Chantal Cross

Experience

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  Altodigital

  Nov 1999 - Nov 2000

  HR Executive

  Altodigital.com had a headcount of 8 when I joined and were an SME, internet start up and Internet Service Provider. They produced template driven web sites for SMEs.● Reporting directly to the MD, stand-alone HR position. Designed and oversaw a large, national recruitment campaign where the headcount grew from 8 to over 200 at its peak. ● Set up and managed all HR functions including absence records, personnel files, disciplinary processes resulting in our independent auditors specifically commenting positively on the comprehensive personnel files.● Advising management on the full range of HR issues including disciplinaries and eventually redundancies. Show less

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  United Kingdom Detention Services

  Sept 2001 - Apr 2004

  HR Officer

  Wholly owned by Sodexo Alliance UKDS was a custodial services company with 4 establishments nationally (now called Kaylyx). Sep 03 – Apr 04 HR Officer - HMP Bronzefield – Ashford, MiddlesexPromoted to HR Officer to lead the provision of HR at a new private women’s prison.● Promoted to HR Officer to lead the provision of HR at a new private women’s prison.● coordinating large-scale and complex recruitment campaign, line management of one administrator, analysis of statistics, risk management and project management, reporting and setting up new starter processes.Sep 01 - Aug 03 HR Administrator to Director of HR – Edgware Road● Contributing to the tender process e.g. employment market intelligence and start-up costs.● Designed and prepared a monthly HR & Training report for the Executive Board which showed bottom line impact of HR. Sodexo later adopted this report.● Project managed the selection and successful implementation of a HR software.● Ad-hoc projects e.g. cost of attrition and sickness with a management of absence policy cutting absence in its initial 3 months by 10%.● Leading in the design and implementation of a personal review system (appraisal).● Writing and review of all HR policies including accompanying management guidelines.● Recruitment and line management of 2 Receptionists and dealing with performance issues.● Negotiating competitive rates with external recruitment agencies.● Monitoring office sickness and holiday absence.● Preparation of training materials and presentations in PowerPoint.● Project managed the selection and implementation of a new computerised HR record system. Show less

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  Central Parking System, Inc.

  May 2004 - Sept 2005

  HR Recruitment Manager

  ● Led large-scale management recruitment campaign undertaking each element personally including running psychometric testing resulting in the successful placement of 30 management vacancies making saving around £150k in agency costs.● Conducting site visits and coaching management to successfully recruit quality staff resulting in reduced turnover of staff.● Created and implemented a strategy targeting Polish nationals resulting in a positive culture change at multiple contracts due to positive work ethic of new employees.● Project management of recruitment campaigns for mass low level, management, Italian and Polish resourcing.● Wrote recruitment strategy for new business tender submission researching demographics and detailing approach resulting in us being awarded the parking management contract.● Review and improve the recruitment and induction strategy, processes and procedures to improve delivery, quality and costs to meet business needs and organisational plans.● Drew up a procurement exercise for recruitment agencies to maximise buying power of company, improve quality and reduce costs. Show less

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  Croydon Council

  Sept 2005 - Sept 2007

  ● Parachuted in by HR Director to provide crucial support to 2 Project Managers to deliver ‘Single Status’ (pay harmonisation for 10k employees) to prevent equal pay claims. ● Set up the project team from scratch recruiting, setting up systems, running pilots, managing council-wide frustrations, writing comms resulting in a successful project with no equal pay claims.● Relied on by project manager to highlight risks, milestones, instigate and suggest solutions to ensure thorough preparation for consultation meetings.● Managing project support and resource needs, handling resistance, troubleshooting concerns and coaching managers to deal with employee concerns reducing department head pressure. Show less ● Reviewing and base-lining recruitment policy, processes and procedures, pulling together and standardising practices to ensure consistency, efficiency savings and best practice● Advising on talent and resourcing initiatives e.g. managing the move to e-based recruitment processes, overseeing tendering process, researching software packages.● Researching and developing proactive retention initiatives e.g. induction as a means of retention, bitesize training for managers.● Planning and evaluating recruitment campaigns working in partnership with senior management resulting in successful appointments on each occasion saving min. £30k in fees.● Developing and leading job evaluation process for Croydon Council, evaluating jobs and running weekly evaluation panels to reduce risk of legal challenge.● Monitoring recruitment costs within spending policies, budgets and ensuring adequate controls e.g. monitoring the approval of vacancies, overseeing costs of advertising resulting in the tweaking and successful appointment of planners saving recruitment fees of £10k.● Responsible for the day-to-day management and motivation of direct reports.● Reviewed recruitment policy along with tools and resources resulting in a more user friendly document to reduce legal challenge.● Working in partnership with senior management by providing a professional consultancy service to meet their recruitment needs.● Selected to be part of an HRIP (Human Resources Improvement Project) team for Workforce Remodelling and an HR Champion.● Designing full employee life cycle administrative tools from advert to induction to exit. Show less

  • Single Status Consultant

    Sept 2006 - Sept 2007

  • Recruitment and Retention Consultant

    Sept 2005 - Sept 2006
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  Strictly Education Ltd

  Oct 2007 - Jul 2009

  Senior HR Consultant

  Strictly Education Ltd are a private company that provide a range of services to educational establishments UK-wide. In this position I had 40 schools assigned to me with 3 different local authorities (Croydon, Southwark and Bournemouth). The staff were employed on 2 different terms and conditions with various working patterns. ● Assigned and successfully managed casework for 40 schools in 3 local authorities with 2 different terms and conditions with various working patterns. ● Successfully project managed and represented SE on an enormous TUPE project on Isle of Sheppey (4 schools into 1 Academy on 2 sites). Oversaw and coached senior management on consultation, conducted all 1-2-1s, matched jobs to new generic JDs, oversaw due diligence resulting in the successful completion of the project.● Developing, monitoring and reviewing the HR consultancy service and assisting in its strategic direction which led to the securing of 3 additional contracts due to my suggestions.● To be responsible for the day-to-day management, leadership and motivation of direct report including recruitment, performance review, training and development. ● Support and deputisation for the Head of Service to achieve company and service objectives. Show less

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  Southwark Council

  Sept 2009 - Jan 2019

  Schools HR Business Partner

  Providing outstanding support to Headteachers and other members of SLT on the full range of HR issues.● Personally responsible for the proactive HR service delivery to 30 schools with £110k annual with one direct report. Coaching and influencing senior leaders to deliver HR strategies to meet school priorities. ● Lead HR Consultant for 5 reorganisations that completed to timetable with approx. 5 compulsory redundancies.● 80% of the cases that were coached to a hearing resulted in the outcome aimed for.● Led on updating of policies and HR resources including training resulting in more efficient, legally compliant processes and positive feedback.● Designed and implemented an attendance strategy following analysis of data to reduce short-term absence leading to a successful pilot in 3 schools.● Effectively managing up to 50 cases at a time, team average was 30.● Successfully coached a Headteacher to consult a new pay policy in 2013/14 when performance-related pay was introduced for teachers. ● Reduced absence days at a school from 300 days (in the previous 12 months) to 100 days over 3 months with coaching.● Designed a Headteacher’s recruitment toolkit to be sold into schools as an extra revenue.● Inducted and mentored 3 HR Advisors, inspiring and supporting my direct report to be successfully appointed to my position when I left.● Representing the Director of Education and advising panels and management on dismissal and appeals. ● Successfully resolved numerous conduct issues (e.g. safeguarding, unauthorised absence, inappropriate behaviour, mental health).● Successfully resolved union representative tensions resulting in improved cooperation, better communication and a more positive working relationship.● Designed and conducted HR Audits to reduce risk and inform support and coaching required resulting in annual increase in SLAs.● Identified opportunities that led to 3 schools choosing to buy-in with the service. Show less

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  Woodard Academies Trust

  Feb 2019 - Nov 2020

  Trust HR Specialist

  WAT has 6 academies UK wide from Newcastle to Littlehampton with 795 employees, this role involves multi-site travel.● Initially recruited as an HRBP, promoted to Trust HR Lead role in November 19 to focus on the design and delivery of HR projects, overseeing external HR service and single employer responsibilities. From May 20 the role is Trust HR Specialist to better reflect the new leadership structure.● Produced HR metrics to drive strategic and organisational priorities to drive school improvement.● Designed and delivered a trust-wide HR audit to baseline current practices revealing absence issues and recruitment overspend. Recommendations will drive buy in to deliver attendance culture change to deliver min. £200k savings.● Delivering final phase of a 2-year long pay and grading exercise to achieve trust-wide pay harmonisation to ensure pay parity and reduce legal risks.● Produced absence management resources including training materials for line managers and employees to reduce absence from 22 days/employee to national average of approx. 4 days.● Leading the review of HR activities e.g. recruitment, retention, induction, reorganisations, employee engagement, management, training and performance management.● Lead review and consultation of all HR policies with recognised unions.● Oversee external HR advice and report to executive. A case was identified as escalating due to academy actions and response timing concerns to ensure value for money and reduce risk.● Leading job evaluation trust-wide, identifying areas of structural instability, streamlining the service to minimise disruption and encourage focused resource planning to minimise costs.● Designed, planned and ran approx. 40 pay appeals for 5 academies nationwide following a 2-year long project resulting in 75% of roles upwardly graded. Recognised at trustee level for smooth running of project, positive outcomes and communication and for reducing risk of legal challenge. Show less

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  GLF Schools

  Dec 2020 - Aug 2021

  Regional People Partner

  GLF has over 40 academies mainly within the Surrey and Oxford area.● Reporting into the Deputy HR Director I provided a generalist service to 6 academies performing similar duties to the HRBP role at Southwark Council.Reason for leaving – Resignation

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  Optivo

  Aug 2021 - Dec 2021

  HR Projects Lead

  Optivo builds affordable homes whilst also providing a high level of support to residents. They are part of the G15. The organisation has around 1,400 staff.● Reporting into the Head of Business Partnering I led on HR focussed projects. ● Wrote a three-phase roadmap for succession planning for around 400 managers to address retention concerns.● Wrote a management training course for line managers on effective investigations.● Wrote and pitched a proposal to senior management for a manager’s portal of HR resources this included negotiating other internal buy in, resources, writing the layout and ‘skeleton’ as well as auditing current resources and starting to create those that were missing.● Parachuted in to review referencing systems to cover illness within the recruitment team. Reason for leaving – End of contract Show less

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  Queen Mary's University of London

  Apr 2022 - Jul 2023

  Employee Relations Manager

  A global university dating back to 1785 with five campuses in London with sites in China, Malta, and Paris.● Reporting to the Head of Employee Relations and Policy and line management for one HR Advisor.● Responsible for complex casework for the faculty of Science and Engineering overseeing that spans the full employee life cycle e.g. grievances, attendance, probation, reorganisations, TUPE, performance management. ● Building and maintaining relationships with particular focus on coaching, and training managers in the full range of employee relations issues.● Advising on panels up to and including dismissal and appeals.● Building and maintaining strong relationships with other stakeholders including trade unions.● Considering more effective ways of working, making recommendations, creating tools, writing and delivering training, reviewing policies and resources to support colleagues and client base. This included writing and delivering a presentation to senior management for a centralised digital resource for leadership which was backed. I am in the process of drawing up project plans.● Reviewing job descriptions and evaluating them as part of a job evaluation panel.● Liaising with external legal advisors. Show less

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  Various Clients

  Sept 2022 - now

  Associate (Consultancy)

  Undertaking various HR Projects and work for clients. I have reviewed policies and procedures, created attendance cultures, written competency frameworks, undertaken HR healthchecks, Recruitment audit, implemented HR software, streamlined HR processes, undersken particularly sensitive investigations, coached managers, designed and delivered HR training and so much more!

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  Cross Check Consultancy

  May 2023 - now

  Director
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  The Legal Education Foundation

  Feb 2024 - now

  Human Resources Project Manager

  Complete review of all policies ensuing they go over and above statutory provisions and have an EDI focus. All policies also need to be in line with future legislation with new Labour government changes.Creation of a competency framework.Creation of an annual review system.Review pay and reward systems.Creation of gender pay gap report.Attending SMT.