Gardener Mottingham Modern Slavery Statement

Introduction: Gardener Mottingham sets out its commitment to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in any part of its operations or supply chains. This anti-slavery statement reflects our firm belief that exploitation has no place in our business and describes the steps we take to identify, prevent and remediate risks related to forced labour, child labour and other forms of exploitation.

Our zero‑tolerance policy

We operate a zero-tolerance policy on slavery and human trafficking. All employees, contractors and partners must adhere to this zero tolerance approach. Any breach of this policy will lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or supplier contracts. Gardener Mottingham’s slavery statement and anti-slavery rules are embedded into our code of conduct and procurement standards to ensure consistent application across the organisation.

Legal and ethical compliance

We comply with applicable legislation and best practice relating to the modern slavery and human trafficking statement requirements. Our senior leadership oversees compliance and ensures our slavery and human trafficking policy is integrated into decision-making. We refer to this as our slavery statement, our modern slavery policy, and our broader anti-slavery declaration depending on context.

Supplier management and supplier audits are central to detecting and resolving risks in our supply chain. We perform due diligence on suppliers, prioritising those in high-risk sectors, regions, or where labour-intensive services are used. Our supplier audit program includes:

• Pre-engagement risk assessment and contractual anti-slavery clauses.
• On-site and remote supplier audits to verify labour practices and documentation.
• Corrective action plans when non-compliance is identified, followed by re-audit.

We maintain records of audit findings and integrate outcomes into procurement decisions. Suppliers must demonstrate transparency about recruitment, working conditions and pay practices. Where a supplier refuses to cooperate or repeatedly fails to remedy serious issues, we will terminate the relationship.

Reporting channels are available to employees, contractors and third parties to raise concerns safely and confidentially. We operate multiple reporting routes including an internal whistleblowing mechanism and anonymous reporting options. All reports are investigated promptly and impartially. We protect whistleblowers from retaliation and encourage early reporting to enable remediation.

Training and awareness are provided to staff with procurement, HR and operational responsibilities. Training covers identification of modern slavery signs, how to use reporting channels, and responsibilities under our modern slavery statement. We require suppliers to provide similar training where their activities affect labour standards relevant to our business.

Our due diligence processes include risk mapping, contractual clauses, site visits, audits and ongoing monitoring. We use proportional measures based on risk level and supply chain complexity. Remediation plans prioritise victim protection and compliance improvement rather than only punitive measures.

Monitoring, metrics and continuous improvement

We track key indicators such as numbers of audits completed, incidents reported, corrective actions closed and training completion rates. These metrics help evaluate the effectiveness of our modern slavery controls and identify emerging risks. Findings are reported to senior management and the board to ensure sustained focus and resourcing.

Annual review and governance

Gardener Mottingham undertakes an annual review of this modern slavery statement and associated policies. The review assesses legal developments, audit outcomes, incident responses and programme effectiveness. We amend our approach as necessary to strengthen safeguards and publish updates to maintain transparency about our anti-slavery efforts.

In conclusion, our slavery and human trafficking statement is a living document supported by clear governance, supplier audits, reporting channels and an annual review cycle. We remain resolute that slavery, forced labour and human exploitation will not be tolerated in any part of our operations or supply chain, and we will continue to act to prevent, detect and respond to such abuses.