Developing HR Expertise
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How LVSC's PEACe HR advice service provided support to Kate Brown, CEO of Learn English at Home - a small charity working to support local families to learn English.
Developing HR Expertise
- 1. Listen to this interview online www.lvsc.org.uk/audio On taking up her first Director role at Learn English At Home - a small charity based in Kingston - Kate recognised a need for formal, in-depth support in matters of Human Resources and approached LVSCs PEACe service for advice. PEACe provided expertise not only in day-to-day aspects of HR, but also helped LEAH identify wider employment issues, supporting LEAH management to gain confidence in HR matters and professionalising the way the charity operates Pathways to Professionalism Developing HR Expertise Dr Kate Brown Director, Learn English At Home (LEAH) LEAH, Siddeley House, 50 Canbury Park Road, Kingston upon Thames KT2 6LX E: director@leah.org.uk T: 020 8939 7935 W: www.leah.org.uk LVSC helped with ad hoc HR advice, ongoing support, cost effectiveness confidence building, increased professionalism, focused prioritisation structured HR training courses
- 2. LVSC and Us Having worked in the senior management team of a larger national organisation, LEAH was my first director role and I had limited HR knowledge. LEAH had been receiving ad hoc support from the local umbrella body, but no formal HR advice and I was really keen to address that. We faced no immediate challenges, but as soon as I needed to do things like write a letter of variation or a contract, I wanted to know I was getting it right. I looked for three main things in terms of HR support. One was just to build my own confidence, being a new director to LEAH. I knew about supporting employees and their development, but significantly less in terms of law and the specifics of contracts - what I could and couldnt do and how to prioritise. The second thing was knowing someone I could go to as and when for ad hoc advice and the third was a bigger HR issue that LVSC helped me recognise - how to move our casual workers in the cr竪che from their freelance status onto our PAYE scheme. Support came in two ways an introductory course run by PEACE Manager delivered at Richmond CVS, which made me recognise their huge wealth of knowledge and gave a full overview of types of employees, contracts, job descriptions and so on. And then I joined up for the initial 5 hour taster advice line and having just finished using it Id say the support Ive received has met all my criteria. I have since taken up the full 10 hours plus access resources, increasing my confidence and LEAHs HR professionalism even further. LVSC and You? Kate told us that she would definitely recommended the PEACe advice line to other small charities; It has been a huge success for us as its both a reliable and genuinely cost effective approach to HR support for those who cant afford the bigger or insurance-based schemes. LVSC has really changed the way that I, our staff and our organisation works. To see how LVSC can help and support your work in the voluntary community social enterprise sector (VCSE), email us now on info@lvsc.org.uk I definitely feel more confident. Part of that - as a small charity which cant afford the bigger or insurance-based schemes - is knowing that if I do get stuck or unsure of something, theres somewhere I can easily go to somewhere that not only offers objective, reliable advice but does so cost effectively Dementia talk at Whitton class Global Arts Kingston at Surbiton Children Centre class London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC), 200a Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP 020 7832 5830 info@lvsc.org.uk www.lvsc.org.uk LondonVoluntaryServiceCouncil Twitter: @lvscnews E W