FAQs for Funders

Happy Headwork Ltd delivers commercial workplace learning, wellbeing and team development. Happy Headwork Community CIC exists to benefit communities and operates within a regulated, asset-locked structure.

Keeping them legally separate protects the clarity and integrity of both organisations and provides clear accountability for grant-funded community work.

Each organisation has its own legal identity, governance, bank account, accounting records, contracts, budgets, systems and reporting requirements.

Money does not move between Happy Headwork Ltd and Happy Headwork Community CIC. Income, funding and expenditure are managed separately, ensuring that funds awarded to the CIC are used solely to deliver its community purpose.

The CIC’s directors are legally responsible for its governance, financial oversight, community purpose and statutory reporting. Board decisions are recorded, significant risks are reviewed and key policies are reviewed regularly.

The CIC files separate annual accounts and a CIC34 Community Interest Company Report, explaining its community benefit, stakeholder engagement and relevant director remuneration.

Steph is one of the Co-Directors of Happy Headwork Community CIC and the sole Director of Happy Headwork Ltd. We recognise that holding roles across both organisations could create an actual or perceived conflict of interest, and we take that seriously.

Actual, potential and perceived conflicts are declared and recorded. A conflicted person does not take part in the relevant discussion, decision or vote.

Where a director or connected person is considered for paid work, the remaining directors consider the organisation’s needs, relevant expertise, value for money, affordability and community benefit. The decision and agreed terms are documented.

Grant income is allocated to the relevant project and monitored against an agreed budget. Spending evidence is retained and financial progress is reviewed throughout delivery.

Restricted funding is used only for its agreed purpose. Material budget changes, underspends or changes to delivery are discussed with the funder where required.

We build our unrestricted reserves through donations and paid-for events. These funds help cover the essential costs of running the CIC, including independent accountancy, insurance and additional equipment that supports our work.

Our team members, including Steph, work with Happy Headwork Community CIC on a freelance basis. They are selected according to each programme’s requirements, including competence, relevant experience, availability, safeguarding requirements and any conflicts of interest.

The cost for each role is set out and agreed at the funding application stage. This gives funders a clear view of the people and delivery costs included in the proposed budget from the outset.

When freelancers are paid for work, they are contracted and paid directly by the CIC for the specific services they provide to it. Payments are not routed through Happy Headwork Ltd or another business.

Like other members of the team, Steph also undertakes professional work outside the CIC. She runs Steph Hill Consultancy, a separate freelance business specialising in human rights-based learning and development.

Alongside her paid freelance work for the CIC, Steph contributes a significant amount of time voluntarily and on a pro bono basis. Any pro bono support is voluntary, transparently recorded and never a condition of receiving paid work.

Our controls include safeguarding procedures, safer recruitment and DBS checks where roles require them, programme and activity risk assessments, appropriate insurance, incident reporting and clear escalation routes.

Personal information is managed in line with UK data protection requirements, supported by privacy information, secure storage, controlled access and proportionate retention arrangements.

Programmes are informed by community needs, evidence-based practice and collaborative partnership working. We use consultation, co-production, local insight, pilot delivery and participant feedback to shape content and accessibility.

Our multidisciplinary approach brings together psychology, adult learning, sustainable development, creative practice and nature-based learning without duplicating existing services.

We agree proportionate outcomes and reporting requirements with funders and partners. Depending on the programme, evaluation may include wellbeing measures, reflective tools, participation data, interviews, feedback and qualitative learning.

Our partnership with Swansea University’s Sustainable Wellbeing Research Group strengthens our approach to evaluation, research and wider learning.

Community members, participants, delivery partners and referrers contribute through consultation, co-design, feedback and evaluation. Their insight informs programme priorities, accessibility, delivery methods and future development.

Funders are welcome to request any of our organisational policies and relevant due-diligence information. We maintain a comprehensive policy suite covering the governance, safety, quality and day-to-day operation of the CIC.

Information available where appropriate includes:

• our full suite of organisational policies;
• governance and conflict-of-interest information;
• insurance information and relevant risk assessments;
• annual accounts and CIC34 reports;
• project budgets, evaluation plans and impact reports; and
• relevant board records, subject to confidentiality and data protection.

If you need something that is not listed here, please ask. We are happy to make the due-diligence process as clear and straightforward as possible.