Does your grounds maintenance company provide risk assessments and method statements for all the work to be carried out? Do they have accreditations to ensure that their health and safety policies are of highest standards? Are they qualified to handle hazardous substances?

HDGS provides each site with their own risk assessment and method statements, and we are a Safe Contractor approved company.

We are also trained to use chemicals on site, insuring the safety of your staff, residents and their pets. Our staff are NPTC PA1 & PA6 licensed grounds maintenance operatives, one of the few grounds maintenance companies in the area that hold this type of training to handle chemicals in a safe manner.

Grounds maintenance work may involve dangerous machinery and harmful chemicals, so always ask what level of insurance can be provided, to ensure work on your site will be carried out in a safe manner.

To cover any potential issues, a grounds maintenance company needs a public liability insurance of at least £2 million.

Because we work with local authorities, HDGS have a £5 million public liability as well as a £10 million employer liability insurance, so you have the peace of mind any eventualities are fully covered.

Unfortunately, having “green fingers” is not enough to provide a high standard of grounds maintenance. Many handymen call themselves “gardeners”, but the job requires a high level of knowledge that only formal training can provide.

Every one of our team leaders have horticultural qualifications and are highly trained to operate all our tools. By learning plant science as well as how to operate all garden machinery, our gardeners are not just handyman pottering in your garden, but qualified professionals, and that truly makes a difference.

Are the employees of your grounds maintenance company uniformed and visible when on site? Are they polite and courteous to your residents, visitors, staff and clients?

At HDGS, we all wear a standardised uniform to make us highly visible, so you always know it’s us. And because we work with vulnerable clients, all our employees are trained to treat our clients in a polite manner, with a strict “to tea, no tips” policy, which means that when on site, we are carrying out our duties, and not accepting incentives that may get on the way of performing our job.

Can your grounds maintenance company truly fulfil your contract? Do they have testimonials for satisfied clients to back up their claims?

With a one man band as your grounds maintenance contractor, you will need to worry about holidays and illnesses, and with a very large firm, you may never see the same face again and can not build rapport.

HDGS provides you a head gardener, and there will always be cover if they can’t make it, ensuring you will never miss a visit.

With over a decade experience, most of our work comes from word of mouth and our retention rate is currently at 98%.

Preserving the environment is a priority at HDGS at every element of our business.

We use green fuels and electric equipment whenever possible and optimise our routes in order to reduce carbon from fuel emissions.

When planting, we aim to provide a home for wild life, specially pollinators species.

100% of our green waste is recycled and when recycling waste is not possible, we aim to reduce and reuse materials to minimise the impct of waste for ourselves and our clients.

Being a client of HDGS can contribute to improve the sustainability of your garden services operations.