Job summary
Are you ready for your next exciting and rewarding opportunity in People and Organisational Development? Are you a CIPD-qualified professional with extensive experience in HR and organisational development? If so, this could be the ideal next step in your career.
We are embarking on a transformational journey to reshape our People and Organisational Development function, aiming to deliver a proactive, customer-focused service that meets the evolving needs of our organisation. As a Senior Employee Relations Advisor, you will join a team of passionate and committed colleagues, playing a key role in delivering high-quality educational and operational employee relations support. This work will be guided by our values and behaviours framework and rooted in a 'Just and Restorative Learning' culture.
In this role, you will manage a complex caseload covering a wide range of employee relations matters. You will ensure that all work aligns with current legislation, best practice, case law, and local policies. As the subject matter expert in employee relations, you will provide high-quality advice and support to enable early resolution of workplace issues, while understanding organisational risks and offering practical solutions.
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities
- Provide expert guidance to managers on policies and procedures related to absence management, disciplinary action, grievances, performance management, and more.
- Coach and support managers to build confidence and capability in handling employee relations matters.
- Collaborate effectively with employees, managers, senior leaders, and directorate teams.
- Contribute to policy development and deliver training sessions for new managers.
- Communicate clearly and professionally, ensuring timely and effective engagement across all levels of the organisation.
What We Are Looking For
- Associate CIPD membership with substantial HR generalist experience.
- A person-centred, solution-oriented approach with sound judgement and the ability to professionally challenge when needed.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- A commitment to delivering a high-quality, inclusive HR service that makes a real difference to front-line care.
We are committed to flexible working and are happy to discuss how you may wish to structure your hours. However, physical attendance at the workplace for a minimum of three days per week is required.
About us
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich. By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description for further information regarding the key duties and main responsibilities of this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description for further information regarding the key duties and main responsibilities of this role.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Graduate CIPD or equivalent demonstrable career path, skills and experience
- Evidence of continued professional development within an ER environment
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of providing a wide range of operational employee relations services to staff at all levels
- Demonstrable experience of designing and facilitating management training/briefing sessions on HR policies and procedures and management of staff
- Able to review and update HR policies and procedures in line with changes to employment law, Trust values and/or case law as required
- Understanding and experience of job evaluation processes
Desirable
- oTrained and experience of the AFC job evaluation processes and principles. Trained AFC Job Matcher
Knowledge / Skills
Essential
- Demonstrable knowledge of working at a senior HR/ER level within a complex unionised environment
- Up to date knowledge of employment law, ACAS Codes of Good Practice and their practical application in a unionised environment
- Good communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to influence and negotiate with managers and staff to enable the provision of an effective and efficient ER service within the Trust
- Ability to analyse and problem solve from complex information and communicate with managers and staff to assist in determining informed decisions
- Familiar with electronic HR reporting and recording systems and producing reports as required
Desirable
- Working within the NHS
- AFC Job Evaluation Training
- Coaching or mediation Knowledge and skill
- Understanding and Familiarity with ESR/ Track-It or Trac
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Graduate CIPD or equivalent demonstrable career path, skills and experience
- Evidence of continued professional development within an ER environment
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of providing a wide range of operational employee relations services to staff at all levels
- Demonstrable experience of designing and facilitating management training/briefing sessions on HR policies and procedures and management of staff
- Able to review and update HR policies and procedures in line with changes to employment law, Trust values and/or case law as required
- Understanding and experience of job evaluation processes
Desirable
- oTrained and experience of the AFC job evaluation processes and principles. Trained AFC Job Matcher
Knowledge / Skills
Essential
- Demonstrable knowledge of working at a senior HR/ER level within a complex unionised environment
- Up to date knowledge of employment law, ACAS Codes of Good Practice and their practical application in a unionised environment
- Good communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to influence and negotiate with managers and staff to enable the provision of an effective and efficient ER service within the Trust
- Ability to analyse and problem solve from complex information and communicate with managers and staff to assist in determining informed decisions
- Familiar with electronic HR reporting and recording systems and producing reports as required
Desirable
- Working within the NHS
- AFC Job Evaluation Training
- Coaching or mediation Knowledge and skill
- Understanding and Familiarity with ESR/ Track-It or Trac
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
