TESTIMONIALS
We have the privilege of working with a wide range of clients across numerous industries, providing both retained and project-based Human Resources services.
“Karen has supported CAMFED’s work for over 17 years. She has vast experience and expertise in the HR field, and she brought this rich experience into play in crafting policies and processes that facilitate engagement and alignment across our teams in the UK, Africa, and the USA.
Karen always works at a fast pace and is rigorous in her approach. She has excellent communication skills and consistently meets deadlines to a high standard.
The advice and support that Karen provides is completely trusted and extremely valued. Karen is a source of knowledge and is well respected by everyone that she works with.”
Teresa Goodchild
Head of HR and Administration
“Without hesitation I write to recommend Karen Liddington from People in Focus.
Karen has supported The Brain Tumour Charity as a retained consultant for around 15 years – helping us from the very start; prior to our merger with two other charities, when we employed a small handful of paid staff and raised around £2m. Fast forward to recent times, Karen has helped us overcome a number of challenges as we’ve grown from being a small family run charity to the worlds’ leading brain tumour charity, with an income of £11m and a staff team of c.130 people.
Karen is a subject matter expert – practical and pragmatic in her approach and always there at the end of a phone or email to guide us through the most tricky of situations. Whether that be redundancy consultations, TUPE queries, immigration status questions, resolving grievances, performance concerns, sickness absence issues, or sensitive issues arising at Executive team and/or Board level.
From providing proactive updates on changes to employment law, to supplying template documents and employee handbook/contractual documentation reviews – she offers a great service, a breadth and depth of expertise and I consider her a key part of my HR team.”
Laura Smith
Head of Talent
“Karen does a fantastic job for us, she is incredibly responsive, very professional, and most helpfully understands our unique business, and thereby ensures advice is shaped by our context. It certainly takes a lot of the weight off my mind, knowing I have Karen sitting alongside and behind me.”
Charlie Walker
Managing Director
“Without the excellent knowledge base, constant support and experience which Karen provides, we could not have been able to undertake a difficult, yet sensitive, redundancy programme. Karen guided us through the process from start to finish and was always on hand to answer questions and give advice.”
Kim Duller
Chief Executive Officer
“Karen has provided key support to us during challenging periods when we’ve had to make hard decisions. In these often complicated issues, Karen provided insightful and constructive advice to ensure the best outcome for the organisation whilst ensuring employee wellbeing is given the importance it deserves. Karen’s HR expertise and understanding of employment law is both impressive and reassuring.”
Rebecca
People and Learning Manager - International NGO
“People in Focus have been providing their excellent service to St Mary’s for a good number of years. Their prompt response, advice and guidance on all human resource matters has proven invaluable to our organisation. We would highly recommend their service!”
Sue Gauntlett
Manager
“Karen and her team have always been prompt to reply to our requests for help, responding with up-to-date guidance that is timely and aware of our specific context and needs. We have been helpfully resourced with templates and support with our staff handbook, helping us significantly mature our approach as an employer with a motivated, well supported team. Highly recommended!”
Rev Tim Roberts
Senior Minister - Wellsprings Church
“Hilger Crystals have used the services of People in Focus for over 20 years and in that time have found them not only professional and thorough in their approach but also pragmatic and have an understanding of the issues within commercial environments. They have helped us construct compliant HR documentation and controls which are essential to running a business.
I would unreservedly recommend them as an HR resource that is excellent value for money.
Jim Telfer
Managing Director
“Karen is everything most external consultants fall short of. She is able to approach a whole organisation globally, understand it with impressive alacrity, then propose a sequence of HR measures which not only resolve immediate matters but set the organisation on a path to long-term stability and success. She is measured, she is attentive, she is analytical, she is pragmatic, and she is fearless.”
Name Withheld
Chair of the Board - London-based Mental Health Charity
“Karen has provided hands-on employment advice for our charity for over a decade, and we wouldn’t go anywhere else. Always at the end of the phone, she has navigated us through every type of HR challenge with razor sharp clarity and support. Pragmatic, honest and always with integrity, Karen’s no-nonsense approach is reassuring and just what any busy CEO needs.”
Parminder Sekhon
Chief Executive Officer
“In Control Partnerships have benefited from the help and advice of Karen Liddington for over 15 years. Karen is always super responsive and has guided us through so many organisational changes over the years. Providing timely legal updates, template drafts, policies, salary reviews & much needed advice. Karen is very approachable and professional, and all her advice and support has been exceptional and appreciated.
I would highly recommend People in Focus; it is great value for money and gives us peace of mind.”
Julie Stansfield BCAc
Chief Executive Officer
“We have used Karen since 2012. Her clear guidance, uncomplicated explanations and knowledge is second to none. Karen is reactive to current legislation and the ever-changing workplace environment. Always responding expeditiously with sound advice.”
Trena Battams
HR & Operations Manager - CBM-UK
“We have been working with Karen at People in Focus for many years now on a retainer support basis and I can honestly say that I am not sure what we would do without her! She provides very prompt, clear, and thoughtful advice, always thinking of innovative solutions, and is a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend her to any small business that doesn’t have in-house HR support.”
Nicola Reddy
Chief Operating Officer
“Karen is fantastic and has been a delight to work with over the past couple of years. Her knowledge and support have been invaluable, both with the day-to-day operational and the supporting the development of our people plan.”
Helen Killingley
Assistant Director - Operations
“Karen is a fantastic support to our organisation. The quality of the advice she offers is excellent, and we would highly recommend her to others.”
Fiona Spellman
Chief Executive Officer
“We just wanted to share our thanks and appreciation for your reliable and expert support over the years. Your advice is always so helpful and accessible. Even the most complex or sensitive issues are made easier with your guidance!
I also just wanted to personally say how much I have learned from you over our time working together. The knowledge always equips me to be a better director in an ever-changing world, and I always value everything I learn from our discussions. Thank you.”
Name Withheld
Programme Director - Nationwide provider of therapeutic services
“Health Poverty Action has relied on Karen’s expertise and support for many years. She is the bedrock upon which our HR functions and processes depend, providing both technical expertise and expert mentoring to our key managers, for many years. It’s in the nature of HR that these services are particularly called upon by myself and senior managers when things are especially challenging and sensitive, and the confidence and stability brought to the organisation by Karen’s high calibre support at such times has been beyond valuable. Karen makes a huge contribution to the life and work of Health Poverty Action – and hence to the cause of health justice worldwide. Her work also saves us a lot of money, as it costs a tiny fraction of what we would need to spend to have an internal HR role – and in my time in the sector, I can honestly say Karen’s is by far the best HR service I have encountered.”
Martin Drewry
Director
“Karen has been our HR consultant for over 20 years, which is testament to how valuable her expertise and advice is for both the everyday and the more complex HR situations. I love working with Karen as she is prompt in responding to requests for support and is able to grasp the questions, challenges and context quickly to provide us with the best advice. She is both personable and professional and has been a valuable support in my role when things have not been straight forward. I highly recommend her!”
Faye Popham
HR and Volunteering Manager
“Being a small business it’s not cost-effective for us to have an in-house HR department.
Having Karen on board as our retained HR Consultant is a great fit for us. She is always quick to respond to queries and can offer trusted and valued advice where needed.
I would happily recommend her services without any hesitation.”
Liam Sellar
Managing Director
“We have no hesitation in recommending Karen, whose professionalism, knowledge, patience and expertise has consistently been exceptional and always sets out clearly how and what needs to be done.”
Rev Tom Putt
Vicar - Burford Benefice of Churches
“We have contracted with People In Focus over many years and found Karen’s knowledge and professionalism to be second to none. She is always reactive to any questions and the advice and guidance offered has been exceptional when called upon. I would have no hesitation in recommending Karen and People In Focus to any business.”
Andrew Boulton
“I have worked with Karen on several high-risk pieces of work all of which have been delivered to an exceptionally high standard and in accordance with the expectations set and agreed. Karen is a complete HR expert and professional, works with absolute integrity and takes the time to listen to your brief, ask appropriate questions and provide support where required. I am thankful for the work and support Karen has provided my organisation and would not hesitate to work with her again.”
Name Withheld
Executive Director of Diversity & Talent - National Charity
“Karen has provided us with employment advice for many years now. She has always been very responsive to our enquiries and the advice given has been both clear and constructive. I would happily recommend her services.”
Jeremy Liming
Director
“Karen supportively navigated us through a difficult staff issue during a very pressured time in our business, providing professional advice and guidance, for which we would have been lost without.”
Kat Rose
Digital Learning Director
Keen to understand how People In Focus could help your business? Contact us for an initial, no obligation conversation about your HR needs.