Psynergy Consulting, Because People Matter 01603 327068 Book a Free Chat

HR and Business Psychology

HR That Knows
Why
People
Do What
They Do.

Senior HR advice, culture work and coaching from a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD who is also a business psychologist. So the paperwork is right, the conversation goes well and the problem stays fixed.

Book a Free Chat Take the 2027 Check
Claire Lish

Led by Claire LishCo-Chair of the Association for Business Psychology

  • Co-ChairAssociation for Business Psychology
  • Chartered FellowChartered Institute of Personnel and Development
  • 20+ YearsLeading HR in Growing Organisations
  • Awards JudgeCIPD People Management Awards 2023 and 2024
  • FellowInstitute of Leadership
Green wooden letters spelling GROW on a white table, with a daffodil in a stone pot behind them New Rules From 1 January 2027Is your HR ready? Take the check.

Where We Come In

If One of These Sounds Familiar, Let’s Talk.

People problems rarely arrive one at a time, or in a sensible order. Pick the one keeping you up at night and we will show you where we would start.

Green wooden letters scattered across a round jute rug, with the word GROW picked out in the middle

Something Kicked Off This Morning.

A grievance, a disciplinary or a sensitive exit. You need senior advice today, not a ticket number.

Get Help Today

HR Is Somebody’s Side Job.

You have outgrown winging it, but not yet a full-time HR director. That gap is exactly what Pocket HRD fills.

See Pocket HRD

The Values Are on the Wall, Not in the Room.

What people say and what they do have drifted apart. We find out why, then help you shift it.

See Behaviours Matter

The Board Meets. Does It Work?

Short, regular reflection that shows what your board does well, and what it quietly avoids.

See 40 Winks

A Leader Has to Step Up, Fast.

New role, bigger stage, more pressure. Coaching that blends psychology with commercial reality.

See Executive Coaching

Big Change Is Coming.

A restructure, a merger or a TUPE transfer, planned so you keep your best people and your reputation.

See Change Support

Ways to Work With Us

Four Ways Psynergy Can Help.

Start small or go deep. Every piece of work is shaped around the size, sector and goals of your organisation, and grounded in evidence rather than fashion.

Retained HR Support

Pocket HRD

An HR Director in Your Pocket.

Our signature retained service gives SMEs, charities and growing organisations senior HR and business psychology expertise on a monthly retainer, without the overhead of a full-time HR director. Day-to-day queries, sensitive cases or a big change ahead: you have a trusted partner at your side.

Ask About Pocket HRD

What You Get

  • Direct access to a named senior consultant
  • Timely advice on employee relations, compliance and engagement
  • Contracts, policies and letters drafted or reviewed
  • Coaching conversations and practical toolkits for your managers
  • Regular legal updates and workforce insight
  • Support that scales up or down as you change

Need more than a pocket? As a Fractional People Director, we embed with your leadership team part-time, with full accountability.

Culture and Behaviour

Behaviours Matter

Culture You Can See, and Shift.

An evidence-based audit and workshop programme that identifies, measures and shifts the everyday behaviours behind your culture, so values show up in how people actually work.

  • Psychologically Safe
  • Strengths-Focused
  • Growth Orientation
  • Open Communication
  • Effective Leadership
  • Values-Driven
Ask About Behaviours Matter

Board Effectiveness

40 Winks

Insight in a Blink.

40 Winks, Insight in a Blink

A governance toolkit that helps boards wake up to what matters: clarity, challenge and collective accountability.

  1. 40 Tailored QuestionsBuilt around your strategy, values and code of conduct.
  2. Three to Five After Each MeetingMembers reflect while the meeting is still fresh.
  3. A Clear Picture Over TimeAnswers build a data-driven view of effectiveness, culture and training needs.
Ask About 40 Winks

Leadership

Executive Coaching

Coaching With a Psychologist’s Eye.

Confidential, psychologically informed coaching for senior leaders, founders and HR professionals working through transition, uncertainty or growth.

  • More confidence, clarity and personal authority
  • Sharper decisions under pressure
  • Board appointments, promotions and succession
  • ADHD and executive function coaching, with discretion
Ask About Coaching

Everything We Do

Retained partnerships, projects, audits and rapid response. Open a group to see the detail.

01Retained HR and Strategic People Support
  • Pocket HRD (HR Director in Your Pocket)Responsive senior advice, policy drafting, employee relations support, coaching and workforce planning on a monthly retainer.
  • Fractional People DirectorEmbedded leadership for organisations in transformation, growth or recovery: part-time, with full accountability.
  • HR Helpline and Rapid ResponseOn-demand help with urgent queries, employee relations issues, disciplinaries, grievances and compliance concerns.
02People, Culture and Wellbeing Projects
  • Workforce Culture and Engagement ReviewsDiagnostics of employee experience, psychological safety, values alignment and cultural health, from interviews, surveys and observation.
  • Wellbeing Strategy and DeliveryOrganisational wellbeing programmes aligned to CIPD Good Work and NICE standards, built to last.
  • Change Management and Organisation DesignRestructures, mergers, TUPE transfers and realignment, with clear people plans, impact assessments and communications.
  • Leadership Development and CoachingOne-to-one executive coaching, team workshops and leadership programmes for emerging or established leaders.
  • Values and Behavioural FrameworksCo-created values, behaviour matrices and leadership standards for consistent, inclusive, high-performing cultures.
  • Pulse and Sentiment SurveysAccessible, high-impact pulse surveys that track engagement, feedback and change readiness in real time.
03Audits and Compliance Reviews
  • HR Audits and Policy ReviewsBespoke audits of HR processes, documents and compliance, with clear recommendations and help to put them in place.
  • EDI, Safe Sport and Accessibility AuditsEquality, diversity and inclusion strategies reviewed against Safe Sport frameworks, national equality standards and legal duties.
  • Payroll and Reward Compliance ReviewsPensions, minimum wage, benefits in kind (P11Ds), global mobility and termination payments.
  • Safeguarding and Governance AssuranceSafeguarding and human rights policies, whistleblowing procedures and board-level responsibilities, designed or reviewed.
04Organisational Development and Governance
  • Board Effectiveness and Governance SupportIncluding 40 Winks, our own tool for continuous board evaluation, strategic alignment and cultural reflection.
  • Professionalisation and Capability BuildingHelping membership bodies, national governing bodies and associations with infrastructure, role clarity, succession and standards.
  • Coaching Supervision and Reflective PracticeSupport for internal coaches and wellbeing practitioners, including clinical supervision partnerships for charities.
05Recruitment, Performance and Talent
  • Psychometric Assessment and Role DesignRobust assessment for selection, development and team insight, using BPS-registered tools and business psychology interpretation.
  • Performance and Capability FrameworksPerformance management, feedback cultures and fair capability processes aligned to your goals.
  • Onboarding, Exit and Career Transition SupportA better employee lifecycle, with tools for feedback, retention insight and values-based decisions.
  • Apprenticeship and Early Talent ProgrammesEnd-to-end programme design, from skills audits and funding strategy to joined-up talent pipelines.
06Special Projects and Ad Hoc Support
  • Crisis and Case ManagementComplex, sensitive or high-risk matters, including whistleblowing, safeguarding, senior exits and disputes.
  • Facilitation and Away Day DesignStrategy sessions, board and executive away days and cultural resets, drawing on business psychology models.
  • Mediation and Conflict ResolutionDifficult conversations and fractured teams, through a structured, independent resolution process.
  • Employer Branding and EVP AlignmentAn employee value proposition and messaging that attract, keep and engage people in line with your culture.

Employment Rights Act 2025

The Rules Change on 1 January. Is Your HR Ready?

From 1 January 2027, anyone you have employed for six months can claim unfair dismissal, down from two years, and the cap on the compensatory award goes. Answer eight quick questions to see where you stand.

  1. 1 October 2026 In ForceTribunal claims: the time limit doubled from three months to six.
  2. 30 October 2026 In ForceEmployers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and must not permit harassment by third parties such as clients.
  3. 1 January 2027 The Big OneUnfair dismissal rights after six months’ service instead of two years, and no cap on the compensatory award.
  4. March 2027 ComingNew protections against fire and rehire.
  5. April 2027 ComingBereavement leave, including for pregnancy loss.
  6. October 2027 ComingStronger dismissal protection for pregnant women and new mothers, and changes to flexible working.

Dates from GOV.UK’s Employment Rights Act timeline, updated 5 November 2026.

The Two-Minute 2027 Readiness Check

0 of 8 answered

  1. Everyone has an up-to-date written statement of their terms.
  2. Probation reviews happen on time, in writing, well before the six-month mark.
  3. Managers are confident handling performance and conduct issues, and they keep notes.
  4. Your disciplinary and grievance procedures follow the Acas Code and have been reviewed recently.
  5. You have taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, including by clients and customers.
  6. You keep records long enough to defend a claim brought up to six months later.
  7. If you need to change contracts, you have a plan that does not rely on fire and rehire.
  8. Your leave policies are ready for bereavement leave, including pregnancy loss.

Your Result Appears HereAnswer all eight questions to see your score and the gaps worth closing first.

Talk Through My Results

A quick guide to where you stand, not legal advice. Your answers stay in your browser unless you choose to send them.

Our Approach

Policies Tell People What to Do. Psychology Explains Why They Don’t.

Psynergy blends two disciplines that rarely sit in the same room: senior HR leadership and business psychology. It means we look at why a problem keeps coming back, not just at what the handbook says, and we fix it in a way that sticks.

Coaching and Leadership Development

Coaching that balances insight with action, from accredited practitioners, for leaders navigating complexity, change or growth.

Organisational Design and Transformation

People-first design at the moments that matter: scaling, restructuring or resetting, always grounded in pragmatism and guided by data.

Audit, Insight and Improvement

Diagnostics across HR compliance, payroll, EDI, culture and engagement that uncover risks and turn findings into meaningful action.

Strengths-FocusedGrowthOrientationOpenCommunicationEffectiveLeadershipValues-DrivenPsychologicallySafe
The Behaviours Matter Model Six elements of a behaviourally healthy organisation, with psychological safety at the heart.

Who We Work With

Built for Organisations That Run on People.

From ten-person firms to national bodies, our clients share one thing: their people are the business.

  • SMEs and Growing Businesses

    Senior HR on tap, without a full-time HR director’s salary.

  • Charities and Not-for-Profits

    Wellbeing, safeguarding and supervision support built for charity settings.

  • National Governing Bodies of Sport

    Safe Sport, EDI and governance work, from audits to board effectiveness.

  • Membership Bodies and Associations

    Professionalisation, role clarity, succession planning and standards of practice.

  • Boards and Leadership Teams

    40 Winks, away days and coaching that make good boards better.

Green wooden letters spelling PSYNERGY on a white table, with a green glass jug and a potted plant behind
Claire Lish, smiling, outdoors in the Norfolk countryside, wearing a patterned scarf

Claire LishChief Business Psychologist

About Claire Lish

A Business Psychologist Who Has Sat in the HR Director’s Chair.

Claire set up Psynergy to bring two worlds together: hands-on HR leadership and the science of how people behave at work. She spent more than 20 years leading people functions in multi-site organisations that grew through mergers and acquisitions, including as an HR director, so she knows what it is like to own the problem, not just advise on it.

Today she is Co-Chair of the Association for Business Psychology. She has judged the CIPD People Management Awards, served as an independent non-executive director of a national governing body of sport and chaired a housing association’s remuneration committee. She also founded North Norfolk Judo Club, so she knows a thing or two about balance.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal credited the superb expertise of Claire Lish in its governance and management transformation programme, delivered with Psychology Works.

  • Co-ChairAssociation for Business Psychology
  • FellowAssociation for Business Psychology
  • Chartered FellowCIPD
  • FellowInstitute of Leadership
  • Associate MemberEuropean Mentoring and Coaching Council
  • CertifiedBeTalent Psychological Safety and Decision Styles
  • JudgeCIPD People Management Awards 2023 and 2024
  • WinnerABP Workforce Experience Awards 2020

What We Stand For

Six Values You Can Hold Us To.

The way we work matters as much as the work itself.

  • Grow

    We are always becoming.

    Growth is not always neat, but it is always possible. Less tick-box. More transformation.

  • Strong

    We get stuff done, properly.

    No gimmicks. No jargon. Just sharp thinking, honest advice and the nerve to tackle the hard stuff head on.

  • Energy

    Good vibes and sharp minds.

    Optimistic but grounded. Creative but focused. Energy is contagious, so we make sure ours is worth catching.

  • Team

    We play well with others.

    Relationships that last longer than the project. No egos, no silos, just honest collaboration and proper partnership.

  • Wellbeing

    People, not just performance.

    Burnout is not a business model. We design work that works for humans, with boundaries, empathy and common sense.

  • Real

    We keep it real.

    We say what needs saying, do what needs doing and treat people like adults. Authenticity beats corporate waffle every time.

An orange telephone handset standing on a pale table, its coiled cord running out of shot

How It Works

The Psynergy Starts With a Chat.

  1. Tell Us What’s Going On

    Call, email or use the form. Ready to start or just testing the waters, both are fine, and the first chat is free.

  2. Agree the Right Kind of Help

    Retained, project, audit or rapid response. We shape it around your size, sector and goals, in plain English.

  3. Get It Sorted, Properly

    Then we get on with it: evidence-based, pragmatic and discreet, with your culture and commercial goals in mind.

Book a Free Chat

FAQs

Good Questions, Straight Answers.

Anything else on your mind? Call 01603 327068 or email enquiries@psynergyconsulting.org.

What Is Pocket HRD?

Our retained HR service. For a monthly fee you get a named senior consultant for advice, documents and manager support, without the cost of a full-time HR director, and the support scales up or down as you change.

Do You Only Work in Norfolk?

No. We are based in Norfolk and work with organisations across the UK: remote-friendly, and in person when it matters.

Is the First Conversation Free?

Yes. It is a friendly, no-obligation chat about what is going on and whether we are the right fit.

Can You Help With an Urgent HR Problem?

Yes. Our HR Helpline and Rapid Response service covers urgent queries, employee relations issues, disciplinary or grievance procedures and urgent compliance concerns. Call 01603 327068.

What Does Business Psychology Add to HR?

Business psychology is the study of how people think and behave at work. It helps us see why a problem keeps happening, not just what the policy says, and we measure it with evidence-based tools, including BPS-registered psychometrics.

How Does 40 Winks Work?

We build a bank of 40 questions around your strategy, values and code of conduct. After each board or committee meeting, members answer three to five of them. Over time the answers build a data-driven picture of how the board is working and where to develop it.

What Changes for Employers in 2027?

From 1 January 2027 the qualifying period for unfair dismissal falls from two years to six months and the cap on the compensatory award is removed. Fire and rehire protections follow in March, bereavement leave in April and flexible working changes in October. Take the 2027 Readiness Check to see where you stand.

Do You Coach People With ADHD?

Yes. Our ADHD and executive function coaching helps high-achieving professionals with focus, overwhelm, decision fatigue and routines, delivered with discretion and a strengths-based approach.

Let’s Talk

Tell Us What’s Keeping You Up at Night.

Whether you are ready to get started or just want to test the waters, the first chat is free and there is no obligation.

Book Your Free Chat

No bots, no black holes. Just a real person who knows their stuff. We only use your details to reply to you.