Beyond HR — Bear & Willow HR

Health & safety partner

Swain Safety Solutions

A safe workplace isn't a nice-to-have, it's a legal requirement. That's why we work alongside Brad Swain of Swain Safety Solutions, a dedicated health and safety consultancy that helps small businesses build proper H&S management from the ground up. From risk assessments to incident reporting, Brad handles the safety side so you can focus on your people. Combined HR and H&S packages start from £349 per month.

Bear and Willow HR

Small business HR, done properly. Bear and Willow HR was founded on one simple belief, that every business, no matter its size, deserves expert HR support. From your first hire to your most complex people challenge, we're here with honest, practical guidance rooted in real employment law. No jargon. No unnecessary complexity. Just straightforward HR that protects your business and supports your people.

HR software partner

Breathe HR

Good HR doesn't just happen in conversations, it needs a home. Breathe is the HR platform built specifically for small businesses, putting your people data, holiday requests, performance reviews and documents in one simple, secure place. As a Breathe partner, Bear and Willow HR can get you set up and supported from day one. Less admin. More time for the things that matter.

HR & Health and Safety, sorted

Supported people. Safe workplaces.

At Bear and Willow HR, we believe great businesses are built on two things: happy, supported people and safe, compliant workplaces.

That's why we're excited to be working alongside Brad Swain of Swain Safety Solutions, a full-service health and safety consultancy and training provider that helps businesses build effective H&S management into the heart of how they operate.

Together, we can offer joined-up support across HR and health and safety, giving you everything you need to take care of your people and your workplace, under one roof.

What's included?

Our combined packages bring together the best of both worlds. Here's a taste of what you get:

On the HR side

Full HR support and guidance, employment contracts and document review, policy drafting, HR health check, and access to the Breathe HR platform.

On the H&S side

A designated competent person, 24/7 access to support and advice, gap analysis, risk profile, improvement plan, and an incident reporting system.

From £349 per month

Our combined HR and health & safety packages are tailored around what your business actually needs. Get in touch and we'll put together something that works for you.

Who we are · Breathe

HR Software, Included. Meet Breathe.

Managing your people shouldn't mean drowning in spreadsheets, chasing paper holiday forms, or hunting through emails to find someone's contract. There's a better way, and as a Bear and Willow HR client, you get access to it at no extra cost.

What is Breathe?

Breathe is a cloud-based HR platform built specifically for small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. It puts everything people-related in one simple, secure place, accessible from anywhere, at any time, on any device.

What you get with Breathe

Employee records: all your people data in one central, secure place.
Holiday and absence tracking: employees can request leave, managers can approve it.
Sickness management: log and track absences properly.
Document storage: upload contracts, policies, and key documents.
Performance management: set goals, record reviews, and keep a clear picture of how your people are developing.
Employee self-service: your team can update their own details, and access their documents.
Training logs: keep track of who has completed what, when, and what's due next.

Why does this matter for your business?

Breathe gives you the paper trail, the documentation, and the organised records that protect your business if things ever get difficult.

Why Bear and Willow HR?

As an official Breathe partner, we set you up, support you through it, and make sure the platform works alongside your HR, not separately from it. Your policies live in Breathe. Your records are in Breathe. Your HR support comes from us. Everything joined up, everything in one place.

And because Breathe is included as part of your Bear and Willow HR package, there's no additional licence cost, no separate contract, and no extra bill at the end of the month.

Just better HR, built in.