Freelance Friendly Statement

What role do freelancers play in Torchbox?

Freelancers play an important role at Torchbox. They contribute to the work we do with charities, nonprofits and public sector organisations, bringing specialist expertise, fresh perspectives and additional capacity when we need it most.

We work with freelancers across a range of disciplines, including strategy, design, development, content, accessibility, marketing and delivery. They don't simply complete individual pieces of work; they collaborate with our teams, share their knowledge and help us deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients and the people they serve.

Many of the freelancers we work with become long-term collaborators rather than one-off support. We value those relationships and like to work in a way that feels collaborative, respectful and sustainable for everyone involved.

As an employee-owned agency, relationships matter to us. We want freelancers working with Torchbox to feel welcomed, trusted and included as part of the team, with the context and support they need to do their best work.

How do we ensure we pay our freelancers fairly and on time?

We make working with Torchbox financially straightforward and reliable.

We agree rates before an engagement begins, taking into account the skills, experience and specialist expertise being brought to a project. As a Living Wage Employer, we believe people should be paid fairly for the value they contribute, and we reflect those principles in how we work with freelancers. We operate on standard 30-day payment terms and have clear internal processes to help invoices move through approval and payment smoothly. We know that reliable cash flow matters, particularly for independent professionals, so where a freelancer needs payment sooner, we're happy to have an open conversation and offer flexibility where we can.

We also provide clear invoicing guidance and templates if needed, helping to reduce delays and make the payment process as straightforward as possible.

How do we ensure our engagements are clearly defined and fairly contracted?

We aim to make it easy for freelancers to understand what they're signing up to and what they'll need to be successful. Before work begins, we share the context behind the project, introduce freelancers to the people they'll be working with and provide an overview of Torchbox, how we work and the values that shape our culture. We believe good work comes from shared understanding, not just clear briefs.

We agree on the scope of the project, timelines, deliverables, rates and ways of working upfront. Every freelancer has a named point of contact throughout their engagement, usually the Delivery Manager they're working with day to day, so there's always someone to provide support, answer questions or help unblock challenges.

Our contracts are designed to set clear expectations and protect both parties without creating unnecessary barriers. We're always happy to answer questions and make sure freelancers feel comfortable with the agreement before work starts.

We recognise that freelancers are independent professionals who often balance multiple clients and commitments. We value the expertise they bring and aim to build relationships based on trust, transparency and mutual respect. Where client confidentiality and project agreements allow, we're happy for freelancers to showcase and talk about the work they've contributed to as part of their portfolio and professional experience.

How do we ensure good onboarding and signposting to support?

We know freelance projects work best when people have the context, trust and information they need from the start.

Freelancers joining Torchbox receive onboarding appropriate to the project they're supporting, including introductions to the team, access to relevant tools and documentation, ways of working and key project context. Depending on the engagement, this may include Slack access, team introductions and access to internal processes and guidance.

We make sure freelancers know who to go to if they need support, clarity or help resolving an issue during a project. Every freelancer has a named point of contact, and we encourage an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions, raising concerns and seeking support when they need it. We're committed to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful working environment for everyone we work with. This includes a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and clear, confidential routes for reporting concerns. Freelancers also have access to wellbeing and support resources through our Workwell hub. We're continuing to improve how we support freelancers through initiatives such as our freelance hub, helping us build stronger relationships and a more consistent experience for the people we work with.

How do we ensure safe and respectful ways of working throughout and after a project?

We care about working in a way that feels respectful, collaborative and sustainable for everyone involved. At the start of projects, we agree clear expectations around communication, availability, responsibilities and timelines. We respect that freelancers work in different ways and may be balancing multiple clients and commitments alongside their work with us.

If projects change direction, timelines shift or work needs to pause unexpectedly, we communicate openly and as early as possible. We believe honesty and transparency are key to building strong working relationships.

Freelancers always have a route to raise concerns, ask questions or provide feedback. In the first instance, this will usually be through their Delivery Manager or project contact, but concerns can also be raised directly with our Talent Manager or People team if needed.

We're committed to creating an inclusive, supportive and psychologically safe working environment for everyone we collaborate with, and we want freelancers to feel comfortable speaking up if something isn't working or doesn't feel right.

How do we provide feedback and the opportunity to ask for feedback?

Feedback is an important part of how we work at Torchbox. We believe that giving and receiving feedback helps people do their best work, build stronger relationships and continually improve how we collaborate.

We encourage open and constructive feedback throughout projects rather than waiting until the end of an engagement. Freelancers are welcome to share feedback with their Delivery Manager, project team or Talent Manager at any point during their time with us.

At the end of each engagement, we gather feedback through our freelance hub from freelancers, Delivery Managers and project teams. This helps us understand what's working well, where we can improve and how we can create a better experience for everyone involved.

Where possible, we also share feedback with freelancers on the impact of their work and the value they've brought to projects and teams. Many of the improvements we've made to our freelance experience have come directly from listening to the people we work with, and we'll continue to use that feedback to shape how we work together in the future.

How do we encourage diversity and development in our freelance hiring?

At Torchbox, we value everyone and want people to feel able to be themselves. We believe diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds help us create better work for our clients and the communities they serve.

All freelancers working with Torchbox are covered by our expectations around respectful behaviour, inclusion, accessibility and freedom from discrimination, harassment and bullying. We want everyone we work with to feel welcomed, supported and able to contribute fully.

We source freelancers through a mixture of existing relationships, referrals, agencies, open outreach and our growing freelance network. We know that relying solely on familiar networks can limit diversity, so we're continuing to broaden how we find and connect with freelance talent.

Alongside experienced specialists, we're open to creating opportunities for emerging freelance talent where there's a good fit and the right support in place. We believe better ideas, stronger collaboration and better outcomes come from working with people who bring different perspectives, experiences and ways of thinking.

How do we commit to accountability, improvement, and reporting?

Responsibility for freelance hiring and relationships sits with our Talent Manager, working closely with delivery, operations and people teams across Torchbox.

We care about building strong, long-term relationships with the freelancers we work with, and we know that takes ongoing attention and improvement. Over time, we've introduced initiatives such as our freelance hub, access to wellbeing and support resources through Workwell, participation in the Freelance Friendly programme, clearer onboarding and improved feedback processes to help create a more consistent, supportive and transparent experience.

We'll continue listening to feedback, reviewing how we work and making improvements where we can. As we continue to grow our freelance network, we'll keep looking for ways to strengthen the support, communication and opportunities we provide, helping us build lasting relationships with the people we work with.