Back Up: one-off HR support, quoted before it starts

You don't need ongoing HR support. You need help with the thing sitting in front of you right now. Back Up is one piece of work at a fixed fee agreed upfront, with no retainer and no expectation that it turns into anything else.

Tell Me What's Happened
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Fixed fee, agreed first

You know the cost before anything starts. No hourly billing, no clock-watching about how long a phone call ran, and no invoice that's double what you expected.
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No ongoing commitment

One thing, dealt with properly, and that's the end of it unless you want otherwise. Plenty of people use Back Up once and I never hear from them again, which is fine.
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The same work either way

You get the same quality of thinking and documentation as clients on monthly support. It's the same person doing it, just for the one thing you need.
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Something's come up and you want it dealt with properly

Maybe you need a contract drafting and you've realised the one you've been using came off a website in 2019.

Maybe something has happened with a member of staff and you want to be certain you're handling it correctly, because you've got a feeling that getting the order wrong causes problems later. That feeling is usually right.

Or maybe you just want a second opinion from someone who does this for a living, because you've already decided what you're going to do and you'd like to know whether it's a terrible idea before you do it.

How it works

You tell me what's happened. I'll ask enough questions to understand the situation properly, then I'll tell you exactly what it will cost before we start. No hourly billing, no anxiety about whether a phone call is going on the bill.

Then I handle the piece of work, you get what you needed, and we go from there. If it turns out you want ongoing support afterwards, you know where I am. If you don't, that's the end of it and there's no follow-up.

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What people come to me for

The most common ones are a contract of employment or a settlement agreement that needs drafting, and a disciplinary, grievance or resignation that doesn't feel straightforward. After that it's usually a standalone policy that needs writing from scratch, HR support through a specific project like a restructure or a redundancy, or a review of documents you already have to check they'd stand up if they were ever tested.

The last one is a second opinion when something feels off and you're not sure what to do about it. That one comes up more than people expect, and it's usually the cheapest conversation you'll ever have.

If it's a disciplinary, grievance or redundancy

Those three have their own pages because they're the ones where the order you do things in matters most. All three start from £250 plus VAT rather than £100, because they involve running a full process rather than producing a document.

What's different afterwards.

The thing that was hanging over you gets dealt with. You stop wondering whether you're handling it correctly and start actually handling it correctly, with documentation behind you that would hold up if anyone ever looked at it.

And if it turns out you'd rather not do this on your own next time, you know where I am.

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What clients say

Excellent

5.0 Google Average 5 star review for Alice Potter HR

Based on 8 reviews

10 years in HR. CIPD Level 5 qualified.
5 stars from every client who's reviewed.

I've been working in HR and people management since 2016. Before that, 10 years as a primary school teacher. I hold a CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management, based near Darlington, and I've helped businesses across the North East: from first-time employers getting the basics right to organisations with management layers and complex employee relations work.

Excellent

5.0 Google Average 5 star review for Alice Potter HR

Based on 8 reviews

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Based near Darlington.

Working across the North East.

I work with businesses across the North East: Darlington, Durham, Bishop Auckland, Stockton-on-Tees, Newcastle and the surrounding areas. For the right client I'll travel further. For businesses that work remotely, I can do that too. If you're within an hour of Barnard Castle, I can be with you in person when it counts.

Common questions about Back Up

How much will it cost?
From £100 plus VAT, and I'll give you a firm figure before anything starts. A single contract sits at the lower end. Running a full disciplinary or redundancy process starts from £250 plus VAT and goes up with complexity, mainly because investigations take time.
How quickly can you start?
Usually within a few days, and faster if something is genuinely urgent. Get in touch and tell me what the timescale is. If I can't do it in the time you need, I'll say so rather than take it on and let you down.
What if it turns out to be bigger than I thought?
I'll tell you as soon as I know, before doing the extra work. The fixed fee covers what we agreed. If the situation grows, we agree a new number first. What won't happen is you finding out on the invoice.
Will you try to sell me a monthly package?
No. If I think ongoing support would genuinely be cheaper for you than repeatedly coming back for one-off work, I'll mention it once. Some people use Back Up three times a year and that's the right answer for them.
Can I get you to sit in on a meeting?
Yes, and I do it regularly. Being in the room for a disciplinary or a grievance hearing changes how it goes. It's quoted as part of the work, so you'd know the cost before agreeing to it.

Stop carrying it. Let's sort it.

Whether you're in the middle of something or you just want to get the basics right before something goes wrong, I'm available for a free, no-pressure call. You'll leave knowing what your options are.

Book a Free Consultation