Testimonials

SmithKnowles HR have been absolutely outstanding. Their support is always timely, clear and practical, but what really sets them apart is how calm, knowledgeable and reassuring they are – even when dealing with complex or sensitive HR matters. They take the time to properly understand the business, explain options in plain English, and provide advice that is both commercially sensible and people-focused.

Sophie and Suzy consistently go above and beyond, responding quickly, offering proactive guidance, and making situations that could feel stressful feel entirely manageable. It’s rare to find HR support that is this professional, approachable and genuinely supportive.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend SmithKnowles HR to any business looking for trusted, expert HR advice delivered with warmth, integrity and real care.

Thank you both, I will certainly be engaging your skills and passion in my future ventures.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sophie Smith and Suzy Knowles of SmithKnowles Consultancy for over 10 years, across multiple businesses and at every stage of their growth. Sophie and Suzy are the perfect double act – they take the time to truly understand both their clients and their teams, and they bring a unique blend of business development expertise and HR support that’s invaluable to any SME. Over the years, their input has directly contributed to us securing multiple tender opportunities and successfully navigating some of the more challenging HR issues that inevitably arise in growing organisations. They have consistently managed our high expectations for responsiveness, always being on hand when we’ve needed them most.

What sets them apart is their versatility – they’ve been just as effective supporting our long-established businesses as they have been guiding our start-ups through the unique complexities of scaling from scratch. Having them in our corner has given us a real edge, particularly as we’ve transitioned from being owner-operators to building the kind of business infrastructure that allows us to step back and work on the business as well as in it.

Quite simply, I can’t recommend Sophie and Suzy highly enough – they’ve been an essential part of our journey and remain trusted partners in our success.

Emerging Future has worked successfully with SmithKnowles Consultants Limited for over 7 years. There is no doubt that Emerging Futures growth and ability to deliver quality services to adults affected by drug and alcohol addiction, safely and with compassion is due to the support and expert advice provided by SmithKnowles Associates. Their work has consistently been of the highest standard, demonstrating both a deep, tailor made,understanding of our needs as a business and the sector in which we operate.

SmithKnowles have been instrumental in helping us manage HR risk effectively, offering clear and practical guidance. Their ability to navigate complex employee relations issues and provide expert advice on TUPE processes has been invaluable to our organisation. Their ability to build relationships with our local and national partners has been invaluable ensuring we are fair, responsive and current in the delivery of our services.

SKC are professional, proactive and solution-focused, enabling us to make informed decisions with confidence both internally and strategically. We highly recommend SmithKnowles Consultants Limited to any organisation seeking sector-specific HR expertise and strategic support.

We had the pleasure of utilising SmithKnowles consultancy services in 2020/2021 – we commissioned them to support our project to bring HR services in house (national organisation with 6 regions). Having worked with both Suzy and Sophie previously in other roles I was confident that bringing them on board to support this project would bring knowledge, skill and the ability to ensure we built a robust and compliant service fit for our needs.

Suzy and Sophie are a dynamic and motivated team with a wealth of knowledge across health and social care settings. They engaged with our key stakeholders and took the time to understand all the regional differences and used their emotional IQ to bring the most reluctant manager on board.

They are person centred whilst having a strong hold on the commercial outcomes that need to be achieved.

I would not hesitate to recommend their services.

SmithKnowles Consultants supported DBCC with recruitment during our mobilisation and set up phase when we set up our first dental practice in 2022. We then asked SKC to support us during a period of change management, including overseeing a review of our systems and processes, and managing complex employee relations.

They undertook this diligently and professionally, working alongside DBCC to understand our culture, our business needs and to support us in providing back-office functions to support our outstanding dental care. Setting up, or starting a new business is very daunting and can feel a lonely place. That said, the support and experience I have been able to draw upon with Suzy and Sophie has been invaluable in my personal journey on business ownership, management, and leadership. Their holistic approach to support our operational, and people-related problems as a new business was very reassuring. It’s only now, as I reflect upon where the business is, that without the foundational work undertaken with SK Consultants, we wouldn’t be able to sustain our current and anticipated plans for growth and scale in the future. Thank you both.