Policies - Nature of Learning Foundation

The Nature of Learning Foundation is committed to operating transparently and responsibly. Our key policies are summarised below. If you would like to see any of our full policy documents, please contact us and we will be happy to provide them.

Safeguarding

We have a comprehensive safeguarding policy aligned with Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024). Our designated safeguarding leads are:

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Sarah Allington
Deputy Safeguarding Lead: Hev Nedzynski

All trustees with direct contact roles hold appropriate safeguarding training (Level 2 or above). DBS checks are required for all trustees and volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults. Our policy covers safer recruitment, managing allegations, contextual safeguarding, and procedures for recording and reporting concerns.

Health and Safety

Our health and safety policy covers all foundation activities in line with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This includes risk assessments, first aid provision, accident reporting, equipment maintenance, food safety and environmental care. All grant recipients must hold current public liability insurance and provide evidence of their own health and safety policies as part of the application process.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in everything we do. Our EDI and SEND policy ensures that our funding decisions prioritise those most in need, including children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We celebrate diversity, make reasonable accommodations for disabilities, and work with families to adapt programmes for children with additional needs including autism, ADHD, dyslexia and mental health conditions.

Data Protection and Privacy

We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Personal data is collected only for legitimate charitable purposes and is handled securely. Trustees with data handling responsibilities hold current GDPR training certificates.

For full details about how we collect, use and protect your personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.

Grant Making

Our grant making policy sets out clear criteria for funding decisions. Applications are assessed by an independent panel of trustees using a standardised scoring framework.

We have robust conflict-of-interest procedures to ensure all decisions are made impartially. Trustees must declare any personal or professional connection to an applicant, and any trustee with a conflict of interest is excluded from the assessment and decision-making process for that application.

See our Available Funding page for details on how to apply, or our For Providers page if you're interested in becoming a partner.

Raising a Concern or Complaint

If you have a safeguarding concern about a child or vulnerable adult involved in any of our funded activities, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Sarah Allington, immediately via our contact page.

If you have a complaint about the foundation's conduct, a funding decision, or any other matter, please contact the Chair in writing. We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and aim to respond fully within 28 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Charity Commission.

Constitution

Our full governing document is available on the Constitution page.