Senior Employee Relations Advisor

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 08 May 2024

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced HR professional, capable of working autonomously, using their professional judgement, specialist knowledge and influencing skills, to support the resolution of employee relations issues and organisational change. Working in a complex, challenging and fast-paced environment, you will have a dual focus, being responsible for providing advice and guidance on a range of employee relations issues and supporting organisational change within our Corporate Services function.

You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, along with a proven track record of building strong and trusting relationships. You will also have experience of supporting complex organisation change programmes, supporting managers and senior leaders on implementing organisational change outcomes. You should be capable of dealing with a number of competing priorities and focused on resolving employee relations cases effectively and efficiently, in line with agreed quality and performance indicators.

If you are looking for your next challenge and wish to join us as we come together with our partners into one community, mental health and learning disability Trust for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, then we are keen to hear from you. We will offer you a supportive work environment along with continuous professional development opportunities to assist your future career progression.

Main duties of the job

Provide expert employee relations advice, support and guidance across the full range of employee relations issues including conduct, grievance, discrimination, bullying & harassment, flexible working, performance, and absence management.

Support complex employee relations cases and participate as the employee relations expert in the context of safeguarding concerns panels, formal hearing panels, employment tribunals and civil cases, ensuring consistency and appropriateness of recommendations.

Advise and support absence management by providing regular information on sickness levels/trends and developing appropriate plans of action to manage both short and long-term cases of absence.

Advise and coach managers on the interpretation and application of terms and conditions of employment, ensuring compliance with the Trust policy/procedures and employment legislation.

Provide expert advice on complex organisational change initiatives, supporting and coaching managers throughout the process to ensure that change is implemented in accordance with Trust policies and legislative requirements.

Develop and maintain effective and proactive communication mechanisms with staff, their representatives in order that a partnership approach is developed and maintained.

About us

Are you committed to providing remarkable care and service?Are you passionate about helping people and want to make a difference every day?We want to meet you!

Southern Health is one of the largest Foundation Trusts in the UK, specialising in mental health, adult and child community health and learning disabilities. We are committed to promoting the welfare and safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse and neglect through our 6,500 strong workforce.

Southern Health has over 300 sites across the county and we serve 1.5 million people throughout all stages of their lives. Our aim is to work alongside the people we support (and our health and care partners) to deliver the best possible care and constantly improve.

Here at SHFT we have so much to be proud of:

Working as a team and supporting each other, we put patients and our staff at the heart of everything we do.
We have a skilled and diverse workforce and are committed to our staff development, offering bespoke training packages, leadership pathways and career opportunities.
We offer a variety of benefits such as an amazing pension scheme, generous annual leave, Childcare Choices scheme, many discounts (Blue Light card, The Company Shop, NHS Staff Discounts, cycle to work scheme) and much more.

Come to work with us, together we will provide outstanding treatment and care to improve lives.

Date posted

24 April 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£35,392 to £42,618 a year based on full time hours

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

348-CORP-4558

Job locations

Hawthorn Lodge

Moorgreen Hospital, Botley Road, West End

Southampton

Hampshire

SO30 3JB

Job description

Job responsibilities

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Specialist knowledge to postgraduate diploma level, acquired through degree plus professional qualification, or equivalent level of training and experience
Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Evidence of continuous professional development

Experience

Essential

In depth experience of working in an employee relations advisory role in a complex, unionised environment
Comprehensive knowledge of employment legislation and best practice in ER policies, principles, and procedures
Ability to engage effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels
Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver within agreed deadlines and to agreed quality standards
Experience of developing and implementing workforce policies and procedures
Analytical skills to identify the causes of problems and propose realistic and practical solutions to address them based on knowledge and understanding of an organisation and its operating environment
Ability to prioritise and deliver against personal and team objectives and work plans
Leadership skills, and an ability coach and develop team members
Ability to develop strong professional and personal relationships
Ability to coach, challenge, and influence to facilitate effective employee relations solutions, and resolving conflict where necessary
Effective listening and questioning skills that enable and empower stakeholders
Experience in the design, delivery, and evaluation of training programmes
Knowledge of NHS terms & conditions of employment
Understanding of diversity and inclusion issues
Ability to work flexibly in a busy team environment
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Good understanding of MS Word, Outlook, Excel and the ability to learn new systems such as ER Tracker

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Specialist knowledge to postgraduate diploma level, acquired through degree plus professional qualification, or equivalent level of training and experience
Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Evidence of continuous professional development

Experience

Essential

In depth experience of working in an employee relations advisory role in a complex, unionised environment
Comprehensive knowledge of employment legislation and best practice in ER policies, principles, and procedures
Ability to engage effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels
Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver within agreed deadlines and to agreed quality standards
Experience of developing and implementing workforce policies and procedures
Analytical skills to identify the causes of problems and propose realistic and practical solutions to address them based on knowledge and understanding of an organisation and its operating environment
Ability to prioritise and deliver against personal and team objectives and work plans
Leadership skills, and an ability coach and develop team members
Ability to develop strong professional and personal relationships
Ability to coach, challenge, and influence to facilitate effective employee relations solutions, and resolving conflict where necessary
Effective listening and questioning skills that enable and empower stakeholders
Experience in the design, delivery, and evaluation of training programmes
Knowledge of NHS terms & conditions of employment
Understanding of diversity and inclusion issues
Ability to work flexibly in a busy team environment
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Good understanding of MS Word, Outlook, Excel and the ability to learn new systems such as ER Tracker

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.