People Advisor

Purpose

Are you passionate about providing support and assistance to organisation’s employees?

Do you strive to make a difference within an organisation through developing people?

As a People Advisor you will contribute to and support the Trust to achieve key strategic business and people priorities.

You will provide high-quality advice and guidance to the organisation, advising managers on policy and legal compliance, promoting a fair and transparent approach to our people management.

You will be involved in key people initiatives and projects. Upon commencement, key lead areas will be decided depending upon your skills and experience, interests, strengths and willingness to develop. Areas of priority are pay and reward, retention, recognition, health and wellbeing, job design, learning and development and recruitment.

Location & Travel

Remote based

The role of People Advisor is a home-based role; however you will be expected to travel to the Trust’s communities and other relevant locations on occasion. You will need to be located within an hour of our Hertfordshire communities in St Albans and Watford. Due to the rural location of some of our communities, a driving licence is essential.

Duties & Responsibilities

As a People Advisor you will:

People Services and advisory

• You will contribute to, deliver and lead on key priorities of the people plan, working as part of the wider People Services Team across Learning and Development, Recruitment and Systems, focusing on organisational development and design, job design, pay and benefits, reward, recognition, retention, recognition and employee health and wellbeing, to ensure that the organisation stands out as an employer of choice.
• You will provide comprehensive, professional and timely advice and guidance to our line managers relating to a variety of change management projects and complex employee relations cases (including employment legislation, terms and conditions, policies and procedures, grievances, disciplinaries, bullying and harassment complaints, whistleblowing, safeguarding, absence management, performance management, capability etc).
• You will support managers with determining their future resourcing plans, organisation structures and job design, ensuring that job descriptions and person specifications are up to date.
• You will provide advice to employees and managers throughout the employee lifecycle, responding effectively and quickly to queries on policies, procedures, terms and conditions of employment, via the Ask People Services portal, ensuring that policies and procedures are adhered to and contributing to the HR FAQ database so that it remains up to date and reflects the questions being asked by managers and staff and support them in its use.
• Contribute to the onboarding and induction of new managers ensuring that they are aware of and understand our key people policies and procedures, as well as the SelectHR manager self service facilities and requirements across the employee life cycle.
• Build and maintain relationships with managers, attending management meetings regularly to provide updates on key people-related priorities.
• Proactively participate with colleagues within the wider People Services team to ensure knowledge-sharing and consistency of practices and to act upon feedback issues from the field which impact on HR policies and procedures.
• Prepare, complete and maintain records, notes, letters and documents throughout our employment processes that are accurate, compliant, fit for purpose and maintained for future requirements, in accordance with the data retention policy, ensuring that document control is maintained.
• Contribute to the design, development and updating of people policies, procedures, protocols, letters and templates.

People systems/data analysis

• Prepare reports using relevant systems and software to meet KPI and business information requirements, analysing risks, benchmarking the sector and making recommendations for action.
• Act as a SelectHR super user contributing to new staff induction on using the system and support existing staff and managers as new functionality is rolled out.
• Contribute to developing the SelectHR system by providing feedback and supporting the roll out of new self- service functionality and other associated people systems.

People development

• Support managers to adopt good employment and management practices by offering advice, training, coaching and interpretation of changes in legislation and Trust policies and procedures.
• Design and deliver management training sessions/workshops/webinars in effective people management such as absence management, performance, investigations, etc.

Managing self and personal skills

• Agree to conduct yourself in line with the general standards of conduct and behaviour as detailed in the charity’s Code of Conduct, including awareness of risk, health and safety at work, data protection/GDPR and embracing the cultural diversity of all colleagues and the people we support.
• Manage your own continuing professional development, utilising available learning resources and opportunities and your own personal networks and contribute to colleague development by sharing skills and knowledge.
• Provide cover for the other colleagues within the people team and wider functions; recruitment, people systems and learning and development.
• Lead on and contribute to projects and initiatives within the People Services Team and across the Trust.
• Work in line with the Trust’s values.
• Ensure that the outcomes of your work have a positive impact on the lives of the people we support.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• At least three years’ experience in a HR/People generalist role with responsibility for providing people advice and support across the employee life cycle in a fast-paced organisation –
• Experience of managing complex Change Management, ER cases and absence management, providing advice on disciplinaries, grievances, and sickness absence.
• Familiar with employment law including equality law and Tupe. Confident applying in practice and maintaining up to date policy and procedures.
• Practiced in coaching skills and coaching managers in effective people management.

Desirable

• Previous experience of social care sector (adults with learning disabilities), not for profit sector, charitable sector or similar

Key Competencies

• Ability to build effective working relations that engender trust and respect.
• Ability to work on own, to make decisions and work on own initiative while also being a member of a team. Comfortable with remote working and travel. Driving Licence and car is essential.
• Ability to demonstrate strong IT skills, including the use of HR systems and Microsoft Office applications, especially Word and Excel.
• Effective communication skills to deal tactfully and sensitively with people at all levels and of all abilities.
• Excellent listening skills.
• Good organisational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with a wide range of people.
• Ability to operate within tight deadlines and manage several work activities at any one time.
• Flexibility and the ability to establish personal priorities.
• Exercises good judgement.

Qualifications

Essential

• L5 CIPD

Desirable

• Courses/qualifications employment law
• Coaching skills certificate/qualification

Key Employment Terms

• Salary: £35,000
• Location: Home based, with travel to communities and other locations as required
• Hours: 37.5hrs / week
• 25 days annual leave statutory plus bank holidays
• 45p per mile for all work journeys is provided
• Sick pay entitlement after 1 month.
• Standard auto-enrolment pension scheme, with the option to contribute 10% of gross salary for a 6% contribution by the employer.
• An opportunity to ‘cash in’ one week leave a year.
• Employee assistance scheme that is also available to your immediate family.
• Death in Service benefits: payments made to your beneficiaries should the unthinkable happen.
• Once you join us, you'll be eligible to benefit from "Charity Discounts" where you can enjoy reductions from lots of differing retailers and service providers.
• The appointment is subject to a 6-month probation period
• All our employees require a DBS criminal record check. We will do this for you.