HR Update and People Strategy - Programme

Stay competitive and proactive as an employer, driving efficiencies with expert industry advice and legal updates.

Registration, refreshments and networking (08:30)

Welcome and housekeeping (09:15)

Chair’s introduction and welcome with facilitated roundtables on your current issues (09:20)

Emma Hughes, Partner and Head of HR Services, Browne Jacobson LLP

Let’s talk about flex, baby: agile working approaches in schools (09:40)

Support recruitment and retention in an increasingly competitive market with strategies to secure your most valued asset – people.

Michelle Gabriel, Head of HR, Capita People Solutions

Rants to Results: How complaints-handling is a HR strategy (10:10)

In a world where parents (and employees) are more likely to make complaints, especially on social media, what can leaders do to avoid this?

Laura McInerney, Education Journalist and Co-Founder of Teacher Tapp

Questions and answers (10:30)

Morning refreshments, networking and exhibition (10:40 - 11:20)

Workshop choices (11:20 - 12:10)

1A. Managing sickness absence

Explore a long-term sickness case study and improve your quality of correspondence, compliance of the policy, timings of the steps, whilst looking out for missed opportunities.

Heather Mitchell, Partner, Browne Jacobson LLP

1B. Recruitment of non-teaching staff

Use appealing messaging to drive strong recruitment of non-teaching staff in your setting.

Rachael Boaler, Managing Director, Holden Knight Education UK
Matt McIver, COO, Cidari Multi Academy Trust

1C. Enhancing performance management and capability in schools

Gain practical tools to support performance management, how to identify poor performance, the ability to differentiate between employee conduct versus capability, how to hold difficult conversations and how to navigate through informal and formal capability processes.

Lirette Mill, Head of HR Advisory, HR Connect

Lunch, networking and exhibition (12:10 - 13:00)

Employment law update (13:00)

Stay informed to ensure policies, procedures and contracts are robust and fit for the upcoming year.

Peter Woodhouse, Partner, Stone King LLP

Wellbeing for HR professionals (13:30)

Equip yourself with tools to ensure your own value and wellbeing is looked after as an HR professional with one small positive habit change.

Kat Thorne, Director, The Morning GameChanger

Workshop choices (14:00 - 14:50)

2A. Efficient disciplinaries

Take part in a safeguarding disciplinary investigation to understand what a “good” investigation looks like as you: get ready for a hearing, see how social media impacts the case, save money with prompt action, and get to dismissal.

Tom Wallace, Senior HR Consultant, Browne Jacobson LLP
Dai Durbridge, Partner, Browne Jacobson LLP

2B. Pragmatic mediation

Deliver proper, honest conversations that get to the most beneficial solution quickly to mitigate lost time and staff stress.

Dave Walker MBE, Director of Mediation, Calm Mediation
Freddie De Luca, Director of Development, Calm Mediation

2C. Strong HR foundations

Deepen your knowledge on being an HR professional, including the ethics of HR, and how you can sharpen your skills..

Emma Hughes, Partner and Head of HR Services, Browne Jacobson LLP

Afternoon refreshments, networking and exhibition (14:50 - 15:10)

Workshop choices (15:10 - 16:00)

3A. Terms and conditions around recruitment and retention

Move away from the green and burgundy books and benefit staff in other ways.

Trust and Independent school relevant.

Tom Wallace, Senior HR Consultant, Browne Jacobson LLP

3B. Workload reduction

Understand what is occurring nationally on workload reduction in the first part of this workshop, then join a collaborative discussion to share ideas or existing tried and tested solutions. Leave with realistic, implementable ideas on reducing workload.

Emma Hughes, Partner and Head of HR Services, Browne Jacobson LLP

3C. Manage high risk terminations

How to deal with high-risk terminations, including what you can do to prepare for them and mitigating the risks when they do. This will be a high-level session covering  financial, staff and reputational risks and will assume a good knowledge of a standard disciplinary process..

Peter Woodhouse, Partner, Stone King LLP

Katharine Robinson, Associate, Stone King LLP

Insights into the latest people priorities (16:00)

Understand what the latest priorities and trends mean for the school sector, and take away your own priorities for 2024 and beyond.

Emma Hughes, Head of HR Services, Browne Jacobson LLP

Conference closes at 16:20