How we balance the natural world, social, and
economic priorities over the long term.
Policy brief & purpose
Our Corporate Social Environmental Responsibility (CSER) company policy refers to our approach to do sustainable business. We have responsibilities toward our natural world, society, local community, the economy, the ecology, as well as our customers and colleagues. We consider the social and natural world’s consequences of our actions. Sustainability is one of our key company objectives and all strategies have sustainability embedded within them. For our CSER and Sustainability Action plan please see appendix A.
Scope
This policy applies to our companies. It also refers to suppliers and partners.
Materiality assessment – our business is in the service sector – the education and care of small children, and the training of adults so the material issues are:
- how we care for people,
- in the products that we buy and use to sustain this service,
- in the environment that we provide to deliver these services and,
- in the transport and communications systems that we use to support these services.
Context
We are a responsible business that meets the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.
Legality
Our company:
Respects the law,
Honours its internal policies,
Ensures that all its business operations are legitimate,
Keeps every partnership and collaboration open and transparent.
Business ethics
We conduct business with integrity and respect to human rights.
We promote:
Safety and fair dealing,
Respect toward the consumer,
Anti-bribery and anti-corruption practices,
Supply chain checks to ensure that we do not benefit from slavery or unethical practices from those from whom we purchase any products or resources. (See purchasing guidelines policy, appendix 2).
We challenge suppliers to deliver goods with more respect for carbon footprint and clean air, and with less packaging and waste.
The Group recognises it has a legal and social responsibility to pay the right amount of tax due and has a tax strategy policy that is available on request outlining its approach to this responsibility.
Governance Policy
- Fairness
- Accountability
- Compliance
- Transparency / Openness
- Risk Management
- Strategy
Fairness & Stakeholder Involvement
Tops & Aspire, owned by C. Hadland (MD) and HCG, promote fairness by giving stakeholders a meaningful voice in company operations. Decision-making is decentralized, encouraging directors, managers, and colleagues to take responsibility and contribute based on their roles and expertise. Engagement happens through job descriptions, action plans, KIT meetings, appraisals, reviews, and a wide range of forums, including board and operations meetings, nursery and parent meetings, focus groups (e.g., LGBTQ+, BIE, MITEY, mental health), and surveys (email, Facebook, SurveyMonkey). Regular consultation ensures feedback informs adjustments for collective benefit. Strong, long-term relationships with key and local suppliers are also valued.
Transparency
The organisation is committed to honesty and openness in all communications, requiring colleagues to report truthfully in sustainability reports, self-assessments, financial reports, questionnaires, press releases, and both internal and external communications. Transparency is balanced with the need to protect commercially sensitive information, which is shared only on a need-to-know basis or under confidentiality agreements.
Strategy
The company ensures all colleagues share a common vision for the future by developing aims, objectives, strategies, and 5-year plans at Board level, then communicating them appropriately while respecting confidentiality. Communication and alignment are achieved through multiple channels: 1:1 and group meetings, inductions, newsletters, social media, posters, celebrations, conferences, training days, KIT meetings, and leadership development initiatives. Recruitment, retention, and dismissal decisions are tied to commitment to the company’s ethos. Dedicated groups (e.g., LGBTQ+, BIE, MITEY, Mental Health) provide additional platforms to ensure diverse voices are heard and included.
Accountability
The company recognizes accountability as the greatest governance challenge—ensuring colleagues not only agree to policies but actively follow them. To address this, policies are carefully researched, co-created with stakeholders, clearly communicated, and reinforced through leadership, role modeling, mentoring, coaching, audits, and performance management (including disciplinary action when necessary). Highly regulated areas (e.g., Ofsted, HMRC, international accounting standards, HSE, and banking covenants) require strict compliance, with serious consequences for lapses. The company is committed not only to compliance but to achieving the best possible outcomes in ethics, environmental responsibility, and human rights.
Risk Management
Strong corporate governance protects the company from fraud, scandals, and liability while reinforcing its reputation as a responsible, trustworthy, and investable organisation. Risk is unavoidable in business and education, so each department assesses its risks, records them in the risk register, and escalates amber or red risks to directors and the Board for review and action. Regular Board and Director Catch-up meetings ensure ongoing oversight.
The company is committed to safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of colleagues, learners, clients, and the public, while minimising environmental impact. It accepts full responsibility for those affected by its activities, prioritising compliance, prevention, and safety awareness. Leadership demonstrates accountability by integrating health, safety, welfare, and fire safety into all operations, treating them as statutory obligations and organisational priorities.