The Human Relationships Partnership
Stop firefighting people problems. Start building a team that works better.
Ongoing HR and people support for small businesses and charities who want to deal with issues earlier, lead with more confidence and create a workplace where good people can actually do good work.
Because people problems are rarely fixed by downloading another policy.
They are fixed by having better conversations, setting clearer expectations and being brave enough to deal with the culture you are creating.
Starting from £650 + VAT per month. Initial 90-day People Reset, followed by ongoing partnership support.
Book a conversation with Lucy.
Things have started to feel a bit… peopley.
Your organisation has grown.
Which is brilliant!
Except now there are more relationships, more managers, more opinions, more misunderstandings and more opportunities for somebody to behave like a complete yoghurt.
Perhaps:
a people issue has been left hanging around because nobody knows quite how to tackle it;
managers keep bringing problems to you, rather than dealing with them confidently;
somebody’s behaviour is affecting the rest of the team;
you are worried about losing good people;
decisions are being made inconsistently;
you have documents and policies, but still feel horribly exposed when real situations happen.
You do not necessarily need an in-house HR department.
But you do need someone who knows your organisation, understands the people involved and helps you sort things before they grow teeth.
This is HR support. But not the sort that hides behind a policy and leaves you to deal with the fallout.
A lot of retained HR support gives you an answer.
Technically correct. Neatly worded. Possibly colour-coded.
But real life is rarely neat.
The employee you are worried about may also be lovely.
The manager avoiding the conversation may be overwhelmed, not uncaring.
The team may be saying one thing in meetings and something completely different in the kitchen.
The right process matters.
But so do the relationships, the trust, the behaviour and the way the whole thing is handled.
That is why my work is called Human Relationships.
Because that is what HR actually is.
The Human Relationships Framework
Every partnership is built around three things:
Better conversations
We identify the conversations that are missing, overdue or going badly and help you handle them with care, clarity and the appropriate amount of backbone.
This might mean supporting managers with feedback, helping you tackle conduct or performance issues, or simply making it normal to say the thing that needs saying before it becomes a crisis.
Clearer expectations
People work better when they know what good looks like.
We look at roles, responsibilities, boundaries, policies, behaviours, objectives and decisions, making sure expectations are clear enough for people to actually meet them.
Stronger culture
Culture is not your values printed on a wall.
It is what happens when someone behaves badly.
It is what managers let slide.
It is whether people trust that issues will be handled fairly.
It is how work actually feels on a wet Tuesday in November.
Together, we help you build the sort of culture where good people can thrive and unhelpful behaviour does not quietly become normal.
First, we reset the people stuff.
Every new partnership starts with a focused 90-day People Reset.
Because there is very little point charging into monthly HR support without first understanding where the actual knots are.
During the first 90 days, we work through four stages:
1 Reveal
What is actually going on?
We get under the bonnet of the people side of your organisation.
current people concerns;
manager confidence;
difficult or unresolved situations;
expectations and accountability;
key documents and processes;
culture, behaviours and relationships;
where the same issues keep landing back on your desk.
…not to create a terrifying audit report but to see clearly what needs attention first.
2 Reframe
What is the real issue here?
We get to the bottom of what is going on… and it may not be what you think it is.
Sometimes a “performance issue” is actually an expectations issue.
Sometimes a “difficult employee” is partly a manager who has avoided every meaningful conversation since 2022.
Sometimes a policy problem is actually a culture problem wearing a lanyard.
We work out what is really happening and what needs to change - legally, practically and humanly.
3 Resolve
What needs dealing with now?
We deal with the things that cannot keep rumbling on in the background.
That may include:
supporting difficult conversations;
handling active people issues;
helping managers take appropriate action;
strengthening documents or processes;
clarifying roles and expectations;
creating a sensible plan for the things that need doing next.
4 Reinforce
How do we stop ending up back here?
We create simple rhythms, habits and structures that help good people management become normal rather than emergency-only.
No twenty-tab dashboard nobody looks at.
No enormous HR masterplan that dies quietly in a folder.
Just practical ways to make the people side of your organisation work better.
Then we keep it moving.
Once the immediate knots have been untangled, the ongoing partnership keeps you from drifting straight back into reactive mode.
Depending on the level of support you choose, that might include:
regular people priority sessions;
support with live employee issues;
guidance for managers;
help preparing for difficult conversations;
document and process support;
proactive reminders about things that are likely to fall through the cracks;
quarterly reviews of your people priorities;
work around culture, retention and leadership confidence.
You still run your business.
Your managers still need to manage.
But you are no longer trying to hold the whole people function together with Google, crossed fingers and an increasingly haunted expression.
Choose the level of partnership you need
Core Partnership
From £650 + VAT per month
For small businesses and charities who need a trusted HR and people partner alongside them, without needing regular on-site input.
Includes:
Initial 90-day People Reset.
Monthly People Partner call.
Email support and issue triage.
Support with difficult conversations.
Plain-English document support.
Quarterly people priorities review.
Proactive HR nudges.
One in-person quarterly session for local clients within 30 miles.
Best for: organisations who want calm, consistent support and somebody who knows what is going on, but are comfortable keeping most contact remote.
Partner Plus
From £950 + VAT per month
For organisations who want a closer working relationship, more regular support and greater visibility across the business.
Includes everything in Core Partnership, plus:
Monthly in-person People Partner session.
Fortnightly check-in option.
More involved support with employee cases.
Manager support.
Priority response time.
Team culture pulse checks.
Best for: organisations with more active people challenges, developing managers or a leadership team who want regular hands-on support.
Embedded People Partner
From £1,250 + VAT per month
For growing small businesses or charities who need more regular input, more strategic involvement and a people partner who feels properly embedded in the organisation.
Includes:
Monthly half-day on site.
Additional monthly online strategy or check-in call.
Email support and triage.
More substantial casework guidance.
Manager support.
Quarterly people priorities review.
Culture and retention focus.
Board or leadership people update support, where relevant.
Discounted workshops.
More tailored templates and resources.
Best for: organisations who are not ready for in-house HR, but have moved beyond light-touch retained support.
Not sure which one you need?
That is fine. You do not need to diagnose your own level of HR support before we have even spoken.
Tell me what is going on and I will tell you honestly whether I think the Partnership is right for you and, if it is, which level makes sense.
Book a no-pressure chat.
What this is not
Because boundaries are the secret to a happy life and a sustainable partnership.
This is not:
a 24/7 emergency hotline;
unlimited calls, messages and “can I just pick your brain?” requests;
payroll administration;
recruitment administration;
an unlimited supply of fully bespoke documents;
somebody parachuting in to manage your team instead of your managers managing them.
Larger projects, workshops, investigations or significant pieces of drafting can be scoped separately where needed.
The Partnership gives you ongoing support, thinking space, practical guidance and a proper relationship.
It does not mean I move into your office cupboard and wait for somebody to misbehave.
You have questions? I have answers…
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No.
You will absolutely get proper HR advice and practical support. The legal and process bits matter.
But the Partnership is built around the fact that most organisations are not struggling because they have never heard of a policy.
They are struggling because conversations are being avoided, expectations are unclear or unhelpful behaviour has been allowed to become normal.
That is the work we do together.
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Yes.
The first 90 days give us the chance to understand your organisation, identify the priorities and start making meaningful changes.
I do not want to be another HR provider who only appears when something is already on fire.
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Both.
Remote support is available UK-wide.
For organisations in Worcestershire, Shropshire and surrounding areas, some partnership levels include regular in-person time.
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Typically, small businesses and charities with around 20–60 employees.
That is often the point where people issues are becoming more complex, managers need more support and it no longer makes sense to keep winging it but you may not need or want an in-house HR person.
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Tell me.
If you are dealing with something live - a grievance, disciplinary, absence issue, performance concern or employee situation that is currently causing chaos - we can talk about what immediate support is needed and whether the Partnership should sit around that.
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The initial commitment is 90 days because meaningful people work needs more than one nice meeting and a hopeful spreadsheet.
After that, ongoing terms can be confirmed as part of the partnership arrangement.
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Absolutely not.
Nicely, usually.
But no.
My job is to help you handle people situations fairly, safely and properly and sometimes that means saying the thing everybody else has been carefully avoiding.
The people stuff does not have to keep feeling this hard.
You do not need to know exactly which package you need.
You do not need to have all your issues beautifully summarised.
You just need to be ready to talk honestly about what is going on and what you want to feel different.
Tell me what is happening.
I will tell you whether I think I can help.
Book a no-pressure chat
No call centre. No salesy nonsense. Just a proper conversation with me.
