Supporting HR projects and providing fixed-fee HR and employment law advice
“Watershed’s service is exactly how an employment law support package should operate. We feel it gives flexibility but also puts decisions in the hands of the organisation. We empower our managers and Watershed helps in that process by giving us risk-based support and good, sensible, commercial advice. It works really well.”
HC-One, the Kind Care Company, was officially formed on 1st November 2011. Now with around 350 care homes, it is the largest care operator in the United Kingdom encompassing dementia, nursing, residential and specialist care.
HC-One is a long-standing Watershed client. When Southern Cross Healthcare experienced severe financial problems in 2011 there was an imperative to act quickly so that old and vulnerable residents would not be threatened. We helped create the new HC-One business from scratch and transfer over 13,000 employees to the new organisation. The whole exercise had to be completed in only three months and we quickly assembled a multidisciplinary team to plan and execute the transition, which was managed on time and in budget, with the minimum disruption to residents and their families.
Now, as well as support on a number of stand-alone HR assignments including compensation and benefits, resourcing, and job evaluation, Watershed provides HC-One with fixed-fee advice on day-to-day employment matters, including disciplinary cases, contracts of employment, managing performance, attendance, fairness at work, equal opportunities and grievance proceedings. We also handle all tribunal claims.
Our team supports with telephone and e-mail advice. We keep the HR team up to date on the law and also help to ensure that employment practices and decisions help the business to achieve its goals. Our advice is pragmatic, commercial and down-to-earth.
Lynne Fraser, Head of Employee Relations said “Watershed’s service is exactly how an employment law support package should operate. We feel it gives flexibility but also puts decisions in the hands of the organisation. We empower our managers and Watershed helps in that process by giving us risk-based support and good, sensible, commercial advice. It works really well.”
