Modern Slavery Statement for Gardening Services Mill Hill

Gardening Services Mill Hill maintains a clear and unwavering stance: we operate a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery, human trafficking and any form of forced labour within our operations and supply chain. This statement sets out how our Mill Hill gardening business — including all contracted gardeners and subcontracted teams — identifies, prevents and responds to risks of exploitation.

Our Commitment and Scope

We commit to continuous improvement across all gardening services in Mill Hill and related activities. This commitment extends to permanent staff, seasonal workers and third-party suppliers. We recognise that the horticulture sector and landscape maintenance supply chains can be vulnerable to abusive practices, and we will not tolerate situations where people are exploited for cheap labour, coerced into work, or denied basic rights.

Principles and Expectations

Our guiding principles are simple: respect for human rights, fair pay, safe working conditions and transparent employment practices. All suppliers and partners providing Mill Hill gardening services must comply with our Code of Conduct and the legal standards relevant to labour. We require documented proof of right to work, transparent wage records and adherence to working-hour regulations.

We enforce a structured supplier audit programme to ensure compliance across our procurement of tools, materials and contracted labour. Supplier audits include desktop reviews, on-site inspections and targeted questionnaires focusing on recruitment practices, sub-contracting chains and worker welfare. Audits are risk-based, concentrating on areas most exposed to exploitation, including seasonal planting contracts and external subcontractors engaged for large landscaping jobs.

The supplier audit process comprises:

• Initial due diligence — verification of business registration, payroll systems and recruitment channels;
• Periodic audits — scheduled reviews and surprise inspections to confirm ongoing compliance;
• Corrective action — clear remediation plans where issues are found, with escalation for persistent non-compliance.

We provide clear reporting channels for any concerns related to modern slavery. Employees and contractors can raise issues through confidential internal reporting mechanisms, and we maintain an anonymous whistleblowing pathway. All reports are treated seriously, investigated promptly and managed with confidentiality and sensitivity. Where needed, we will refer matters to appropriate authorities or labour organisations.

Our reporting expectations are supported by training and awareness programmes: all staff, seasonal teams and subcontractors receive induction briefings on recognising signs of exploitation, safe recruitment practices and how to use reporting channels. Training is delivered both in-person and via digital materials to ensure broad accessibility and understanding.

We regularly review our policies and performance. An annual review of our modern slavery statement, supplier audit results and reporting outcomes is undertaken by senior management. This review evaluates policy effectiveness, the impact of corrective actions and any changes to procurement or operational risk. Findings inform updates to our risk assessments, supplier engagement and training curriculum to strengthen protections across our Mill Hill gardening operations.

As part of our continuous improvement, we will:

• Maintain a zero-tolerance policy that triggers immediate action when exploitation is identified;
• Increase the frequency of supplier audits for high-risk services and materials;
• Enhance reporting channels to ensure accessibility for all workers regardless of language or status;
• Publish outcomes of our annual review and update stakeholders on progress without revealing personal data or sensitive commercial details.

Gardening Services Mill Hill pledges to remain vigilant, transparent and proactive in preventing modern slavery across all Mill Hill gardening services activities. Our approach balances robust compliance measures with a human-centred focus on safety and dignity for everyone who contributes to our work. This statement will be reviewed annually and updated to reflect improvements, emerging risks and lessons learned.