Mind the gap!
Getting the best from your advisers.
Independent advice and support
should be an investment, with a return,
not simply a cost to the organisation.
Often external advice is unavoidable
– a property transaction requires a
lawyer, Boards rely on advisers and
the organisation must comply with HSE
practice, data protection and a host
of other imperatives. An independent
presence can help to achieve a specific
outcome, for example, to work on the
options and implications of change;
ensuring best practice as an employer;
developing stakeholder and resident
engagement.
Getting the best from your investment
requires thought and preparation. You need
to be clear about:
- what outcomes you want
- experience and credibility – do you need
sector knowledge and contacts, a mix
of experience from different sectors,
appreciation of the Welsh context? - the scope for your adviser to develop
their approach to your organisation,
people and needs - how you will test suppliers – balancing
cost, quality and added value - the appropriate procurement approach –
are you buying a straightforward service,
process or product? Or are you looking
for intellectual capacity and empathy? - the scope of work and conditions
- the scale of your investment and its
return for your organisation, using criteria
which you have chosen - how to manage the contract
As with any investment, a willingness to
adapt to unexpected and emerging issues
is important. You need to be engaged,
ensuring you have the resources to reap the
benefits. Checking how, when and to what
effect your outcomes are being delivered is a
way of holding your adviser to account.
What we do
We all need to know how our work interlinks.
The impact of a decision can have
wider implications than a single decisionmaker
may realise.
Unintended consequences can be
a delight. They can also result in the
unenviable task of untangling unwanted
situations. Integral to our approach is
putting in the time and effort so that
we really understand your business and
aspirations.
We are currently working with 25
individual social housing and care
providers. Those using several of our
advisers simultaneously is growing. For
example, for one RSL we deliver on
property transactions, employment law,
and career development counselling.
For another, management coaching and
skills training, employment law advice,
organisational development support,
and occupational health advice. For a
third stakeholder engagement support,
property and employment law advice. All
of these relationships started with a single
instruction for a single service.
We see your business in ways that differ
to colleagues inside the business. We share
our observations to provide the basis for
feeding back opportunities – and risks –
which may otherwise lie latent. We review
our client relationship on a regular basis.
Our knowledge also means we see
trends across our client base. These inform
our overall approach, and our Learning
and Development team, helping refine our
programme of over 75 courses with some
leading to professional qualifications. With
the CHC we are designing programmes
for housing providers, so the wider sector
benefits too.
Get the best from Capital
Patrick Harkness leads our housing
team. He has 35 years experience,
including as a CEO and Chair of two
groups of housing, support and care
providers. We all have experience
of working with social housing
providers:
1 – Patrick Harkness
Stakeholder engagement, resident
involvement, governance and community
consultation – p.harkness@consultcapital.co.uk
2 – Iorwen Brooks-Jones
Land acquisition, property, landlord and
tenant law – i.brooks-jones@capitallaw.co.uk
3 – Mark Littlejohns
Health, Safety and Environment
strategy and compliance – m.littlejohns@consultcapital.co.uk
4 – Richard Thomas
Employment law, equalities,
anti-corruption, data protection, fraud – r.thomas@capitallaw.co.uk
5 – Donna Merrick
Outplacement and career development – d.merrick@consultcapital.co.uk
Kathryn Jellings
Learning and Development – k.jellings@consultcapital.co.uk
Monica Newton
Organisational development – m.newton@consultcapital.co.uk
Jean-Baptiste Deasy
Occupational Health – j.deasy@consultcapital.co.uk
Philip Jones
Disputes and commercial law advice – p.jones@capitallaw.co.uk
Marnie Clarke
HR support and investigations – m.clarke@consultcapital.co.uk