Our team
Real People
Helen Giles - HR Director
“An inspiring leader” say those who work with Real People’s trail blazing HR Director. So what keeps her going?
“I’ve spent most of my working life in the charity sector because I’m personally driven by the quest for continuous improvement of professional standards in charities. Research shows that many people still think of the sector as voluntary and amateur, whereas in fact, like many charities, Broadway’s HR practices are exceptionally advanced. I deliver external consultancy services because I get very excited by helping other organisations – from all sectors – benefit from the expertise I’ve developed, and seeing the results. I also feel that because the income goes back into supporting Broadway’s homeless clients on their journey from street to home, I’m making a real difference to society as well as to the world of work.”
How did she get here?
After obtaining a First Class Honours degree in History from the University of Reading and embarking on a career in education, Helen joined the homelessness sector with Housing Services Agency (HSA) in 1986, becoming an HR professional in the early 1990s. While working full-time for HSA and then Broadway, she also carried out consultancy work within the NHS, local government and the voluntary sector. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. She is certified in Psychometric Testing (Levels A & B).
Simon O’Hear – HR Manager
You’ll need to move fast to keep the pace with Simon, who is always quick to bring new ideas to the team. But where did he direct his energy before Real People?
“Before going into the charitable sector I worked in the car and IT industries, which I really enjoyed. But then I decided to work for a charity because I wanted to give something back. Now as well as huge professional satisfaction, there’s a lot of other rich rewards. By working as a Real People consultant I get to keep on giving because we’re helping the organizations that need HR support the most.”
How did he get here?
Simon has worked in HR since 1996 starting in the private industry before moving to the charitable sector. In between his professional pursuits he obtained a First Class Honours degree in Business Studies from the University of Hertfordshire. Simon is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and certified in Psychometric Testing (Levels A & B). Simon is also qualified as a Specialist Employment Law Paralegal and a Member of the Society of Specialist Paralegals.
Richard Banks – Learning & Development Manager
Never one to stop learning, Richard’s on a quest to acquire knowledge and share it with people. What’s the biggest buzz about helping people develop?
“I believe in continuously developing myself and my skills through new challenges and working with different organisations’ but also in nurturing the potential in individuals and in the capacity of the motivated and self aware to grow into different roles throughout their working lives.”
So what does a learning manager learn?
After his first degree acquired in History and Sociology (BA Hons) he went onto gain a CIPD Certificate in Training Practice & Delivery, an NVQ Level 5 in Assessing Organisational Development and an MA in Personnel & Development from the University of Westminster. He is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. Richard has worked in organisational training and development across local and central government and the voluntary sector since 1997 and believes the essential ingredients to managing people effectively are to ensure that managers themselves are effective and that real, practical development opportunities are second to none for career growth.
Karen Austin – Senior HR Advisor
There isn’t a lot that fazes Karen, thanks to a diverse career across sectors and her passion for human nature. Whatever an organization throws at her, you know she’ll catch it.
“I think what’s brought me here is my curiosity for people and what makes them tick. I chose to work for Broadway because of the variation in my role, the challenges that it could offer me and the level of expertise in the team. In my role I feel lucky as I get a lot of satisfaction from working with organisations and individuals to help them achieve the right solution.”
How’d she get like that?
Karen obtained a First Class Honours degree in Business Administration Management and Human Resources from the University of Northampton and has worked in various training and HR roles in charitable, media, insurance and sales organisations since 1999. She is a Chartered Member of the CIPD. Karen has also worked in manufacturing, retail, insurance, media and sales before working in the charitable sector.
Joan Scott – Senior HR Officer
Joan is a smooth operator. She’ll guide you through the technicalities of the most puzzling HR procedures with calmness and finesse. How’d she get her style?
Joan started working in the homelessness sector in 1988, first for Housing Services Agency and then for Broadway. Over the past 15 years she has been responsible as a generalist for all aspects of HR services including policy and systems development, payroll and contract administration and employee relations casework.
What keeps Joan going?
“I like being part of a team and supporting each other to get a job done. Working as part of Real People means I also get to help other businesses get their work done by offering them the HR help they need.”
Gloria Yankah – HR Officer
When Gloria’s working with you, you know things are in good hands. There’s a thoroughness and precision about her work that makes you instantly relax. So what gets her out of bed in the morning?
“I love the satisfaction of a job well done, particularly when you’ve had difficult work but you manage to get what someone wants, either in their professional or personal life. That’s a good feeling.”
How did she get here?
Gloria is a Graduate of the Chartered Institute for Personnel & Development. After a secretarial career Gloria worked in local authority (finance and housing) before being a part of the Broadway HR Team. Gloria can guide you through all aspects of the HR brief including payroll and contract administration, employee relations casework, and policy and systems development.
Real IT
Dai Baynes - IT Manager
Dai has been the IT Manager at Broadway since October 2006. Previous to this, has was the IT Manager at Providence Row Housing Association for 5 years. He has been involved in IT for 10 years, in both the Public and Private sectors ranging from small organisations through to blue chip companies. Having started as a helpdesk operator he has been involved in many areas of IT support/management and consultancy through his career.