Cornerstone Resources HR Consultancy

What Cornerstone Resources HR Consultancy does

Cornerstone Resources HR Consultancy is a UK-based HR outsourcing and management training firm founded in 2018 by Nicci and Rob Birley and headquartered in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The company delivers integrated HR support — including employee relations, policy development, compliance, and management training — to UK SMEs, charities, and churches, with claimed reach extending into Europe and the USA. Its core service portfolio comprises the HR Foundations package (£119+VAT/month for micro-entities), retained HR packages starting at 3 hours per month, project-based bespoke support, and a training catalogue including Sexual Harassment Prevention, Managing Investigations & Disciplinaries, DEI workshops, and the Lead with Confidence leadership programme available in both commercial and Church Leadership editions.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: monthly recurring retained HR subscriptions, unit-priced open training sessions delivered via Zoom, and project-based professional services. The Cornerstone Academy — combining live workshops, a Breathe Learn-powered Learning Hub, Bitesize Toolkits, and downloadable trainer packs — represents the company's move toward a hybrid service/product model. Cornerstone is a Platinum partner with Breathe HR software (5+ years), an HRi Platinum member, an Evangelical Alliance member, and a CPD-certified training provider. The firm operates with approximately 11 team members and reports five-star ratings on Google and Trustpilot alongside a 2025 Breathe HR Partner of the Month award.

The technology underpinning operations is entirely third-party SaaS: Breathe HR, HubSpot, Hireful, Microsoft 365, and standard analytics tools. There is no proprietary platform or first-party AI/ML capability. GTM is sales-led and community-led, leveraging Evangelical Alliance membership, Christian Jobs partnerships, content marketing through an Insights blog, and referrals within the church and charity sectors. Each client is assigned a dedicated named HR consultant rather than a call-centre model, and contracts use a 3-month notice period rather than multi-year lock-ins — a deliberate differentiator against larger HR outsourcers.

Name

Cornerstone Resources HR Consultancy

Legal name

Cornerstone Resources Limited

Website

https://cornerstoneresources.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Resources HR Consultancy is a UK-based HR outsourcing and management training firm founded in 2018, serving SMEs, charities, and churches with retained HR support, compliance training, and the Breathe HR-integrated Cornerstone Academy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

HR Service Delivery, Shared Services & HR Operating Model Advisory (BPACAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

HR Technology (HRIS/HCM) Advisory & Implementation (BPAHAGAG), HRIS/HCM Managed Services & Support (BPAEAGAF)

Keywords

• HR outsourcing services
• HR consultancy
• Management training
• Employment law compliance
• Leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockport

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retained HR Services: Monthly retainer packages providing access to HR consultant support on a rolling basis. Packages start from a minimum of 3 hours per month, with unused hours rollable over and excess hours borrowable from future months. Available on a 3-month notice period. Also includes the HR Foundations package at £119 + VAT per month on a 12-month contract for micro-entities with fewer than 10 employees.
2. Training and Learning & Development: Revenue generated from training programmes including open sessions (e.g., Managing Investigations & Disciplinaries at £595 + VAT per organisation), the Lead with Confidence programme at £495 + VAT per person, and Sexual Harassment Prevention training at £395 + VAT per person. Additional training on DEI, neurodiversity, inclusive recruitment, and resilience is delivered as workshops or bespoke in-house programmes. Churches and charities receive a 20% discount on training.
3. Project-Based / Bespoke HR Support: One-off project support for specific HR needs, interim HR support, significant projects, or change management. Offered to clients who prefer not to commit to an ongoing package. Can be scoped for one-month to six-month requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Resources HR Consultancy provides outsourced HR support and management training to UK and international SMEs, charities, and churches. Core offerings include monthly retained HR packages (HR Foundations at £119 + VAT for micro-entities, and tiered retainer plans from 3 hours per month), one-off bespoke project and change-management support, and a structured training catalogue covering leadership development (Lead with Confidence), compliance (Managing Investigations & Disciplinaries, Sexual Harassment Prevention), inclusion (DEI, Neurodiversity, Inclusive Recruitment), and the Cornerstone Academy learning hub.

Product overview

Cornerstone Resources HR Consultancy operates as a hybrid HR consultancy and training provider, offering a unified service model that combines outsourced HR support with a comprehensive training portfolio. The core offering consists of three main pillars: HR Outsourcing Services (including HR Foundations, Retained HR Packages, and Bespoke Project Support), Leadership and Management Training (delivered through the Cornerstone Academy), and specialist training programmes. The Lead with Confidence programme is available in two editions—one for businesses and charities, and one specifically for church leadership—while the Cornerstone Academy aggregates live workshops, downloadable trainer packs, the Breathe Learn-powered Learning Hub, and Bitesize Toolkits. The company also offers compliance-focused training including sexual harassment prevention, investigations and disciplinaries, diversity and inclusion, and neurodiversity support. As a Platinum Partner of Breathe HR software, the company integrates this platform into its service delivery for clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Cornerstone Academy: A training division providing live workshops, downloadable trainer packs, a learning hub powered by Breathe Learn, and bitesize toolkits for SMEs.

Products and services

• HR Foundations Package
• Retained HR Packages
• Bespoke / Project HR Support
• HR Outsourcing Services
• Lead with Confidence (Business & Charity Edition)
• Lead with Confidence (Church Leadership Edition)
• Managing Investigations & Disciplinaries Training
• Creating Safe Workplaces: All Staff Training
• Creating Safe Workplaces: Manager & Leader Training
• Sexual Harassment Prevention Bespoke Training
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Workshop
• Neurodiversity in the Workplace Training
• Inclusive Recruitment Training
• Cornerstone Academy
• Cornerstone Learning Hub (Powered by Breathe Learn)
• Bitesize Toolkits
• Downloadable Trainer Packs

Named customers20 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Breathe HRcoreTechnology or IntegrationCornerstone Resources is a Platinum partner with Breathe HR software, having been partnered for over 5 years. The company promotes Breathe HR as part of its HR Foundations package and offers clients a two-month free trial. The partnership includes a Breathe HR Partner of the Month award in November 2025. As a partner, Cornerstone Resources leverages Breathe HR's customer base for referrals and provides HR consultancy services integrated with the software.
• Horsfield MenziescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorsfield Menzies provides specialist expert HR legal and HR tax advice as an employment law and tax partner. Founded in 2021, the partnership offers Cornerstone Resources clients access to legal and tax expertise that complements its HR consultancy services, providing a full-service, values-led approach.
• Christian JobsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChristian Jobs is a faith-based employment platform connecting individuals and organisations within the Christian community. The partnership provides mutual referrals between Cornerstone Resources and Christian Jobs, expanding reach within the faith-based sector.
• Christian Safeguarding SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian Safeguarding Solutions provides specialist training, consultancy and professional support to churches and Christian faith-based organisations. The partnership complements Cornerstone Resources' church HR services by providing safeguarding expertise from a biblical perspective.
• My HSE ManagerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMy HSE Manager provides health and safety services as an add-on offering for Cornerstone Resources clients. The partnership enables Cornerstone Resources to provide a comprehensive HR and H&S service offering without developing these capabilities in-house.
• Evangelical AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone Resources is a member of the Evangelical Alliance, reflecting its commitment to serving the church community. Joe Husbands is described as a member of the Evangelical Alliance. This membership provides credibility within the UK church community and access to church networks for business development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WorkNest: WorkNest (formerly Elephant) is a UK HR, employment law, and health & safety outsourcing provider serving SMEs and charities. It competes in the same HR support and policy development space as Cornerstone, particularly for growing organisations.
• Croner-i (Croner): Croner is a long-established UK provider of HR, employment law, tax, and health & safety advisory services. It serves SMEs and larger organisations and competes directly with Cornerstone on HR advisory, employee relations support, and training programmes.
• HR Dept: HR Dept is a UK-based HR outsourcing franchise that provides fractional HR director and outsourced HR support to SMEs across multiple industries. Like Cornerstone, it operates a local-consultant model serving SMEs that cannot afford in-house HR, making it the closest direct peer in business model and target customer.
• Moorepay: Moorepay is a UK HR and payroll outsourcing provider serving SMEs with bundled services including HR software, payroll processing, and advisory support. It competes with Cornerstone particularly on the Breathe HR-adjacent payroll and HR admin side.
• BrightHR: BrightHR is a UK HR software and advisory platform serving SMEs with bundled HR documentation, absence management, and 24/7 HR advice. It competes with Cornerstone's combination of Breathe HR implementation plus consultancy, though with a more software-centric delivery model.
• Avensure: Avensure provides outsourced HR, employment law, and health & safety support to UK SMEs on a fixed-fee retained basis. Its business model and target customer closely mirror Cornerstone's retained HR package structure.
• Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS): ELAS is a UK HR and employment law advisory firm providing outsourced HR support, legal advice, and documentation to SMEs and charities. It competes with Cornerstone in the charity sector and offers similar retained support packages.
• Citation: Citation provides HR, health & safety, and compliance outsourcing to UK SMEs through a similar retained-consultant model. It competes directly with Cornerstone for SME HR outsourcing clients and offers overlapping compliance training and policy support.

Broad incumbents

• Peninsula Group: Peninsula Group is the UK's largest provider of HR, employment law, and health & safety services to SMEs. As an established incumbent, it competes with Cornerstone across all SME segments but with much broader service offerings, larger scale, and stronger brand recognition.

Others

• Stewardship: Stewardship is a UK Christian charity providing financial services and giving solutions to churches, charities, and individual Christians. It is comparable to Cornerstone in serving the faith-based/charity segment and shares the Evangelical Alliance network, though its services are financial rather than HR-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-resources-hr-consultancy
• Xx.com/Cornerstonershr
• Facebookfacebook.com/cornerstoneresources

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornerstone Resources HR Consultancy