The role holder will partner with key designated Clinical Group managers to build exceptional working relationships to deliver a seamless service which nurtures and improves the employee experience. Support the Employee Relations team in providing an expert/specialist people relations advisory service to Trust managers and staff ensuring comprehensive, consistent and timely advice and support. Oversee the development and delivery of a leading, proactive case management service which provides for all employee relations matters to be managed in line with Just Culture principles, enabling employees to contribute their very best to the Trust.
To help to maintain positive and constructive relationships between managers and staff representatives at all levels throughout the Trust and actively encourage engagement with staff and their representatives.
Promote a positive partnership with staffside colleagues which actively supports the wider staff engagement agenda for the Trust. Provide timely and effective interpretation of developing employment law and local and national NHS HR policy and procedures. Devise and ensure the implementation of HR policies and procedures that promotes an inclusive Just Culture. To provide expert information underpinned by analysis of trends, economic circumstances, laws and political factors. Working collaboratively with the wider People Directorate to ensure better integration of the team.
To be the focal point for Clinical Group/Divisional leads on all employee relations matters, providing detailed guidance on the interpretation of Trust policies and procedures and employment legislation
Oversee and lead all Employment Tribunal claims as first point of contact for Trust legal provider, liaising with Trust managers/representatives with preparation of documents and defend against such claims
To develop employee relations interventions to underpin the skill and competencies of managers in people management which may include workshops i.e. Just Culture, Investigations, Fixed Term Contracts
To manage a team, ensuring all team members have a voice in the development of the employee relations service offer
To maximise the potential of all team members and to ensure that all team members have a meaningful appraisal/personal development plan that includes feedback to the individual from a selection of internal customers and team members
To support the development and training of managers in key HR matters such as absence management, by delivering shared learning events and day training courses in conjunction with, Organisational Development, Leadership & Talent
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprise five of the UK’s best-known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high-quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, and neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
Key Relationships
Internal:
Directors, Deputy and Senior Managers
People leadership team
All members of Clinical Group/Divisional or Directorate Management Team
Departmental Managers / Heads of Service and other key staff
Colleagues in the People, OD and Learning Team
Staff representatives
External:
Trust legal advisors
Full time officers of Trade Unions and professional organisations
Colleagues in other NHS organisation
Employee Relations Case Work
To be the focal point for Clinical Group/Divisional leads on all employee relations matters, providing detailed guidance on the interpretation of Trust policies and procedures and employment legislation.
Advise on all employee relations cases in a proactive and timely manner, i.e. Disciplinary, Grievance, Capability, Absence, Fixed term contracts and redundancy matters up to and supporting at hearings including appeal level, including supporting with Medical cases.
Oversee and lead all Employment Tribunal claims as first point of contact for Trust legal provider, liaising with Trust managers/representatives with preparation of documents and defense against such claims.
To support the team in the management of a mixed case load to determine short-term and long-term strategies with the objective of reaching case resolution without delay.
To promote, encourage and support team colleagues in embedding ‘Just Culture’ principles to enable informal resolution wherever possible.
To develop employee relations interventions to underpin the skill and competencies of managers in people management which may include workshops i.e. Just Culture, Investigations, Fixed Term Contracts
To deputise for the Head/Deputy of Employee Relations at Safeguarding Allegation meetings and providing HR advice.
To ensure that the HR data collection system is utilised effectively and to be accountable for updating caseload management progress.
People Management
To support team-working by ensuring that individual effort is coordinated with other team members within the People Directorate to meet overall team goals.
Conduct regular 1:1’s with team members to discuss health & wellbeing, support required, development required, case load and overall performance.
To manage a team, ensuring all team members have a voice in the development of the employee relations service offer.
Facilitating positive learning from case work ensuring feedback is provided to team members in a balanced and supportive way to improve the service.
To maximise the potential of all team members and to ensure that all team members have a meaningful appraisal/personal development plan that includes feedback to the individual from a selection of internal customers and team members.
Reporting, Training and Interventions
To ensure the provision of employee relations data that underpin local management of employment issues and Trust-wide understanding of trends and key issues.
To proactively identify policy development opportunities and work in conjunction with the Head of Policy and Partnership to lead and develop Trust ER policies and procedures, including the researching of best practice.
To support the development and training of managers in key HR matters such as absence management, by delivering shared learning events and day training courses in conjunction with, Organisational Development, Leadership & Talent.
To lead and participate in the initiation and discussion of new ideas to enhance the employee relations service.
Ensure equality and diversity and inclusion is underpinned in all areas of the HR services provided.
To review cases and be a key collaborator using qualitative and quantitative data to identify emergent themes to support proactive interventions across the People Directorate including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Organisational Development, Leadership & Talent and Occupational Health as well as the People embedded teams.
To work proactively with stakeholders tailoring bespoke interventions to provide solutions for people issues e.g. sickness absence management.
Contribute to design, plan and delivery of formal, informal and ad hoc specialised training or ad-hoc presentations on a range of HR policies as and when required to managers at all levels within the Trust.
Assist in ad-hoc projects as required by the Head/Deputy Head of ER.
Communication
Build and maintain professional relationships throughout the organisation using a collaborative and consultative approach.
Be a communication and culture ambassador at all times, especially demonstrating compassion and humility during sensitive employee matters.
Expand relevant professional networks which support continuous improvement to the Trust’s employee relations approach.
Service Development and Delivery
To deliver a credible customer focused service to employees and managers, based on good quality of advice, approachability, flexibility and responsiveness.
Develop effective communication and education materials/guidance documents for managers/employees; ensuring the delivery of timely and accurate information to employees.
Contribute to the ongoing improvement of the People Directorate ensuring that relevant legislation and national guidelines are applied consistently; identifying improvements that can be made to procedures used.
Contribute to the improvement of the People Relations team and ensure that all duties are carried out in an organised and effective manner.
Highlight areas where service improvements could be made in own/team roles.
Keep updated with employment law issues and forthcoming legislation including identifying and rectifying/mitigating any impact on the business and organisation wide policies and procedures.
Information management
Contribute to the development of user-friendly People Relations processes, systems to provide relevant case management data to clinical groups.
Follow effective and efficient data management practices, streamlining processes where possible in support of paperless environment and continuous improvement.
Accountable for data integrity in systems and ensure appropriate and relevant audit controls are in place.
Analyse People relations activity, monitoring trends and taking appropriate action where concerns are identified.
