We can work it out: 185 jobs saved as Relate is rescued by charity

Britain's biggest relationship counselling charity is expected to be rescued from insolvency, though the future of some staff made redundant remains unclear.

- Matthew Weaver

Last month, Relate was put into administration after a collapse in its funding from NHS, school and local authority contracts.

Yesterday, the administrators, FRP Advisory, announced that the families charity Family Action had agreed to buy Relate's counselling and central services. It claims the move will save up to 185 jobs when Family Action takes over on 1 January.

A third of Relate's workforce, representing 80 staff including 40 therapists, were made redundant with immediate effect when it entered administration in November. Many of these staff learned of their fate on a Microsoft Teams call with the management. None of them will receive redundancy pay from the charity under the terms of the administration. Longer-serving staff who have lost their jobs have been advised to apply to a government redundancy scheme for compensation.

The administrators made no mention of these posts as part of the takeover bid. FRP Advisory has been asked if there are any plans to reinstate them.