Senior communications expertise, without the full-time hire
CONSULTANCY
Every organisation communicates. Not every organisation needs a full-time comms director.
But when the stakes are high, a big change is coming, or your small team is punching well above its weight, it helps to have someone experienced at the table.
That's where I come in. I've spent years on executive teams, so I know how decisions really get made, and how to make sure communication is part of the decision rather than an afterthought.
Who this is for
My consultancy clients tend to be senior leaders, communications directors or trustees who are facing a challenge that needs more than good intentions to solve.
You might be:
• A CEO or senior leader who needs strategic communications advice at leadership team level — and wants someone who can think clearly, ask the right questions and speak honestly
• A communications director who wants experienced external support to develop strategy, strengthen your team's capacity or pressure-test your approach
• A small or medium-sized organisation that doesn't have a senior comms function in-house — but needs one
• A charity, social enterprise or values-driven organisation working through questions of sustainability, positioning or future direction
• An organisation going through significant change — a restructure, a relaunch, a merger — that needs communications expertise to navigate it well
Strategic Advice to Leadership Teams
Good communications thinking belongs in the room where decisions are made — not as an afterthought once the decision is done. I work directly with senior leadership teams as a communications advisor, helping you think through how you communicate significant decisions, navigate difficult messages, and build the kind of trust with your stakeholders that makes everything else easier.
Communications Capacity for Smaller Organisations
For smaller organisations — charities, social enterprises, businesses commissioned to deliver research or national programmes — the communications challenge is often the same: limited resource, high expectations, and a need to punch above your weight. I provide strategic communications support and capacity that gives you the structure, confidence and clarity to communicate your work effectively.
Communications Strategy Development
Whether it's your organisational strategy or how your organisation communicates, shapes culture and builds trust, I work with leadership teams and communications functions to develop strategies that are grounded, honest and genuinely deliverable. That includes helping you identify where your current approach isn't working, and what to do about it. I support you to develop and deliver strategies that actually connect with people rather than talking at them.
Fractional & Interim Communications Director Support
Sometimes you need a senior communications professional in the room — at the leadership table, shaping strategy, providing honest counsel — but not necessarily full-time or permanently. I work with organisations on a fractional or interim basis, providing the strategic communications leadership you need for as long as you need it. Engagements typically run from three to twelve months, depending on the scope and your organisation's needs.
Work I've delivered:
Staff engagement strategy and programme delivery
Provided strategic advice and hands-on support for an organisation-wide staff engagement programme — including programme management, development of an action plan and design and delivery of a staff engagement campaign that connected with colleagues across the organisation.
Leadership consultancy for small charitable organisations
Worked with small charities on leadership consultancy that went beyond communications — exploring questions of long-term sustainability, operating models and organisational positioning. Supporting leadership teams to think clearly about the future of their organisations, make difficult decisions with confidence, and lead with greater purpose and direction.
Communications and engagement planning for research delivery
Developed communications and stakeholder engagement plans for small businesses commissioned to deliver research for national bodies — providing the strategic communications structure and capacity they needed to deliver effectively and build credibility with national stakeholders.
Communications benchmarking for a national membership body
Designed and delivered communications benchmarking research for a national membership body — providing an honest, evidence-based picture of the state of communications across member organisations nationwide. The findings gave the body a clear understanding of where communications capability was strong, where the gaps were, and where to focus sector-wide support and investment.
Team mentoring has been extremely beneficial for us as a team and individually, especially given Carrie-Ann’s own lived experience in NHS communications. As well as giving us focused time together as a team to explore boundary setting, confidence building and celebrating successes, we also explored our value as a team and how we can promote and clarify this to the organisation.
Kindra Hyttner, Director of Communications
Working with Carrie-Ann was a masterclass in communication and collaboration. She brings clarity to complex situations, makes things feel manageable, and leads with warmth and humour. You always know where you stand with her — she shares her thinking, welcomes input, and creates space for everyone to contribute.
Deputy Director of Communications
