Jeanette Dean

Provide retained, fractional and project-based HR leadership to UK organisations, acting as a trusted adviser to business owners, CEOs and senior leadership teams.

Key areas of delivery include:

• Managing complex disciplinaries, grievances, appeals, investigations, probation, performance, conduct, whistleblowing, long-term absence and senior-exit cases.

• Chairing independent grievance and appeal hearings, reviewing evidence and producing clear, reasoned outcome documentation.

• Advising on UK employment law, ACAS compliance, Early Conciliation, settlement strategy and COT3 processes, balancing legal risk with commercial priorities.

• Leading TUPE, restructuring, redundancy consultation, acquisition-related HR due diligence, contract harmonisation, organisational change and workforce planning.

• Drafting and implementing contracts, handbooks, policy suites, consultation documents, management guidance and compliant HR procedures.

• Strengthening HR infrastructure, including HR systems, payroll controls, pensions, holiday administration, right-to-work processes, compliance trackers and operating procedures.

• Supporting occupational health referrals, long-term health conditions, reasonable adjustments, sickness absence and return-to-work planning.

• Supporting recruitment, candidate assessment, interviews, onboarding, probation management and workforce stabilisation.

Representative assignments include fractional Head of HR leadership for a multi-site hospitality group; independent grievance and appeal work; HR compliance and infrastructure support for growing SMEs; employment documentation and pension implementation following TUPE; acquisition and organisational-change support; and complex employee-relations advice for healthcare, professional-services and digital businesses.

All services are delivered remotely during UK business hours, aligned with UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance and practical business realities.

Appointed as Interim Senior HR Business Partner within a complex, fast-paced and unionised food-manufacturing environment, providing senior HR leadership across sites in Northern England during a period of significant organisational change.

Key responsibilities and delivery included:

• Supporting the implementation of a Modern Practices Agreement, translating business requirements into workable people processes and ensuring effective communication with affected employees and stakeholders.

• Leading collective consultation, restructuring and redundancy activity, ensuring processes were carefully planned, legally compliant and operationally practical.

• Managing contract harmonisation and proposed changes to working practices, balancing organisational requirements with employee-relations risk and workforce impact.

• Negotiating and consulting with recognised trade unions and employee forums, maintaining constructive relationships while representing the organisation’s commercial and operational position.

• Advising senior operational leaders on complex employee-relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, performance, attendance and conduct cases.

• Providing hands-on leadership and support to HR and Learning & Development teams, ensuring continuity, clear priorities and consistent delivery throughout the change programme.

• Coaching and guiding managers through sensitive conversations, consultation meetings and formal HR processes, strengthening management confidence and decision-making.

The assignment required sound employment-law knowledge, strong stakeholder management and the ability to operate credibly across senior leadership, HR teams, employee representatives and operational workforces.

Appointed as an Interim HR Business Partner within Capita’s UK operations, working fully remotely in a complex, high-volume outsourcing and shared-services environment.

Provided practical, risk-based HR advice to operational leaders and managers, helping them address employee issues consistently while maintaining service delivery and appropriate governance.

Key responsibilities and delivery included:

• Managing a varied portfolio of employee-relations cases from initial advice through to resolution, including disciplinary, grievance, performance, conduct, attendance and absence matters.

• Advising managers on appropriate process, employment risk, evidence requirements, meeting preparation and proportionate outcomes.

• Supporting organisational development, workforce change and business-led people initiatives across operational teams.

• Partnering senior stakeholders and operational managers within a shared-services model, responding to competing priorities and time-sensitive HR requirements.

• Interpreting and applying HR policies and procedures consistently, ensuring decisions were aligned with UK employment law, internal governance and good practice.

• Supporting managers with sensitive employee conversations, formal meetings, documentation and case progression.

• Maintaining clear case records and ensuring actions, decisions and follow-up requirements were properly documented.

• Working collaboratively with HR colleagues and wider business stakeholders to resolve issues, identify risks and maintain continuity across busy UK operations.

The assignment required sound judgement, strong remote stakeholder management and the ability to deliver clear, commercially practical HR support within a fast-moving and operationally pressured environment.