Senior People Adviser

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

This job is now closed

Job summary

We are looking for enthusiastic and professional individuals who are fully qualified or working towards qualification with the CIPD to join our Employee Relations team. Previous NHS experience is preferred but not essential.

You will provide specialist advice and guidance to managers and employees regarding all employee relation issues (incorporating all staff, including Medical). This will include conduct and performance management, grievances, sickness and other absences in accordance with Trust policies, current legislation, the ACAS code of practice and other professional standards.

You will ensure effective and high quality evidence based investigations of conduct and other people related issues, ensuring that risks and issues are flagged in a timely mannerThis role has a hybrid working pattern and is part office and part remote working. Your base will be one of our hospital sites in either Brighton, Worthing or Chichester.

Main duties of the job

The key elements of this role are to:

Provide proactive and professional advice and guidance to managers and employees regarding all employee relation issues. This will include conduct and performance management, grievances, sickness and other absence in accordance with Trust Policies, current legislation, the ACAS code of practice and other professional standards.
Support managers in providing effective and high quality evidence based investigations of conduct and other people related issues
Contribute to the development and delivery of employee case management and inputting more widely into all employee relations case management across the Trust
Support managers in using effective people management practices to improve service performance and productivity by using mediation and coaching techniques and developing and delivering training programmes.

About us

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programmefor staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex

Candidate information pack - University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

Date posted

28 February 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

279-6954463-MAR25

Job locations

Brighton / Worthing / Chichester

Brighton

BN2 5BE

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide complex HR advice and guidance to staff and managers on workforce-related issues generated from enquiries which may be emailed, over the telephone or face to face. Very complex issues should be referred to an Employee Relations Manager or the Employee Relations Team Manager.

To provide appropriate HR support to managers to maintain a fair and consistent approach to all employee relation issues, including providing recommendations on the way forward where no precedent exists or options conflict.

Manage a caseload of highly complex employee relations cases in an advisory capacity ensuring they are handled appropriately and in a timely manner, including prioritizing work on a daily and ongoing basis and identifying and managing changing priorities.

Support managers in conducting investigations within agreed timescales and attending hearings which will include preparation for the investigation as well as assistance in producing investigation reports, management cases and other documentation. This will also require planning of investigation meetings, including liaising with external parties. Very complex investigations/hearings should be referred to an Employee Relations Manager.

To ensure partnership working between HR team and line managers on the management of sickness absence in order to reduce the levels of sickness absence and related costs.

Through liaison with other teams and directorate maintain an awareness of the local and national agenda

Engage in collaborate problem solving with co-workers and staff and other outside agencies.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To ensure partnership working between HR team and line managers on the management of sickness absence in order to reduce the levels of sickness absence and related costs.

Through liaison with other teams and directorate maintain an awareness of the local and national agenda

Engage in collaborate problem solving with co-workers and staff and other outside agencies.

Person Specification

Essential

oCIPD qualified
opost grad qual or equiv exp
oHR exp including in an ER role
oExp of advising on T&C and people policies and procedures
oKnowledge of employment legislation and good practice
oExp of coaching/training managers in good people practice
oExperience of working with trade unions

Desirable

oExperience of working in the NHS

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Essential

Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).

Person Specification

Essential

oCIPD qualified
opost grad qual or equiv exp
oHR exp including in an ER role
oExp of advising on T&C and people policies and procedures
oKnowledge of employment legislation and good practice
oExp of coaching/training managers in good people practice
oExperience of working with trade unions

Desirable

oExperience of working in the NHS

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Essential

Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).

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.