Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Statement

London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) is a charitable social enterprise, operating award-winning nurseries across London, with our surplus reinvested to benefit children, their families and our employees.

We believe that a diverse workforce encourages positive experiences for our employees, for the children attending our nurseries, and for the communities in which we operate.  LEYF is an organisation which operates a compassionate approach underpinned by sympathy, empathy and tolerance, where our employees feel they belong.  We strive to create an inclusive workplace where everyone’s voice and suggestions are appreciated.

We continue to take positive steps to ensure that our employees, children and their families, the communities in which we operate, and our partners all enjoy an experience that is fair, equitable and free from discrimination in their dealings with us.  All LEYF employees, our Board of Trustees and external partners / suppliers are all expected, and critical to, ensuring the successful creation of our desired experience.

Children attending LEYF nurseries are welcomed irrespective of their social background or ability.  We firmly believe children benefit from learning in a culture of harmonious relationships with role models from diverse backgrounds, which is why we are proud to attract and retain such an interesting workforce.  Children want to engage in activities with teachers who are passionate pedagogues and who make the interaction fun and enjoyable – in effect children select the ‘best person for the job,’ and that is effectively what we aim to replicate in our work environment.  Through exposure to diverse role models and inclusive practices, children at LEYF nurseries develop open-mindedness and acceptance.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all current and prospective employees regardless of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination on any of the protected grounds in the Equality Act 2010.

To help us achieve our goal of a diverse and inclusive workplace, we have implemented the following initiatives:

• Campaigning for men in childcare to promote greater diversity in our workforce, which is an issue not just for LEYF but across the wider Early Years sector. We are proud to be leading the sector with 7% of our workforce identifying as male.
• Ensuring our marketing campaigns reflect the diversity of our workforce.
• Training our managers to consider unconscious bias when recruiting staff.
• Fostering diversity at all levels, endeavouring to reflect the communities we serve.
• Engaging positively with a variety of employee representative groups including Men in Childcare, Employee Council and the Voice of Our Apprentices.
• Funding opportunities for our employees to advance and grow their careers with us by studying for qualifications from apprenticeship to degree level.
• Utilising tools, processes and training to ensure we attract a diverse candidate pool to all LEYF roles, including our Board.
• Carrying out research that highlights the needs of children from a range of backgrounds.
• Harnessing the importance of a multi-generational approach in both our pedagogy for the children, and when thinking about where we advertise so we attract the most diverse candidate pool we can. This would apply for any candidates joining us as apprentices, employees or joining our Board of Trustees.
• Using employees’ feedback through our annual engagement survey, which includes questions around inclusion and belonging, to inform meaningful action / change.
• Sharing relevant information, data and personal narratives with our Board and our Social Impact Committee.