Outsourced HR Support for UK SMEs
Fixed-fee retainers from £99/month. CIPD-qualified consultants and expert HR advice, like having your own HR department, without the overhead.
What's Included in Your Retainer
Expert HR Advice
Phone and email access to our CIPD-qualified HR team for your HR queries.
Employment Law Updates
Stay ahead of legislative changes with regular briefings and proactive policy updates.
Policy & Documentation
Employment contracts, staff handbooks, policies and procedures drafted and maintained.
Employee Relations
Expert support for disciplinaries and grievances, performance management, and absence management.
HR Software
Breathe HR cloud platform set up and supported by us, so your people, holidays and records sit in one place.
Locally Based
Based in Daventry, we support SMEs across Northamptonshire including Northampton, Rugby, Wellingborough and Banbury, with on-site visits where needed so we understand your business, culture and team.
Our Retainer Plans
Transparent monthly pricing that scales with your team. Choose the level of retained support that fits your business.
HR Advice
Expert HR advice whenever you need it, by phone and email.
- Phone & email HR advice
- Guidance through any employee issue: what to do and how to handle it
- Meeting scripts and talking points prepared for you
- Review of letters or documents you have drafted
- Template letters and documents
- Employment law updates and alerts
- Free admission to our webinars
HR Support
We take on the hands-on paperwork and guide your managers through cases.
- Everything in HR Advice, plus:
- We draft the invite and outcome letters for your cases
- Guide managers through disciplinary, grievance, absence, performance and probation
- Redundancy guidance, and the letters that go with it
- Guidance on settlement agreements, Acas matters and flexible working requests
HR Manager
HR Support plus your people admin done for you.
- Everything in HR Support, plus your people admin handled:
- Right to work checks
- Offer letters and offer pack documents
- Contract amendments and variation letters
- Reference and mortgage references
- Bonus and promotion letters
- Holiday calculations
- Resignation acknowledgements and exit interview paperwork
Prices scale with your team size. Book a consultation for your exact price.
Compare all plans and specialist packages
Not ready for the commitment? View our ad-hoc HR consultancy options →
How It Works
Initial Consultation
We learn about your business, team size, and HR challenges in a free no-obligation call.
Tailored Package
We design a retainer package matched to your needs, with a clear monthly fee. No hidden costs.
Ongoing Partnership
Our HR team become an extension of your team with expert phone and email support, and we can support your business on-site if required.
Who Is Retained HR Support For?
Our retained service is ideal for small and medium businesses who need regular, reliable HR support, whether you don't have an HR function yet, or you already have in-house HR and need an experienced partner to work alongside them. Whether you have 5 employees or 150, we scale our support to match.
- Growing businesses hiring regularly
- Companies with 5-150 employees
- Businesses without in-house HR
- Solo HR professionals who need a sounding board
- In-house HR teams needing an escalation partner
- Organisations needing ongoing compliance support
- Companies going through change or growth
We Work Alongside Your HR Team, Not Instead of Them
Not every business that needs HR support is starting from scratch. If you already have an in-house HR professional or small team, our Strategic HR Advisory service complements what you already do, giving your people senior backup, escalation and a sounding board.
Flat monthly retainer from £450. See pricing
Expert Second Opinion
A confidential, expert second opinion for your HR person to talk through complex cases, sense-check decisions, and validate their approach before acting.
Escalation Point
When situations escalate beyond the day-to-day, tribunals, complex disciplinaries, or sensitive grievances, we step in as your experienced escalation partner.
Solo HR Support
Being the only HR person in a business can be isolating. We give solo HR professionals a trusted partner to collaborate with, share the load, and reduce the risk of working alone.
“Great HR advice and great support. Staff changes involving reducing your employee headcount can be distressing as well as being fraught with the risks of getting it wrong from a legal or procedural point of view. Thanks for your help with the initial who and the why and then the process and paperwork has been great. Also your support for the Directors has been invaluable. You are much more than just the technical stuff of HR!”
Industries We Support
We provide retained HR support to businesses across a wide range of sectors, each with its own workforce challenges and regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about our retained HR support.
What is retained HR support?
Retained HR support is an ongoing partnership where your business has a dedicated, CIPD-qualified HR consultant available whenever you need them. You pay a fixed monthly fee for expert phone and email advice, employment law updates, policy management, and hands-on support with employee relations. It works like having your own HR department, without the cost of hiring in-house.
How much does outsourced HR cost for a small business?
Our retainer packages are tailored to your business size and needs, so there is no one-size-fits-all price. The monthly fee covers expert advice, documentation and ongoing support, and scales with your team size. We keep pricing transparent and set everything out clearly in your proposal. Book a free consultation and we will provide a clear quote based on your team size and the level of support you need.
Do I need HR support if I only have a few employees?
Yes. Employment law applies from your very first employee, covering contracts, right to work checks, disciplinary procedures, and statutory entitlements. Small businesses are often more exposed to tribunal risk because they lack formal processes. A retained HR service gives you the expertise and documentation to stay compliant and handle issues before they escalate.
What is included in a retained HR package?
Our retained packages include expert HR advice by phone and email, employment contract and policy drafting, employee relations support for disciplinaries, grievances and absence management, regular employment law updates, and Breathe HR software set up and supported by us for managing your team. We can also support your business on-site if required.
Can you work alongside our existing HR person?
Absolutely. Many of our retained clients already have an in-house HR professional or office manager handling day-to-day HR. We act as their expert sounding board, escalation partner, and second opinion on complex cases. It reduces the risk of your HR person working in isolation and gives them confidence when dealing with sensitive situations.
What is the difference between retained and ad-hoc HR support?
Retained HR support is an ongoing partnership with a fixed monthly fee and ongoing access to your consultant. Ad-hoc support is pay-as-you-go, ideal for one-off issues. Retained clients benefit from a consultant who knows their business inside out, proactive compliance updates, and included HR software. If you need regular support, a retainer is more cost-effective.
What are HR retainer packages and how do they work?
HR retainer packages are fixed monthly plans that give your business ongoing access to a dedicated HR consultant for a set fee. Instead of paying by the hour you get predictable support that scales with your team size, covering advice, documentation, employment law updates and employee relations. We set the right package level out clearly in your proposal so you always know what is included.
Do you offer outsourced HR services for small businesses across the UK?
Yes. We provide outsourced HR services for small businesses across the UK, from our base in Daventry, Northamptonshire. Most support is delivered by phone, email and video, so your location is not a barrier, and we can support your business on-site if required. Whether you have no HR function yet or need to take pressure off an existing team, we give you expert HR on tap without the cost of an in-house hire.
Explore Our Other Services
HR Project Support
Expert hands for organisational changes, TUPE,restructuring, redundancy, recruitment and more.
Learn more →Ad-Hoc HR Services
Flexible pay-as-you-go HR support. No retainer, no long-term commitment. Just call when you need us.
Learn more →HR Health Check
A comprehensive audit of your HR practices. We'll find the gaps before they become problems.
Learn more →Ready to Get Started?
Book a free consultation and discover how our retained HR support can protect and empower your business.
Book Your Free ConsultationOr call: 01327 640070