People Matters - HR Away Day
Step back. Refocus. Move forward with clarity.
HR is tough right now. The pressure is relentless, expectations are high, and time for yourself is almost non-existent. That’s why we’re bringing you our People Matters HR Away Day—a chance to step back, reset, and gain fresh strategies to help you navigate the challenges ahead.
Join us for insightful discussions, hands-on workshops, and time to focus on you. It’s about tackling the real challenges you’re facing head-on: training, retention, productivity, and wellbeing. No fluff, no endless PowerPoints — just honest conversations, expert advice, and tools to help you lead your people and your business forward.
What to expect:
- Interactive workshops on training, retention, and productivity
- Expert-led discussions offering clear, actionable strategies
- Real talk on burnout and well-being
- Wellbeing moments to reset your energy and mindset
- Networking opportunities with fellow HR leaders
- Simple, effective solutions to boost impact back at the office
Who is it for:
This is for HR leaders who are in the thick of it—navigating complexity, driving change, and making the call when it counts. If you shape strategy, influence decisions, or lead people—this day is for you.
- HR Directors and Heads of HR
- Senior HR professionals with influence
- People leaders looking to reset and refocus
When it is happening:
Date: Friday, 6 June, 9am until 5pm
Location: Woodland Grange, Old Milverton Lane, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 6RN
Cost: FREE (Spaces are limited, and only up to two people per organisation)
Agenda
09:00 | Arrival, coffee, and networking
09:30 | Welcome from Jay Bhayani
09:45 | Session 1: Neurosculpting and leadership with Jo Britton
10:45 | Refreshment break
11:00 | Session 2: Productivity starts with values, culture and performance with Ellie Hand
12:00 | Group 1 lunch / Group 2 wellness
12:45 | Group 2 lunch / Group 1 wellness
13:30 | Refreshment break
13:45 | Session 3: Clarity 4D (personality profiling for better communication and teamwork) with Jo Boyd
15:15 | Refreshment break
15:30 | Session 4: Health, absence and the bottom line with Chris Newson
16:30 | Session 5: Employment Rights Bill update with Jamie Cater
17:00 | Close / drinks
Sessions and workshops
Session 1: Neuroleadership for HR: Drive change without driving yourself crazy with Jo Britton
In this session, Jo Britton, Neuroleadership and Neurosculpting® Coach, Trainer and Facilitator will share practical, neuroscience-backed tools to help you lead yourself and others through change more effectively. You’ll walk away with brain-based strategies to support your own emotional well-being and actionable tools to help you engage employees during times of change, without burnout or blowback.
Session 2: Productivity starts with values, culture and performance with Ellie Hand
In this practical and engaging session, Ellie will explore how values, culture, and leadership behaviours underpin true productivity. Drawing on her experience designing and delivering HR training and leadership development programmes, Ellie will share how to align expectations, address underperformance, and build confident, capable managers. Expect clear, commercially focused insights on creating a culture where high performance and wellbeing go hand in hand, underpinned by legally sound, values-driven people practices.
Session 3: Clarity 4D with Jo Boyd
The Clarity4D workshop and personality profiles are designed to help you better understand different personality types and their communication preferences. This energising session will spark lightbulb moments, where new insights into personal interactions can be applied. It will also help highlight new ways of working together and build appreciation for the strength found in our differences.
Session 4: Health, absence and the bottom line with Chris Newson
Poor health is now a business issue – driving up absence, pushing people out of work, and draining performance. In this session, Chris Newson unpacks the latest data, busts common myths, and shares what really works to boost wellbeing, productivity and retention – with practical takeaways to help HR lead the charge on workplace health.
Session 5: Employment Rights Bill update with Jamie Cater
We’ll break down what’s expected to change and when, and what it means for you as an employer. From flexible working to predictable contracts, we’ll cover the key proposals, practical implications, and what to watch next.
Speakers
Jay Bhayani
Jay is a specialist employment law solicitor with over 25 years’ experience and will be our host throughout the day. She founded her innovative law firm in 2014, scaling and selling it to Make UK in 2024. Now driving Bhayani Law’s growth as part of the Make UK family, she brings sharp insight to strategic plans and delivers expert HR and legal services to SMEs and charities.
A leading voice in Yorkshire’s legal sector, Jay also sits on several boards and champions women in business (especially those without connections) helping open doors to professional careers.
Jo Britton
Jo Britton NeuroLeadership Coach, Neurosculpting® Facilitator, and Strategic Advisor. She works closely with CEOs, Managing Directors and C-suite executives as a trusted coach, advisor and confidante across sectors including engineering, manufacturing, construction, supply chain and professional services.
She also designs, delivers and facilitates leadership coaching, training and professional development programmes, working with entrepreneurs, senior leaders and Boards of Directors to build capability, resilience and performance.
With a first degree and an MBA, Jo has also held senior leadership roles in sales, marketing, learning & development and consultancy - driving digital, cultural and people transformation across startup, scale-up, strategic growth and turnaround environments.
Ellie Hand
Ellie is Senior HR Advisor and Training Lead at Bhayani Law (an Employment Law & HR Practice which is part of Make UK). With over a decade of experience in HR and employment law, Ellie holds a law degree and is CIPD qualified. She advises organisations across sectors on a wide range of people challenges, including TUPE, restructures, disciplinaries, grievances, and culture change.
Ellie leads Bhayani’s HR training programme, delivering engaging, values-driven development sessions for HR professionals and business leaders. She also designs and facilitates leadership coaching and professional development programmes that build capability, resilience, and confidence at every level. Known for her clear, commercially focused advice, Ellie is passionate about helping managers lead with both compassion and compliance.
Jo Boyd
Jo’s HR career as a generalist has spanned over 25 years, with experience at all levels of organisations. Jo has more than 15 years of experience in manufacturing and STEM organisations most of this time spent at Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, where she latterly was part of the senior leadership team for Marshall Academy, heading up award winning Health, Safety and Wellbeing programs.
Jo is also a Social Psychologist and a member of the British Psychological Society, with a keen interest in understanding how we interact with the world around us why we often behave differently in group situations and of course how this plays out at work.
Chris Newson
Chris is our Environment, Health and Safety Director and leads on Make UK’s mission to promote and improve health, safety, and environmental management in organisations across the UK. Chris hosts Make UK’s EHS podcast, Root Cause Analysis, and is a regular speaker at industry events.
Chris started at Make UK (formerly EEF) as HSCE Leader, taking on varies roles, before progressing to his current position. Prior to working for Make UK, Chris was QHSE Manager at Alstom Power.
Jamie Cater
Jamie Cater is Senior Policy Manager (Employment) at Make UK. Jamie leads Make UK’s policy work on education and training as well as wider employment issues, working with industry and government to create a policy environment that supports employer investment in training and a skills system that responds to labour market demand. Prior to joining Make UK, Jamie worked for a political consultancy advising clients on public policy and regulation, including independent providers of apprenticeship training and higher education.