Gardener Stoke Newington Modern Slavery Statement

Gardener Stoke Newington is committed to upholding human rights and maintaining a strict zero-tolerance policy against modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking across our operations and supply chains. This Modern Slavery Statement sets out the actions we take to prevent exploitation and to ensure compliance with applicable anti-slavery laws and our internal modern slavery policy. We recognise our responsibility to be vigilant and proactive.

We have implemented clear governance and oversight: senior management leads our anti-slavery programme and the board reviews our approach annually. Our anti-slavery statement is a public declaration of intent and forms part of our broader ethics and sustainability commitments. We require all staff to understand that there is no tolerance for exploitative practices and that due diligence must be applied consistently.

Our procurement and people teams work together to embed responsible recruitment and procurement standards. The slavery and human trafficking statement mirrors international best practice by demanding transparency from contractors and suppliers, and by ensuring workers are treated fairly, paid appropriately and engaged through lawful contracts.

We maintain a structured supplier audit programme to verify compliance. Supplier audits include documentation checks, risk-based site visits and assessment of worker contracts, hours, pay and living conditions. Our supplier audits are a core element of our due diligence and are designed to identify and remediate risks promptly. We use a mix of announced and unannounced checks, and escalate findings to senior procurement managers.

Audits are supported by contractual obligations: all suppliers must sign contractual clauses prohibiting forced labour and violating human rights. When risks are identified we require corrective action plans, monitor progress and, if necessary, apply sanctions including contract termination. The supplier assurance process uses a combination of desk-based review, third-party verifications and on-site inspections to strengthen the integrity of our supply chain.

Key steps in our supplier assurance and audit framework include:

• Risk assessment: mapping suppliers and assessing risk by sector, geography and labour intensity.
• Due diligence: pre-contract screening and ongoing monitoring.
• On-site audits: worker interviews, records review and health and safety checks.
• Remediation: corrective action plans and follow-up audits.

Reporting Channels and Whistleblowing

We provide secure and confidential reporting channels for employees, contractors and third parties to raise concerns. Reports can be made anonymously and are treated seriously; we investigate all credible allegations of forced labour or trafficking. Our internal whistleblowing procedures protect reporters from retaliation, and we ensure that any signalled issues are examined by the compliance team and escalated where necessary.

All staff receive training on recognising signs of exploitation and on the use of our reporting mechanisms. Our HR and compliance teams coordinate responses, ensure victims receive the necessary support and, where required, refer issues to the appropriate authorities. We emphasise that being alert and reporting concerns are critical to preventing harm.

Our

annual review

process ensures continuous improvement. Each year we evaluate the effectiveness of our modern slavery measures, update our risk assessments and revise policies to reflect evolving risks and legal requirements. The results of the review inform training updates, audit priorities and improvements to supplier engagement and contract terms.