Business Partner (Maternity Cover)

Job responsibilities

Main Responsibilities

As a senior manager, the post holder contributes to the Trust wide development and implementation of HR strategies and service plans and developing Trust policies, working jointly with other organisations to create a consistent approach.

Advise on all highly complex, sensitive and contentious employee relations issues within their Division(s) to senior managers and Directors, cross working where required in other areas of the Trust / Group.

Work in conjunction with external legal teams preparing court bundles and presenting at court where required and with TIAA with fraud cases. They will also liaise with external professional bodies where required.

Responsible as HR lead on Trust wide projects and a key decision maker within corporate groups as the HR lead.

Contribute to the leadership of the HR department and provide specific leadership to own team ensuring the engagement in delivering a high quality service.

Advise and coach Senior Managers and Directors on highly complex specialist HR issues and a range of very complex employment situations which require deciding on way forward where no precedent exist. assess and analyse the risk to the Trust / Group and Division in line with legislation, national, NHS and Trust policy. Gives advice on how to mitigate any risk, recommend courses of action, offer conflict resolution through negotiation, persuasion and mediation and advice based on other case precedents and outcomes.

Communicate, both written and orally, highly complex and sensitive information in a hostile, contentious, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere; though managing conflict resolution mediation, hearings, appeals, employment tribunals.

Manage change activities for closure and or acquisition of services in line with TUPE legislation.

Interpret and advise on employment legislation and case law both national and NHS specific and provides authoritative specialist advice on medical staffing issues.

Ensure through the senior Divisional management team that policies are interpreted, implemented and adhered to across the Trust / Group.

Develop constructive relationships and partnership working with trade union and professional bodies both internal and external to the Trust.

Provide expert advice and support to the Trusts Equality & Diversity agenda, advise on employment related issues relating to Equality & Diversity and work with the Division each year on Equality and Diversity objectives for the Division and to work with the Senior Management Teams to ensure these are reached.

Identify and interpret national legislation for policy review and determine content of Trust / Group HR policies working in partnership with staff side.

Attend Boards and Partnership meetings, give presentations on complex HR issues and provide HR expertise to aid achievement of the Divisions / Trusts objectives and collaborative working.

Self-manage and analyse monthly KPI data providing reports and presentations to relevant committees such as Trust Board, Director Management Board/Teams and any other divisional review meetings.

Lead on appropriate interventions in response to timely analysis of staff-related management information e.g. from the Electronic Staff Record, staff survey results, FOIs and advise senior managers on trends and recommended action and support all interventions.

Represent the HR department and organisation at internal and external meetings / events.

People / Management Excellence

Operate and negotiate in a multi-unionised and multi-professional specialist employee relations environment providing expertise where required to achieve the Trusts vision.

Provide professional expertise and work in line with the CIPD Professional Code of Conduct.

Self-manage large caseload of highly complex employee relations issues, supports hearing managers in decisions at formal hearings, preparation for and presentation of appeals and court bundles and to present and attend at employment tribunals in relation to all aspects of employment practices. Whilst, overseeing HR Advisors own caseload.

Advise on pay and grading issues including grading assessments and job evaluation. Monitor, advise and sign off all pay banding requests.

Collaborate with the Occupational Health Team and attend case manager meetings with Occupational Health Doctors to progress cases appropriately.

Actively participate in the planning and implementation of modernisation and change programmes across the Trust.

Support and challenge managers in the identification of training and development needs in respect of the people management agenda, providing advice and guidance on complex HR issues in order to minimise risk and financial exposure.

Ensure that all staff within areas undertake mandatory and role specific training and that this is accurately recorded on ESR. Report on Mandatory Training, Role Specific Training and Appraisal training at monthly Directorate and Divisional meetings and support the Division with improving these figures.

Advise managers on training and development issues, working closely with expertise within OD.

Coach and develop line managers to effectively fulfil their people responsibilities.

Develop and tutor on relevant HR related management programmes across organisation.

Advise and support managers on KSF, Performance Development, Talent Management and Succession Planning processes.

Design, draft, deliver HR related workshops to build the capability of line managers.

Policy and Service Development Responsibilities

Contribute professional legal expertise to the Group wide development and implementation of HR strategies and service plans and developing policies.

Negotiate policy and other local terms and conditions with trade unions as part of the Partnership Forum.

Collaborate with other areas of the HR department to ensure that the employee relations service supports the overall achievement of the People Plan.

Educations, Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Masters level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
• Level 7 CIPD or equivalent experience
• Evidence of CIPD

Desirable

• MCIPD qualification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Extensive and successful experience in an HR advisory capacity in a demanding environment post diploma
• Experience of successfully leading - teams and or HR projects
• Significant knowledge of UK employment legislation and case law in order to deal with very complex employee relations issues
• Experience of conducting high level and complex disciplinary, bullying & harassment and grievance cases
• Substantial experience of highly complex change management projects
• Sound experience of leading and managing staff
• Significant experience of working in a complex unionised environment and working in partnership with trade unions
• Experience of consulting and negotiating with trade unions
• Experience of working with highly complex organisational and transformation change and experience of working with TUPE
• Experience of interpreting highly complex terms and conditions of employment
• Experience of pay and grading systems
• Experience in reviewing, producing and implementing HR policies and procedures
• Knowledge of service improvement initiatives within the NHS
• Knowledge and understanding of appraisal and personal development policies and procedures
• Sound knowledge of and commitment to equality and diversity
• Experience of contributing to a high quality resourcing service in a large organisation
• Experience of designing and delivering training programmes and workshops to HR staff and Senior Management teams
• Experience of recruiting and interviewing at all levels up to Senior management

Skills

Essential

• Strong leadership skills
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
• Highly effective communication skills including highly charged, sensitive, hostile, contentious and emotive situations
• Proven ability to effectively manage a range of highly complex situations that may evoke a strong emotional reaction
• Ability to handle very difficult and sensitive conversations and able to explain things in a clear and concise way
• Strong IT skills sufficient to support the role
• Ability to understand, analyse and manipulate data and spreadsheets and present in an accessible manner
• Ability to work in cross functional groups
• Ability to motivate and influence others
• Well-developed presentation skills in relation to the delivery of training programmes across organisation
• Ability to complete work despite frequent interruptions needing immediate attention
• Ability to work with unpredictable very complex employment situations and under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Ability to analyse highly complex situations and exercise independent judgement
• Ability to work autonomously and act on own initiative
• Ability to provide authoritative advice and interpretation to the organisation on specialist HR issues/policies/ employment legislation and case law
• Ability to lead on projects

Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes

Essential

• Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users
• Strong intellectual ability
• Able to work alone as well as being an effective team player
• Flexible and responsive to needs of colleagues and service users
• Proactive, versatile and problem solving approach
• Able to seek and exploit opportunities to advance objectives
• Honesty and personal integrity
• Role model for Trust values
• Tolerance, understanding, tact and diplomacy
• Energetic and enthusiastic; able to inspire and motivate others
• Self-motivated, confident; understands and manages own emotions under stress
• Robust and persistent in pursuit of organisational objectives, has strong drive for improving performance.
• Politically astute, sensitive, tactful and diplomatic and able to demonstrate a commitment and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs

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).