Project: Bringing a national charity to a professional close while transferring some operations to a new organisation.
Brief: Government cuts meant the UK Public Health Association, an independent voluntary organisation promoting sustainable development and equality, was no longer tenable.
The board of trustees had little alternative but to close the business. Having supported the organisation’s HR needs for many years, Elspeth Watt was asked to help to ensure a professional and sympathetic end to operations.
How we helped: Elspeth worked closely with the chief executive to help plan an orderly closure of the London office and a transfer of operations from the Welsh office to a new organisation.
Our approach: The first step was to look at ways to support the London staff find alternative work. The chief executive agreed to appoint temporary staff on short-term contracts to release permanent employees as and when they left to take up new jobs. Elspeth worked with the team to help appoint the right temporary contract staff and ensure they could quickly and efficiently take on the tasks of the job to allow the continuation of operations until the closedown date.
Elspeth also helped manage HR issues in the Welsh office during protracted funding negotiations with the Welsh Assembly. Working with ministers, trustees, civil servants and employees, Elspeth helped to create a new body funded by the Welsh Assembly to manage important health initiatives in Wales.
Outcome: Elspeth helped ensure the controlled closure of part of the organisation while allowing the chief executive to negotiate the transfer of various interests to another body in Wales.
“Elspeth’s support was invaluable,” Angela Mawle, chief executive, UKPHA
Elspeth’s on-tap expert HR advice gives the senior management team professional support to deal with staff issues. Staff feel supported and we get peace of mind and a level of expertise usually only enjoyed by large corporations.
