NCS HR Solutions

Name: NCS HR Solutions
Address: 50/52 Wheelock Street, Middlewich, CW109AB, GB
Telephone: +447817339452

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Outsourced Human Resources support for business owners & managers. Compliance|Training|Grievances|Disciplinary|Absence & performance management .

Give us a call on 07817339452 to arrange a 30 minute FREE consultation! Our Aim

We provide trusted and affordable human resource services delivered to the highest of standards, NCS HR offers a range of services from one off HR projects to long term support on a retainer basis. Our services are suitable for new small Business set ups and small to medium sized businesses who need that extra HR support. HR Management Solutions

We can take on your day-to-day HR needs such as offer letters, background checks, onboarding, employee records management, and more. We’re a highly organised and detail-oriented. We can ensure you have strong HR policies and practices and your business is fully compliant with UK employment Law. Professionalism

NCS HR is based in Cheshire, North West of England. It is managed by a HR professional Nicola Smith who has many years of HR experience,
working in different Business Sectors. An Associate member of the CIPD and a BA (Hons) Business Management Graduate.

15/10/2026

If your approach is challenged, can you demonstrate what you did to prevent it? Could you show what your business is doing to prevent sexual harassment? ☝️

From 30th October, employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, alongside stronger protections against harassment by third parties, including customers and clients.

An e-learning completion certificate alone won’t be enough.

Businesses need to:

• Assess the risks within their own workplace.
• Have clear policies that employees understand.
• Provide accessible reporting routes.
• Equip managers to recognise and address inappropriate behaviour.
• Act promptly on concerns.
• Keep evidence of the steps taken and review whether they are working.

“He’s a customer” or “that’s just how they speak” should never be an excuse for accepting harassment.

If your approach is challenged, can you demonstrate what you did to prevent it?

Now is the time to check whether your policies translate into everyday practice.

If you need support with risk assessments, policies or practical management training, get in touch.

13/10/2026

Do you employ staff on fixed-term contracts? There’s something you need to be mindful of from January!!!

“The contract has ended” doesn’t mean there’s no dismissal.

The expiry of a fixed-term contract without renewal already counts as a dismissal. That isn’t changing.

What IS changing is the qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal claims.

From 1st January 2027, this reduces from two years to six months’ continuous service.

So, if an employee’s 12-month fixed-term contract ends on or after that date and you don’t renew it, they will normally qualify to bring an unfair dismissal claim.

You’ll need a potentially fair reason for ending their employment and a fair process appropriate to that reason. If it’s redundancy, that means following an appropriate redundancy process.

Practical steps for employers:

✅ Review contract end dates well in advance.
✅ Establish the actual reason for non-renewal.
✅ Consult with the employee and consider alternatives.
✅ Document your decision and offer an appeal.

The current two-year threshold has limited exposure to ordinary unfair dismissal claims for shorter contracts. But discrimination and certain automatically unfair dismissal claims can already arise without that qualifying service.

A fixed-term contract gives you an end date. It doesn’t remove the need to manage the ending properly.

Do your managers know what to do when a fixed-term contract is approaching its end?

12/10/2026

⚠️ Two changes took effect on 1 October that SME business owners should check.

Right to work responsibilities have widened, and the time limit for bringing most Employment Tribunal claims has increased.

🔎 Right to work checks now extend beyond employees
The expanded rules can cover certain contractors, subcontractors, substitute workers and people working through online platforms.

In some arrangements, a business may be responsible even without a direct contract with the individual carrying out the work. This does not automatically make every customer responsible for everyone in an outsourced supply chain.

If you use contractors or supplied labour, check:
→ Who is responsible for the right to work checks?
→ What happens if someone sends a substitute?
→ Do your contracts and procedures reflect the arrangements?
→ Can you show that the required checks are being followed?

Civil penalties can reach £60,000 per illegal worker. Having a clause in a supplier contract is not enough if the required procedures are not followed.

📅 More time to bring an Employment Tribunal claim
For most claims relating to events on or after 1 October 2026, the usual time limit has increased from three months minus one day to six months minus one day.

Earlier events may still fall under the previous deadline. Breach of contract claims in Scotland change on 9 November, and Acas early conciliation can affect the calculation.

For employers, this is a useful reminder to keep clear, accurate records of employee concerns, investigations, meetings and decisions, and make sure you can retrieve them months later.

At NCS HR Solutions Limited we can help you review your contracts, policies and working arrangements, and support your managers with fair, consistent processes.

📩 Get in touch with 📝Nicola Smith, Chartered MCIPD at [email protected] or call 07817 339452.

08/10/2026

Lots of takeaways from yesterday’s Employment Law Masterclass, alongside barristers, solicitors, HR professionals and even a judge. Daniel Barnett

My biggest takeaway? Employers need to understand how the changes affect the way they manage people every day.

A few points that stood out:

1. Preventing sexual harassment
The changes coming this month strengthen employers’ preventative duty and protections against harassment by third parties, including customers and clients. An e-learning course alone won’t be enough, businesses need to assess risks, provide clear reporting routes and act on concerns. And it’s the claimant that will need to prove that the employer has complied with the preventive duty- so don’t get stung on this one ☝️

2. Getting probation right
A three-month probation can be a useful approach, supported by clear expectations, regular reviews and documented decisions. Managers need to follow the process consistently… and document it!

3. Understanding trade union access rights
Businesses employing 21 or more workers need to understand what the new rights mean for them and how to respond. This is huge- this could have a big impact if you become a recognised by a trade union!

4. Managing lengthy, AI-assisted grievances
There are practical ways to clarify the concerns and keep investigations focused, while ensuring each issue receives fair consideration. Holding a scoping meeting before the grievance hearing will help understand the complaints!

I’ll be sharing tips over the coming weeks to help businesses prepare and give managers confidence in handling these changes 👀

Which of these would you find most useful for me to cover first?

Great session and great to catch up with fellow HR Inner Circle members, Rochelle Murinas FCIPD Laura Fox 🦊 HR Consultant

07/10/2026

Today I’m heading to Birmingham for the Employment Law Masterclass with employment barrister Daniel Barnett and HR Inner Circle.

A chance to step away from the inbox, challenge my thinking and get stuck into the questions that come up when you’re supporting businesses with real people issues.

My clients need advice they can put into practice. That means keeping my knowledge current, asking questions and making time for days like this, even when the diary is busy.

I’m looking forward to being the one taking notes today! I’ll share my biggest takeaway afterwards.

If you could put one workplace question to an employment barrister, what would you ask?

06/10/2026

“We promoted them because they were good at their job.”

But who taught them how to manage people?

Being brilliant at sales, operations or delivering a service doesn’t automatically prepare someone to:

• Address poor performance.
• Respond to a grievance.
• Support someone struggling with their health.
• Have a difficult conversation without making things worse.

Yet we often hand someone a team and expect them to work it out.

Then, when an issue escalates, we ask why they didn’t handle it properly.

In my HR work, I see how much difference early advice, clear expectations and practical training can make. Managers need somewhere to ask questions before a situation becomes a formal process.

Supporting your managers is an investment in everyone they manage.

What do you wish you’d been taught before managing your first team?

Get in touch to find out more about our leadership training 🙌

01/10/2026

It’s October already! And we’re starting the month by welcoming two new clients to NCS HR Solutions Limited 🙌

Two very different sectors, working within the same employment law framework but each with its own culture, values and vision.

That’s why we take the time to build relationships and understand how each business operates, so our advice is practical, commercially focused and tailored to what they want to achieve.

We explain the options, the risks involved and the potential consequences, helping clients make informed decisions with confidence.

Sometimes running a business means taking a calculated risk. Our role is to help you understand that risk and how to manage it.

Does your HR support understand your business well enough to help you make those decisions?

30/09/2026

Today I’m meeting a client in person to talk through the upcoming employment law changes, what their managers need to be mindful of, and what they should be doing now to prepare.

In November, I’ll be training 36 of their managers so they can handle people issues confidently and consistently across the business.

If your HR provider has sent you updated policies, do your managers understand what they mean in practice?

If you’d benefit from support tailored to your business, get in touch.

18/09/2026

30 October is coming and businesses that think a policy and one training session will protect them could be leaving themselves exposed.

I’ve been out delivering management training on preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, but training alone won’t be enough.

From 30 October 2026, employers will be required to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment, alongside new protections relating to harassment by third parties, including customers and clients.

Employers should be reviewing their risk assessments, preventative action plans, policies, reporting routes, training, third-party risks and, importantly, the evidence that these measures are actually being implemented and reviewed.

The key question is:

Have we taken every reasonable step we could reasonably take to prevent harassment?

With the deadline approaching, now is the time to identify and close any gaps.

I’m supporting businesses with management training, risk assessments, policy reviews and compliance audits ahead of the changes.

10/09/2026

🎉 NCS HR Solutions Limited is Six! 🎉

Six years of supporting brilliant businesses, solving people challenges and helping employers create workplaces where their people can thrive.

What began as an idea has grown into a trusted HR consultancy, supported by a fantastic team of associates and an incredible network of clients and partners.

Over the past six years, we’ve had the privilege of working with clients across the UK, from London to Manchester, and across a wide range of industries, including charities, manufacturing, hospitality, marketing, professional services, construction, education, care and many more.

From Christmas celebrations in London and Birmingham to team get-togethers in the Midlands, we certainly know how to stay connected despite being miles apart! 💙

We’ve supported businesses with everything from recruitment and HR systems to complex employee relations, workplace investigations, training and long-term strategic HR support.

No two days, clients or challenges are ever the same, and that’s exactly how we like it!

A very special thank you must go to 📝Nicola Smith, Chartered MCIPD. Her hard work, dedication and passion have been at the heart of NCS HR Solutions Limited from the very beginning. From supporting clients and growing the business to the daily voice notes that keep us all connected and everything moving!

Steph has also been a constant part of NCS HR Solutions for the past two and a half years and has been a huge support to us and our clients.

Finally, thank you to every client, associate and partner who has trusted, supported and worked with us along the way. We couldn’t have reached this milestone without you.

Here’s to the next six years! 🥂🎂💙

Address

50/52 Wheelock Street
Middlewich
CW109AB

Telephone

+447817339452

Website

http://www.ncshr.co.uk/

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