Case Studies

Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre – Ad-hoc HR support

What was the problem?

As a Company we recognised that, whilst we had internal HR support, we needed to work with an HR specialist who could offer employment law and best practice advice, particularly in relation to restructuring and negotiating a new agreement with the recognised Trade Union.

How did Caroline help?

Caroline was recommended to us and was a great help in providing step-by-step guidance with the restructure; assisting with writing a business case, Board papers, consultation with Trade Union and staff, and being available to draw on her expertise and experience.

What was the solution?

We continue to work with Caroline on several ad-hoc HR matters and appreciate her guidance and practical approach whilst also helping us navigate the relevant employment law.

Case Study – Organisational Change – ANGUSAlive

What was the problem?

We wanted to ensure that staff were fully prepared for interviews, and supported to do their best in all stages of the recruitment process, as part of the organisational review and restructure.

For some of our staff this was a daunting prospect as some hadn’t been interviewed for some time, for others they were concerned about the interview process itself and also anxious about being interviewed by managers they have worked with for many years..

How did Caroline help?

Caroline initially met with the management team to discuss the detail of the workshops and how, in practice, the application and interview process would work.

Caroline then prepared the content of the workshops and delivered them across a variety of venues throughout the organisation. She talked staff through the whole process from application to interview; they were so in demand we had to put on extra workshops!

What was the solution?

The workshops themselves were such a positive and supportive part of the review as you can see from the feedback below.

Staff felt much happier about the process and were able to start preparing for the interviews knowing what lay ahead.

Caroline’s preparation and facilitation of the workshops as an independent advisor, was an important part of this journey for staff. .

Feedback from delegates:

“I liked having the opportunity to do a practice interview as this encouraged me to tackle a situation that makes me uncomfortable.”

“I found the STAR method for competency interviews and the tips for managing interview anxieties really helpful”

“It was helpful to learn more about how to word examples and what kind of information to put in to competency based answers”

“The mixture of individual and group work was great; the content was useful and relevant. Caroline was an engaging facilitator.”

“Giving example answers to questions on behaviours and presenting them and getting feedback was very useful to me”

Staff Handbook - LINK East Fife Mental Health Charity

What was the problem?

Our company handbook was out of date and we needed a new handbook for both staff and volunteers.

How did Caroline help?

Caroline met with all of us, as we are a small organisation. It was a great way of working through the policies as she was also able to point out other issues. For example, we changed the way we reimbursed expenses to our home workers as a result of the review. Caroline also recommended an IT support provider who we now use.

What was the solution?

We are so delighted with our very comprehensive handbooks for our staff and our volunteers. Caroline has offered to undertake an annual review as required to ensure continued compliance with current legislation and best practice.

HR Problem - Quest IT

What was the problem?

We had an under-performing employee. The person had been with us for over two years. Although we'd had some conversations about their under-performance, nothing had been documented. Then, a fairly serious incident occurred when the employee didn’t follow our agreed processes which was a costly error for the Company, both in terms of reputation and financial cost.

Why did you need assistance?

We have a company handbook and we felt we had to take some formal action against this employee, but we had never been in this situation before. Therefore, we needed prompt advice to ensure that we didn’t do anything wrong which could jeopardise the process going forward.

How did Caroline help?

Caroline talked us through the whole process from beginning to end. She advised us on appropriate letters to send, confirming the employee's suspension. She advised the Investigating Officer on how to carry out a discipline investigation and supported him when drafting the report. Caroline ultimately helped to set up the disciplinary panel, advised on and drafted the letters. Never having done this before, Caroline’s help was invaluable in talking us through the process, reassuring us about the procedure to follow.

Long Term Sickness Absence problem – Worldwide Cancer Research

What was the problem?

We had an employee who had been absent long term. We needed assistance in managing the employee’s absence.

Why did you need assistance?

We have a company handbook, but we felt we needed additional support given the circumstances around the employee’s absence as it had occurred after a meeting to discuss their flexible working request.

How did Caroline help?

Caroline advised us throughout the process, ensuring that we followed our sickness absence policy, advising us with the referral of the employee to an Occupational Health provider, and assisting us with help both with preparation for meetings with the employee and helping with drafting letters afterwards. Her professional knowledge and experience were invaluable.

Equality and Diversity – Fife Cultural Trust

What was the problem?

A company recognised they needed to carry out equality and diversity training. Having introduced an e-learning package they were looking to supplement this with additional awareness sessions

How did Caroline help?

Caroline has been working with the Trust for some years and so was an obvious choice given her expertise in equality and diversity. She had also helped produce our first Equality mainstreaming report and therefore knew the areas we needed to address.

What was the solution?

Caroline has now delivered two half-Day sessions which covered best practice in equality and diversity and how to challenge inappropriate behaviour. The discussion on case studies helped raise awareness of equality issues and also challenged us all in our unconscious biases.

Feedback from Equality and Diversity training workshops:
“The training was very comprehensive. It covered both physical and mental disability which I thought was important. It was all very helpful but for me the most helpful part was thinking about the case studies on what actions a firm has taken and explore where these fit in to our own organisation.”

“The case studies are always good – makes it easier to understand and put in to context. I know how to handle situations with more confidence.”

“Having the opportunity to work through case studies really brought the topic to life. “

“Learning more about mental health disability issues was particularly interesting.”

SERVICES

HUMAN RESOURCES

We provide HR and employment law advice and support to small and medium sized businesses. This includes, for example, ensuring your contractual documents are compliant, assisting with organisational change, advising managers how to deal with sensitive and complex people management issues, being your “go-to” support for all manner of people issues.

WORKSHOPS

We provide a wide range of HR workshops to ensure that managers and employees are equipped with the skills they need. In particular, supervisor and manager workshops, focusing on how to manage teams successfully and improve performance. All workshops are bespoke to your business.

SERVICES

HUMAN RESOURCES

WORKSHOPS