppliers against clear criteria and score them to prioritise high-risk relationships. The auditing process is supported by third-party specialists when necessary. Suppliers that repeatedly fail to meet standards face suspension or termination of contracts.

Our procurement team conducts regular training on ethical sourcing and modern slavery indicators. We maintain a list of approved vendors and require all subcontractors to adhere to the same standards. We also include clauses in contracts enabling us to request documentation and to carry out spot checks.

Reporting channels are available to all workers and stakeholders to raise concerns. We provide confidential mechanisms for reporting suspected exploitation, and whistleblowing is protected under our policies. Reports are triaged by a designated modern slavery officer to ensure timely action and support for any potentially affected individuals.

Our reporting options include an internal anonymous hotline and a formal escalation route to senior management. All reports are investigated promptly; where necessary we engage external specialists and law enforcement authorities. We emphasize victim-centred responses and offer appropriate remedial measures including support and referrals to services.

As part of our continuous improvement we commit to an annual review of this anti-slavery statement and associated processes. The review examines audit outcomes, the effectiveness of reporting channels, supplier performance and any incidents or near-misses. Action plans arising from the annual review are tracked and reported to our leadership team to ensure accountability.

We publish updates to our modern slavery policy and statement each year to reflect evolving risks and improvements. Gardening Fitzrovia will continue to work with suppliers, industry partners and experts to strengthen anti-slavery protections across the horticultural and grounds maintenance sectors. Our approach is pragmatic, evidence-based and rooted in a clear moral obligation to protect workers.

Key commitments include:

• Zero-tolerance to modern slavery and exploitation throughout our operations.
• Robust supplier audits and corrective action processes.
• Accessible and secure reporting channels for workers and stakeholders.
• Annual review and continuous improvement of anti-slavery measures.

Conclusion: Gardening Fitzrovia takes modern slavery seriously and is committed to maintaining ethical supply chains. Our Modern Slavery policy and statements are living documents; we will review and update them regularly and enforce standards through supplier audits, clear reporting channels and a firm zero-tolerance stance.