HR Support & Consultancy in Durham
Durham's trusted HR partner
Why Durham businesses choose us.
Shrewd HR is proud to call Durham home. As a historic cathedral city and the base for Durham University, the city's economy spans everything from small professional practices to growing SMEs across County Durham.
We understand this market because we're part of it. We provide retained HR support, ad hoc advice and training to businesses across Durham, without the cost of building an in-house team. As a Durham-based consultancy ourselves, we can meet face to face easily, and we understand the local business landscape first-hand.
What HR services we offer in Durham.
We support Durham employers with practical HR services including retained HR support, ad-hoc consultancy, training, employment law guidance, HR policies, contracts and compliance reviews.
Our team also delivers HR audits, culture reviews, restructures, TUPE and mediation to help organisations manage change confidently.
As a consultancy rooted in the city, we understand Durham’s blend of professional services, education-linked employers and growing SMEs, shaping our HR support around real local needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you only support businesses based directly in Durham, or do you cover the wider area too?
We’re happy to support businesses based in and around Durham — many of our clients operate across multiple North East locations, and our support covers your whole organisation, not just one site.
Do we need to commit to a retained package, or can we get one-off support?
Neither is required by default. We offer both retained HR support and ad hoc, pay-as-you-need help, so you can start with whichever fits your current situation and change later as your needs evolve.
How quickly can you help if we have an urgent HR issue?
We aim to respond quickly to urgent issues like disciplinary or grievance situations. Get in touch and we’ll talk through realistic timescales for your specific situation as part of your free HR assessment.
Do you work with businesses connected to Durham University or the local education sector?
Yes — we support a range of Durham employers, including those with close links to the local education and professional services sector, on everything from contracts and policies to day-to-day HR support.