HR Advisor

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 07 May 2024

Job summary

An exciting opportunity to join the well-respected and supportive Employee Relations & Business Partnering team to work with Forensic And Offender Healthcare Services. The successful candidate will support the Head of HR, Forensic & Offender Healthcare Services in providing a proactive, comprehensive and high quality HR service to managers and staff, to ensure the smooth running of the services in line with Trust polices, procedures and legal requirements.

Bringing with you experience of working busy and varied employee relations environment, you must be CIPD qualified (or equivalent experience), a team player, able to cope with change and remain focused on achieving results, often alongside conflicting priorities and high levels of demands, an excellent communicator, have a hands on approach and be able develop strong relationships with managers to support and advise them on sickness absence management and complex & sensitive employee relations matters including advising on investigation processes. In addition, you will deliver training and coaching specific to HR processes and procedures.

You will be based at Trust HQ at Pinewood House, Dartford, with flexibility for agile (home) working but the role will involve travel to our Prison sites across the Trust and therefore you must have the ability to travel where required.

Main duties of the job

To support the Head of HR in providing a fully comprehensive and high quality HR support and advisory service to the Trust managers and staff in support of the Workforce Strategy and business and operational planning processes of the relevant Directorates.
To deliver an effective and timely HR Advisory service by working in partnership with managers on HR related issues, such as those arising from restructuring and change exercises.
To provide advice and support in respect of job evaluation, job redesign, employee relations, contractual and other operational HR issues.
To evaluate the service provided to Directorates and meet regularly with users to review the service and work with the Head of HR to further develop monitoring mechanisms against which the HR teams' performance can be measured.
To deputise for the Head of HR as required.
To undertake any ad hoc projects as identified by the Head of HR.
The postholder is encouraged to initiate and discuss new ideas to improve the HR service and to develop these with the Head of HR.

About us

At Oxleas, we offer a wide range of health and social care services to people living in South East London and parts of Kent. This includes community health care such as district nursing and health visiting, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector.

Our 4,000 members of staff work in many different settings such as hospitals, clinics, prisons, children's centres, schools and people's homes. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital in Woolwich as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. Our prison health services cover Kent, South London , Bristol, Devon and Dorset.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

We're Kind
We're Fair
We Listen
We Care

Date posted

23 April 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£40,701 to £48,054 a year pa inc

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-6209741-CORP

Job locations

Pinewood House

Pinewood Place

Dartford

DA2 7WG

Job description

Job responsibilities

Employee Relations

To advise and support managers and medical staff on appropriate action to take on disciplinary, grievance, capability and absence issues with minimal supervision, in line with Trust policies and procedures. Where managers are new to this area, providing hands on support and advice and training to help up-skill the managers.

To attend informal/formal meetings/hearings as necessary and advise on management reports and correspondence in accordance with Trust procedures.

To assist in the presentation of cases up to and including dismissal and attend appeals and tribunals as and when necessary.

To produce and monitor monthly ER related statistics, including absence data and interpret information, identify problem areas, and work with managers to address them.

To keep up-to-date with current employment law legislation and best practice, and ensure that these are reflected in current HR practice. Highlight and address any changes to these and take appropriate action.

Workforce InformationTo question and challenge payroll forms for correct rationale and reasoning and ensure they are within legislative and audit requirements.

To utilise workforce information in the implementation of HR practices.

To check and authorise all contracts of employment and variations for all staff groups.

To be familiar with the Trusts computerised HR information system to input and retrieve information as required.To support the implementation and use of the Electronic Staff Record system.

Employee Services

To advise managers and staff on the interpretation and application of terms and conditions of service and contractual issues.

To be responsible for ensuring the use of fixed term, honorary and locum contracts are appropriate.

To offer consistent advice and interpretation of Trust policies and Terms and Conditions to both managers and members of staff, taking into account the impact and contribution to the wider perspective.

To have overall responsibility for the processing of all maternity/paternity leave and retirement activity across Directorates.

To be responsible for supporting managers in the appraisal process.

To manage the maintenance of personal files in accordance with Trust policies and the data protection legislation, having responsibility for regular audits of information.

Recruitment and Retention

To ensure there is an effective link with the HR Business Support Team and the Recruitment Team.

To ensure that exit questionnaires and interviews are conducted and effective statistics produced and analysed for potential problem areas.

To participate as the HR representative on selection panels as and when required, ensuring best practice and Equal Opportunities are applied.

Budget

Signatory for HR paperwork (checking input) including Payroll forms.

For informal discussion about these posts, please contact Lisa McNeil, Head of HR, Forensic and Offender Healthcare Services: 0203 871 5611 lisa.mcneil1@nhs.net

Job description

Job responsibilities

Employee Relations

To attend informal/formal meetings/hearings as necessary and advise on management reports and correspondence in accordance with Trust procedures.

To assist in the presentation of cases up to and including dismissal and attend appeals and tribunals as and when necessary.

To produce and monitor monthly ER related statistics, including absence data and interpret information, identify problem areas, and work with managers to address them.

Workforce InformationTo question and challenge payroll forms for correct rationale and reasoning and ensure they are within legislative and audit requirements.

To utilise workforce information in the implementation of HR practices.

To check and authorise all contracts of employment and variations for all staff groups.

To be familiar with the Trusts computerised HR information system to input and retrieve information as required.To support the implementation and use of the Electronic Staff Record system.

Employee Services

To advise managers and staff on the interpretation and application of terms and conditions of service and contractual issues.

To be responsible for ensuring the use of fixed term, honorary and locum contracts are appropriate.

To have overall responsibility for the processing of all maternity/paternity leave and retirement activity across Directorates.

To be responsible for supporting managers in the appraisal process.

To manage the maintenance of personal files in accordance with Trust policies and the data protection legislation, having responsibility for regular audits of information.

Recruitment and Retention

To ensure there is an effective link with the HR Business Support Team and the Recruitment Team.

To ensure that exit questionnaires and interviews are conducted and effective statistics produced and analysed for potential problem areas.

To participate as the HR representative on selection panels as and when required, ensuring best practice and Equal Opportunities are applied.

Budget

Signatory for HR paperwork (checking input) including Payroll forms.

For informal discussion about these posts, please contact Lisa McNeil, Head of HR, Forensic and Offender Healthcare Services: 0203 871 5611 lisa.mcneil1@nhs.net

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) Level 7 or equivalent experience (or due to fully complete this year)
Current CIPD registration
Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Experience

Essential

2 years' experience in an operational HR environment
Experience in supporting managers in employment relations issues.
Previously supervisory experience with the potential to develop leadership skills

Desirable

Experience of working in an NHS environment

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Well-developed written communication skills
Attention to detail.
Computer awareness. Be familiar with Word, Excel and a computerised HR database

Knowledge

Essential

Good knowledge of employment law and ability to interpret and apply it.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) Level 7 or equivalent experience (or due to fully complete this year)
Current CIPD registration
Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Experience

Essential

2 years' experience in an operational HR environment
Experience in supporting managers in employment relations issues.
Previously supervisory experience with the potential to develop leadership skills

Desirable

Experience of working in an NHS environment

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Well-developed written communication skills
Attention to detail.
Computer awareness. Be familiar with Word, Excel and a computerised HR database

Knowledge

Essential

Good knowledge of employment law and ability to interpret and apply it.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).