Modern Slavery Act


Modern Slavery Statement

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses to produce a statement detailing their approach to ensuring modern slavery is not occurring in their supply chain and their own organisation. This statement is for the financial year March 2022- February 2023, covers Notcutts Group Ltd and Notcutts Ltd, and was approved by the Notcutts Board on 23rd May 2023.

Modern slavery includes human trafficking; forced work, through mental or physical threat; being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse; being dehumanised, treated as a commodity, or being bought or sold as property; being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.

Notcutts takes its obligations in relation to these areas seriously and is committed to acting ethically to ensure actions are taken to prevent modern slavery in our supply chain and our business.


Structure, business and supply chains

Notcutts is a family-owned group of 19 garden centres across the UK, with a head office based in Woodbridge, Suffolk. We do not employ anyone outside the UK. We sell a diverse product range in our garden centres and online, including plants and gardening related products; homewares, gifts and clothing; food and beverage; pets and pet care products; indoor and outdoor furniture. Our buyers source from suppliers both within the UK and internationally.


Policies

Many of our products are sourced in the UK through long standing relationships with our suppliers. We recognise the importance of effective partnerships with our suppliers and, where possible, carry out supplier visits and inspections. We want to ensure workers experience a fair and safe environment, where their rights are acknowledged, and welfare is maintained.

We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated, and treat others, with dignity and respect, encouraging any concerns to be reported through our Whistleblowing, Bullying and Harassment or Grievance policies. Our recruitment process includes the checking of documents to ensure legal entitlement to work in the UK.


Due diligence processes

An audit process has been in place since 2015 with suppliers identified as higher risk. Using a comprehensive supplier assessment questionnaire, we assess approaches to social accountability; hygiene; health and safety; age restrictive working; quality management and environment. We review and update our audit process each year.

In addition to suppliers identified as higher risk, we have reviewed our UK horticultural suppliers. We have developed a code of conduct to communicate to these suppliers to set out standards expected of our supply chain.


Training

Awareness of modern slavery and the risk to our business has been raised with the teams responsible for buying and with the Executive team. Training has been completed by all members of our buying teams, as well as our retail general managers. Modern slavery and equity, diversity, and inclusion training is embedded in our annual training programmes and we are committed to raising awareness of the issue of modern slavery at all levels of the company. We are utilising the resources of Stronger Together to improve knowledge of modern slavery at Notcutts.

Nick Burrows
Chief Executive Officer
May 2023