The Client

YMCA is a national charity providing a diverse range of services, programmes and initiatives to support local communities to belong, contribute and thrive.

 

One YMCA employs over 400 colleagues working across family support and youth work, housing, victim support, health, wellbeing and education.

 

The Brief

One YMCA were awarded the Family Support Service contract by Hertfordshire County Council to provide ongoing perinatal, early years and wider family support services to families throughout the County.

 

The employees currently working on servicing this contract (across 3 separate employers) were protected under the transfer of undertakings regulations and as such their employment was protected and would transfer to the client on commencement of the contract.

 

Robinson Grace HR Consultancy met with One YMCA to discuss the project requirements.

 

The client identified that in order to fulfil the new contract within the budget set, and taking on the existing staff, they would be overstaffed by 29 full time employees. All project stakeholders agreed that conducting the restructure alongside the TUPE process would be in the best interests of the employees affected.

 

Robinson Grace HR Consultancy were appointed to lead the TUPE and restructure process which involved 245 employees. The first steps were to ensure that all the due diligence and analysis was carried out and that all legal obligations of the organisation were adhered to during the consultation and subsequent TUPE transfer.

 

The Process

Robinson Grace HR Consultancy worked with the client to finalise staffing requirements for the project going forwards, and how that might be structured. We then reviewed which job roles were matched to the proposed job roles and defined the selection criteria to be utilised to make appointments to roles.

 

Communication forums were set up with employee representatives, union representatives and senior management across the 3 employers to enable consultation on measures under TUPE and the proposed structure post transfer. In addition, Robinson Grace HR Consultancy managed the consultation email inbox to respond to employee queries and populate the frequently asked questions log.

 

Over 200 individual consultation meetings took place alongside collective consultation meetings to ensure honest and open communication with all affected employees in accordance with legal requirements. Discussions included measures, how One YMCA work, the proposed restructure, proposed matched roles, and how this impacted on each individual.

 

In respect of redundancy, those interested in volunteering for redundancy were initially invited to mitigate compulsory redundancy wherever possible. Following the period of consultation, 43 applications for voluntary redundancy were accepted, with a number of staff placed at risk of redundancy going through a detailed selection process based on knowledge, skills and experience in order to fairly and objectively select those at risk against the requirements of new roles. Three employees were successfully redeployed into roles within the One YMCA portfolio, outside of the family support service, with just 5 employees made redundant compulsorily.

 

Robinson Grace HR Consultancy worked alongside One YMCA managers to match, slot in and redeploy colleagues both within the Family Support Service and in the wider One YMCA portfolio, ensuring that all necessary communication, documentation and letters were shared in a timely manner.

 

Our role ensured that legislative requirements were adhered to and that employees were treated sensitively and with respect. The process was managed within the timescale and with no legal issues for the client.

 

The merger and transition for the staff was successful and all staff who were part of the process were consulted, with any concerns addressed. The project schedule was met and as a result, the transfer of the family support services to One YMCA was able to take place on 1st January 2025 with the remaining 185 employees being placed in their new roles from the first day of the new service.

 

Robinson Grace HR Consultancy continue to work closely with One YMCA, providing support for large scale TUPE and restructuring projects from time to time.

 

Feedback from the Client

We caught up with Shaun Sullivan, Head of HR Operations, One YMCA about the experience of working with Robinson Grace HR Consultancy and how the team was able to support the organisation with this large-scale project.

 

“We recently engaged with Robinson Grace HR to assist with a complex TUPE transfer and a restructure for our charity. The expertise demonstrated by Louise and Michaela were exceptional throughout the process.

From the outset, Louise and Michaela provided clear, concise guidance, ensuring that all legal requirements were met and that our staff were well-informed and supported. Their deep understanding of TUPE regulations and their strategic approach to restructuring were invaluable in navigating this challenging period.

Michaela's attention to detail and Louise’s ability to communicate complex information in an accessible manner made a significant difference. They worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition, addressing any concerns promptly and effectively. I was mightily impressed with their conduct and genuine care to make sure all 250 people involved were thought of as people and not just a number.

I have learnt a great deal from the two of them and I hope to work with them both closely soon.

Thanks to their dedication and expertise, we successfully completed the TUPE transfer and restructure with minimal disruption to our operations. We are incredibly grateful for their support and highly recommend Robinson Grace.”