Human Resources Advisor

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to join the People Directorate Operational HR team at a key time of change. The HR Advisor is integral to delivering on the Trust Great Place to Work Strategy and will work on resolution and bespoke solutions, advising on people interventions with a focus on a just culture framework where learning and high functioning teams are the primary aim.

The role requires a CIPD Level 5 or equivalent HR qualification, and Associate CIPD membership. Demonstrable experience and competence of working in a generalist People function, strong customer focus, ability to express information verbally and in writing in a clear, understandable way are key. You need a structured and analytical approach to work related problems, finding independent solutions while managing your own workload. The role will be based on hybrid working with days at home/office based at Fieldhead Hospital with requirement to travel and work at any site in the South West Yorkshire footprint. If you have excellent organisational and interpersonal skills and are able to establish credibility with staff at all levels of the organisation, this could be the role for you.

Main duties of the job

You will deliver trust-wide comprehensive, professional, and business focussed operational workforce advice with supervision from the Senior HR Advisor, managing a caseload and being solution focussed, coaching employees/managers on resolution and learning, disciplinaries and attendance, based upon relevant employment law and Trust policies. Moving to a just culture/restorative practice framework, supported by the Senior HR Advisor, you will ensure progression of any formal ER cases is both necessary and completed on time, ensuring appropriate support is in place for the individual and witnesses. You will contribute to the research, preparation, and completion of a programme of workforce policies that are inclusive, represent a just culture approach and easily understood.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Date posted

02 August 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£28,407 to £34,581 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9378-QA01138

Job locations

Fieldhead hospital

Ouchthorpe Lane

Wakefield

West Yorkshire

WF1 3SP


Job description

Job responsibilities

The HR Advisor will work as part of the Trustwide Operational HR Team providing a comprehensive, professional and business focussed advisory service in line with best people management practice. This will involve coaching and advising Line Managers and employees on a range of employment practices, policies and terms and conditions.

The HR Advisor will support the Senior HR Advisors in their work as part of the Care Group Management Team to provide high quality advice and support on people issues including workforce management, development and employee relations. This will involve coaching and advising managers and employees on a range of employment practices, policies and terms and conditions in particular supporting the resolution of ER matters via a just culture, learning, restorative practice approach and effective team ethos.

A key area of work will be to support the Senior HR Advisors to implement the Trusts initiatives and workstreams to transform its services and workforce, advising on solution focussed people interventions to achieve organisational change and move to a just culture framework where learning and high functioning teams are the primary aim.

The HR Advisor, together with the Senior HR Advisor and colleagues in the wider People Directorate will be expected to support the delivery on South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust being a Great Place to Work.

The delivery of key strategic outcomes will be:

Employees Feeling safe

Supportive (healthy) teams

Keeping fit and well ( wellbeing of the employees)

Developing potential

My voice counts (employee engagement)

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Advise and support managers in a range of employment relations issues, including cases relating to managing conduct, performance, and attendance, the recruitment and selection of staff, equality and diversity, maternity regulations, harassment and bullying, grievance and dispute issues. You will need to provide clear, consistent and practical advice that is in line with up-to-date best practice, relevant employment law and Trust policies and culture.

With the guidance of the Senior Advisor, prepare hearings and appeals and support investigators in disciplinary investigations.

  • Manage an individual caseload, including providing professional support, advice, guidance and coaching to employees and managers on matters such as resolution and learning, investigations, disciplinaries and attendance. The post holder should be solution focussed, resolving issues independently where possible and with discussion with the Senior HR Advisor, whilst referring complex issues, or risks to the organisation to Senior HR Advisors. The role includes ensuring consistency in approach, responsibility for meeting approariate time frames and minimising harm to employees facing formal action by ensuring appropriate support is in place for the individual and witnesses.

Establish effective working relationships with managers, staff-side and staff promoting a partnership approach in decision-making and problem solving.

  • Provide and maintain up to date information on the people performance key indicators for each Care Group / corporate services including effective attendance mangement, mandatory training, appraisals, reducing the need for and length of suspensions and formal ER cases by the use of a just culture approach to resolution, learning and restorative practice.
  • With support from the Senior HR Advisors, ensure appropriate professional challenge to managers where a resolution approach is not chosen or timescales are not met, escalating any issues identified to Senior HR Advisors where appropriate for further action.
  • Support the Senior HR Advisor to provide a KPI report each month as required by Associate Director of People Operations giving details of where targets are not met.
  • Work with managers and employees to promote more flexible ways of employing and rewarding staff, supporting line managers to be the best leaders and managers and helping to attract and retain staff.

Work collaboratively with colleagues in Care Groups, IT, Finance, Integrated Change team and Staff side to improve services and their efficiency via organisational change process with the support of the Senior HR Advisors. The Operational HR teams role in these projects is to provide challenge and advice to facilitate delivery of projects which maximise the efficient working of staff and their engagement. This will include engaging staff and staff side in proposed change considerations prior to any decisions and formal consultation.

Under the direction of the Senior HR Advisors support the management of the policy timetable as delegated. Write and review workforce policies that are inclusive, represent a just culture approach and are easily understood, meeting employment law and best practice requirements. Ensure managers, staff and staff side engagement and that the employees voice is heard and appropriate research undertaken. Lead on the consultation, and implementation process once policies are ratified.

o The post holder will ensure that appropriate actions are taken, including working with managers / occupational health to have an active plan to support a return to work within appropriate timescales.

o The postholder will work to reduce the Trust sickness absence KPI requiring the use of a range of information, analysing data and reasons for high levels of sickness absence in services, considering all options to ensure work is undertaken to turn the situation around to having high performing and effectively managed teams.

o Provide accurate, comprehensive and timely data to line managers to ensure the effective monitoring of long term sickness absence. Develop and maintain People and Workforce (HR) systems to ensure the accurate recording and reporting of data relating to long term sickness. Provide managers in the people directorate detailed and accurate information regarding the management of long term sickness absence, highlighting issues that have not been resolved.

Work with Business Partners / People Directorate colleagues and with managers to address recruitment and retention issues, providing professional advice to support the Trust to fill vacancies and retain a valued workforce and in doing so support and promote the Trusts recruitment and retention strategy to deliver safe, effective and caring services.

Contribute effectively to the People, Wellbeing and Transformation portfolio agendas including, Health and Wellbeing, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and promote a restorative approach to resolve relationship conflicts that arise within the Trust.

Support the development of wellbeing initiatives and action plans from the staff wellbeing and engagement survey and promote these within the Care Groups.

Participate in the design and delivery of training and coaching interventions to support Managers in fulfilling their responsibilities in effective management of people and resources.

Engage in personal continuous professional development to build own knowledge of employment legislation and case law, taking advantage of training provided to the People Directorate which will then impact on the level of service and advice provided to Trust colleagues. Actively develop OD skills and those required to undertake restorative practice meetings.

Support the development and implementation of the e-HR system to provide quick and accessible advice and guidance to managers and staff.

Contribute to the transformation process of the Operational HR function, being involved in discussions about new ways of working and how this will continuously improve the HR service offer to the Care Groups.

Participate in People and Workforce (HR) meetings, leading on specific project work as required.

Trust Values:

The Trust is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care and treatment and expects that all staff treat people e.g, service users, their carers, relatives, friends, colleagues, visitors etc, with dignity and respectat all time. The post holder must all time act in accordance with the Trusts Values:

Honest, open, transparent

Respectful

Person first and in the centre

Improve and be outstanding

Relevant today, ready for tomorrow

Families and carers matter

Safeguarding:

Report any concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing of children, adults service users, members of their families etc, in accordance with Trust Policy.

Prevent and respond appropriately to abuse and understand own role in this by undertaking Safeguarding training.

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The HR Advisor will work as part of the Trustwide Operational HR Team providing a comprehensive, professional and business focussed advisory service in line with best people management practice. This will involve coaching and advising Line Managers and employees on a range of employment practices, policies and terms and conditions.

The HR Advisor will support the Senior HR Advisors in their work as part of the Care Group Management Team to provide high quality advice and support on people issues including workforce management, development and employee relations. This will involve coaching and advising managers and employees on a range of employment practices, policies and terms and conditions in particular supporting the resolution of ER matters via a just culture, learning, restorative practice approach and effective team ethos.

A key area of work will be to support the Senior HR Advisors to implement the Trusts initiatives and workstreams to transform its services and workforce, advising on solution focussed people interventions to achieve organisational change and move to a just culture framework where learning and high functioning teams are the primary aim.

The HR Advisor, together with the Senior HR Advisor and colleagues in the wider People Directorate will be expected to support the delivery on South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust being a Great Place to Work.

The delivery of key strategic outcomes will be:

Employees Feeling safe

Supportive (healthy) teams

Keeping fit and well ( wellbeing of the employees)

Developing potential

My voice counts (employee engagement)

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Advise and support managers in a range of employment relations issues, including cases relating to managing conduct, performance, and attendance, the recruitment and selection of staff, equality and diversity, maternity regulations, harassment and bullying, grievance and dispute issues. You will need to provide clear, consistent and practical advice that is in line with up-to-date best practice, relevant employment law and Trust policies and culture.

With the guidance of the Senior Advisor, prepare hearings and appeals and support investigators in disciplinary investigations.

  • Manage an individual caseload, including providing professional support, advice, guidance and coaching to employees and managers on matters such as resolution and learning, investigations, disciplinaries and attendance. The post holder should be solution focussed, resolving issues independently where possible and with discussion with the Senior HR Advisor, whilst referring complex issues, or risks to the organisation to Senior HR Advisors. The role includes ensuring consistency in approach, responsibility for meeting approariate time frames and minimising harm to employees facing formal action by ensuring appropriate support is in place for the individual and witnesses.

Establish effective working relationships with managers, staff-side and staff promoting a partnership approach in decision-making and problem solving.

  • Provide and maintain up to date information on the people performance key indicators for each Care Group / corporate services including effective attendance mangement, mandatory training, appraisals, reducing the need for and length of suspensions and formal ER cases by the use of a just culture approach to resolution, learning and restorative practice.
  • With support from the Senior HR Advisors, ensure appropriate professional challenge to managers where a resolution approach is not chosen or timescales are not met, escalating any issues identified to Senior HR Advisors where appropriate for further action.
  • Support the Senior HR Advisor to provide a KPI report each month as required by Associate Director of People Operations giving details of where targets are not met.
  • Work with managers and employees to promote more flexible ways of employing and rewarding staff, supporting line managers to be the best leaders and managers and helping to attract and retain staff.

Work collaboratively with colleagues in Care Groups, IT, Finance, Integrated Change team and Staff side to improve services and their efficiency via organisational change process with the support of the Senior HR Advisors. The Operational HR teams role in these projects is to provide challenge and advice to facilitate delivery of projects which maximise the efficient working of staff and their engagement. This will include engaging staff and staff side in proposed change considerations prior to any decisions and formal consultation.

Under the direction of the Senior HR Advisors support the management of the policy timetable as delegated. Write and review workforce policies that are inclusive, represent a just culture approach and are easily understood, meeting employment law and best practice requirements. Ensure managers, staff and staff side engagement and that the employees voice is heard and appropriate research undertaken. Lead on the consultation, and implementation process once policies are ratified.

o The post holder will ensure that appropriate actions are taken, including working with managers / occupational health to have an active plan to support a return to work within appropriate timescales.

o The postholder will work to reduce the Trust sickness absence KPI requiring the use of a range of information, analysing data and reasons for high levels of sickness absence in services, considering all options to ensure work is undertaken to turn the situation around to having high performing and effectively managed teams.

o Provide accurate, comprehensive and timely data to line managers to ensure the effective monitoring of long term sickness absence. Develop and maintain People and Workforce (HR) systems to ensure the accurate recording and reporting of data relating to long term sickness. Provide managers in the people directorate detailed and accurate information regarding the management of long term sickness absence, highlighting issues that have not been resolved.

Work with Business Partners / People Directorate colleagues and with managers to address recruitment and retention issues, providing professional advice to support the Trust to fill vacancies and retain a valued workforce and in doing so support and promote the Trusts recruitment and retention strategy to deliver safe, effective and caring services.

Contribute effectively to the People, Wellbeing and Transformation portfolio agendas including, Health and Wellbeing, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and promote a restorative approach to resolve relationship conflicts that arise within the Trust.

Support the development of wellbeing initiatives and action plans from the staff wellbeing and engagement survey and promote these within the Care Groups.

Participate in the design and delivery of training and coaching interventions to support Managers in fulfilling their responsibilities in effective management of people and resources.

Engage in personal continuous professional development to build own knowledge of employment legislation and case law, taking advantage of training provided to the People Directorate which will then impact on the level of service and advice provided to Trust colleagues. Actively develop OD skills and those required to undertake restorative practice meetings.

Support the development and implementation of the e-HR system to provide quick and accessible advice and guidance to managers and staff.

Contribute to the transformation process of the Operational HR function, being involved in discussions about new ways of working and how this will continuously improve the HR service offer to the Care Groups.

Participate in People and Workforce (HR) meetings, leading on specific project work as required.

Trust Values:

The Trust is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care and treatment and expects that all staff treat people e.g, service users, their carers, relatives, friends, colleagues, visitors etc, with dignity and respectat all time. The post holder must all time act in accordance with the Trusts Values:

Honest, open, transparent

Respectful

Person first and in the centre

Improve and be outstanding

Relevant today, ready for tomorrow

Families and carers matter

Safeguarding:

Report any concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing of children, adults service users, members of their families etc, in accordance with Trust Policy.

Prevent and respond appropriately to abuse and understand own role in this by undertaking Safeguarding training.

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • CIPD Qualification (Level 5 CIPD) or equivalent HR qualification
  • associate membership CIPD

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience and competence of working in a generalist HR environment including employee relations (eg sickness absence management, disciplinary, Grievance and organisational change
  • Practical experience in providing advice to managers on terms and conditions of service etc

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a Public sector or large multi site organisation
  • Experience of working in partnership with trade unions

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

Essential

  • Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
  • A satisfactory sickness record over the previous two years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
  • A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability)
  • Communication written and verbal

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS

Essential

  • Knowledge of Employment Legislation and current HR practice
  • Ability to take minutes at meetings/hearings
  • Training/presentation skills
  • Awareness of job evaluation
  • Effective interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work on own initiative
  • Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
  • Ability to work as a member of a team
  • Computer literacy
  • Have a proactive approach to Equality and Diversity
  • Demonstrable ability to work in a tactful and diplomatic manner
  • Ability to deliver training and coaching to individual managers and groups

Desirable

  • Knowledge of NHS Terms and Conditions of Service

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Essential

  • Ability to work to deadlines
  • Ability to influence others
  • Ability to handle conflict
  • Ability to problem solve/make decisions
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • CIPD Qualification (Level 5 CIPD) or equivalent HR qualification
  • associate membership CIPD

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience and competence of working in a generalist HR environment including employee relations (eg sickness absence management, disciplinary, Grievance and organisational change
  • Practical experience in providing advice to managers on terms and conditions of service etc

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a Public sector or large multi site organisation
  • Experience of working in partnership with trade unions

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

Essential

  • Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
  • A satisfactory sickness record over the previous two years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
  • A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability)
  • Communication written and verbal

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS

Essential

  • Knowledge of Employment Legislation and current HR practice
  • Ability to take minutes at meetings/hearings
  • Training/presentation skills
  • Awareness of job evaluation
  • Effective interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work on own initiative
  • Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
  • Ability to work as a member of a team
  • Computer literacy
  • Have a proactive approach to Equality and Diversity
  • Demonstrable ability to work in a tactful and diplomatic manner
  • Ability to deliver training and coaching to individual managers and groups

Desirable

  • Knowledge of NHS Terms and Conditions of Service

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Essential

  • Ability to work to deadlines
  • Ability to influence others
  • Ability to handle conflict
  • Ability to problem solve/make decisions

Employer details

Employer name

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Fieldhead hospital

Ouchthorpe Lane

Wakefield

West Yorkshire

WF1 3SP


Employer's website

https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Fieldhead hospital

Ouchthorpe Lane

Wakefield

West Yorkshire

WF1 3SP


Employer's website

https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

For questions about the job, contact:

Jane Murgatroyd

jane.murgatroyd@swyt.nhs.uk

07879631570

Date posted

02 August 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£28,407 to £34,581 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9378-QA01138

Job locations

Fieldhead hospital

Ouchthorpe Lane

Wakefield

West Yorkshire

WF1 3SP


Supporting documents

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