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Helen Colechin

Helen Colechin

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Meet the Team

Helen Colechin

Helen Colechin
Managing Director

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Helen has had a successful career in Operations Management and as an HR Practitioner with a range of experience across the private, public and not for profit sectors. Helen demonstrates an ability to understand the legal framework and to develop and implement practical solutions to meet clients’ needs.

 

Fintan O

Fintan O'Toole
Chairman

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Fintan has owned and managed The HR Dept in South London for 10 years.  He advises small businesses on all HR issues having over thirty years’ experience in organisations across a range of industries and markets.  Fintan is legally qualified and specialises in dispute resolution and complex HR matters such as TUPE.

Lindsay Iorwerth

Lindsay Iorwerth
Account Manager

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    Lindsay has 14 years HR experience in a range of disciplines. Lindsay has extensive experience in the area of employee relations and also recruitment, including the design and management of assessment centres using competency based assessment and the use of psychometric and ability testing. Lindsay is also a qualified workplace mediator.

    Maria Kurek

    Maria Kurek
    HR Consultant

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    Maria combines her experience of working in-house and as a consultant to give practical advice to clients.  Maria will assist in setting up the second branch of The HR Dept South London, focusing on businesses based in and around the Bromley area.  Maria is an Associate CIPD and has completed Level 7 CIPD Certificate.

    Vicki Evans

    Vicki Evans
    HR Advisor

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      Vicki has 9 years HR experience advising on recruitment, employee relations and engagement and a wide range of employment law issues. She has Level 5 in HR Management and is an Associate CIPD. Vicki is responsible for managing operations and ensuring that all client matters are dealt with efficiently and in a timely manner.

      Liz O’Toole

      Liz O’Toole
      Company Secretary

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        Liz has worked in a variety of business environments with extensive experience in Public Relations. In a change of career, Liz now manages the finances of The HR Dept.

        Jane Chant

        Jane Chant
        Office Manager

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          Jane has been with The HR Dept for 9 years supporting the company in all areas of administration.  Jane is both diligent and efficient in the management of sensitive information.

          Emma Pittuck

          Emma Pittuck
          Admin Assistant

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            Emma is our newest member of the team and joins us in an Admin Assistant role. Emma comes to us with excellent admin and organisational skills having worked for 11 years as a Clerk in the local tribunal service so she is used to a busy role and meeting strict deadlines.

            The HR Dept Team are fantastic to work with. As an SME it felt like they were ‘our HR Department’ always available for a chat or talk through a challenge. The team make it their priority to understand what my business does and who all the staff are in order to help and support with bespoke advice.

            You don’t have to be an expert when you have experts on hand to talk you through employment law or policies. All of our HR documents were created by HR Dept and now they are adopted as our own policies.

            Don’t take my word for it, contact them yourself and you will see what a quality service you will receive.
            Natasha Director, MD Trading
            As HR Business Partner working for a diverse business it was important to find an HR Consultancy firm that could work with me and act as an extension of my HR Team. That is what I have found with the team at the HR Dept. In the past I have worked with larger providers who offer a similar service to that of the HR Dept, however, it was a small miracle if you got to speak to the same person twice!
            The team at the HR Dept have taken the time to learn about my company, meaning that they can provide a more tailored and personal advice service as well as acting as a sounding board for both operational and strategic matters. In addition, they have also supported me with carrying out staff surveys and Board workshops.
            It is very reassuring to have Maria and the rest of the team in the background to provide valuable advice and support.

            Jennifer Haines, HR Business Partner, Eldon Housing Association
            As a small business owner I know the limits of my own knowledge: for several years now I have relied on The HR Dept for the right advice and practical assistance with all my personnel decisions and am delighted to vouch for their professionalism and pragmatic approach.
            Fintan and his team have proven an invaluable resource and my trustworthy guide through the maze of employment relations.


            Richard Morgan F.C.A, Morgans -Chartered Accountants
            As a small business owner, I recently made the decision to employ my first member of staff; which is both exciting and quite scary!
            I had no experience of recruiting and Helen supported me through the process - giving me guidance on how to assess candidates against the required skills, helping me to shortlist and then attending the interviews with me.
            It was really useful to have a second person to bounce off and to make sure that I asked all the relevant questions!
            Once I’d made a decision, Helen also helped me with an offer letter and a contract. All in all a superb service for small businesses that don’t have their own HR department.


            Emma Pyott, Semaphore PR
            Bryden Johnson outsource their HR support to The HR Dept. They provide us with timely and very practical advice on a range of issues and ensure that our HR procedures are kept up to date.
            We have every confidence in their team who always seem to give that little bit extra to ensure that everything has been dealt with.
            So much so that we have asked them to advise all of our clients when they have HR issues to deal with. We have no doubt that they will be safe in their hands.


            Jackie Wilding, Partner, Bryden Johnson Chartered Accountants
            Just a quickie to say thanks to The HR Dept South London who have been enormously helpful. We have a settlement, negotiated by them, thank goodness.
            They were also able to sit in on some meetings I had to have with staff which again was most valuable.
            So, if you have any HR issues that need resolving please get in touch with The HR Dept!



            Annette Nicholson, The Society of London Manufacturers (Soloman)
            Using HR Dept for our recent recruitment took all of the pain out of hiring during a very busy time. I would highly recommend this service.


            Kate Scott, MyTimeMedia
            We have been working with Fintan and The HR Dept for seven years.
            The biggest benefit has been the advice line support, through which you get honest answers to all sorts of HR questions quickly and in easy to understand language.
            Fintan and his team have helped us through redundancies, awkward dismissals and have held our hand through the minefield of employment legislation in which mistakes could be costly.
            An unbeatable value for money service! Sign up today!


            Steve Oldroyd, On Target
            Talking about our recent Managing Conflict in the Workplace Seminar. Just wanted to reiterate how professional I thought it was today. Your collective knowledge really came across.


            Emma Pyott, Semaphore Public Relations
            We have been working with the HR Dept since last Autumn and it has been a very positive experience. Fintan, Natasha and the team have proved themselves very able to immerse themselves into a new organisation with ease and have provided us with quality HR provision from Director level through to the operational requirements of our Trust always with a positive, ‘can-do’ attitude.

            Jane Burton, The Executive Headteacher, Nonsuch and Wallington Education Trust
            Anyone dealing with staff issues will understand that you have to deal with many challenges some big, some HUGE! The HR Dept and the amazing team there take all of the Burden on their shoulders and help guide you every step of the way. I know if I need to call them for any advice that I will come away with the perfect solution for any problems I put to them (and boy some days do I give them a challenges!).

            If you need a team to manage your HR function these are the people to contact. They are an invaluable help, from the HR Toolkit where you can manage holidays, sick days, staff files (GDPR compliant!), the support phone line, HR conferences and employment law updates and the amount of knowledge this team have between them you will never go wrong.

            I cannot recommend them enough, they have been a vital part of our team and we could not manage without them.
            , The Apartment Service
            I used the HR Dept to assist me in recruiting a new Office Supervisor. They managed the advertisement, carried out telephone interviews, dealt with any queries from potential candidates and devised a shortlist of candidates which suited my request. The service provided was professional, quick and stress-free.
            Carly Temple, Carshalton Boiler Services
            I have worked with the HR Dept for a number of years, Vicki has helped us immensely during the recruitment process, including writing up the adverts and ensuring we select the right candidates for our vacancies.
            Vicki is engaging, trustworthy and dependable and has a wealth of knowledge/experience which always exceeds expectations
            Paula McLachlan, Smith & Byford
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