People Advisor

Job overview

University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust is looking for an experienced, energetic and people-focused HR professional to join our People Operations Team as a People Advisor.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives on managing complex employee relations casework, coaching managers and delivering practical HR solutions in a busy and rewarding NHS environment.

You'll provide expert advice and support across a broad range of workforce matters, including:

• Complex sickness absence and attendance management
• Disciplinary, grievance and capability cases
• Formal workplace investigations
• Organisational change and workforce improvement initiatives
• Policy advice and employment law guidance
• Coaching and developing managers to build confidence and capability

We're looking for someone who can work independently, manage a varied caseload and build trusted relationships across the organisation. You'll bring sound HR knowledge, excellent judgement and a genuine passion for helping people and services succeed.

What we're looking for

• Strong employee relations and case management experience
• Confidence leading investigations and difficult conversations
• Experience supporting sickness absence case management advice and guidance and wellbeing interventions
• Excellent coaching, influencing and relationship-building skills
• A proactive, solution-focused approach
• Passion, energy and commitment to the People profession

Previous unsuccessful applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

Provide comprehensive support to the People Business Partner by managing a diverse caseload with a significant focus on formal ER case investigation work, including complex disciplinary and grievance investigations, and leading on the management of complex sickness and long‑term absence cases in line with Trust policy.

• Facilitate the effective resolution of employee relations matters including grievance, discipline, capability, absence, and dignity at work matters.
• You will be required to conduct formal investigations in conjunction with nominated officers to ensure the correct evidence is available for disciplinary and tribunal hearings, presenting information as and where appropriate.
• Your role as an Employment Relations Case Worker will require you being actively involved in the implementation of the Trust’s Managing Attendance Policy including having oversight of compliance against agreed Trust targets, employment law and redeployment process and practise.
• As part of your role you will be required to develop and implement action plans to support the managed reduction of staff absence rates and liaise with internal and external agencies as necessary.
• Your role will provide operational HR support including advice on HR policy, practice, employment law, NHS terms and conditions, responding to changes in employment law, process and practise as they arise.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• You will be required to be involved in auditing the effective delivery of HR policies and practices across the Trust to ensure consistent interpretation and application of procedures and initiate corrective action as and when required.
• You will proactively use available business intelligence data available to identify data trends and areas of concern to enable in-reach support to be deployed in the right place at the right time and to mitigate staffing escalation risks.
• You will be required to provide updates on performance against Trust HR Key Performance Indicators and identify trends or areas of concern so that improvement plans can be developed where required across priority areas.
• You will be required to promote good working relationships with key stakeholders including local trade union /employee representatives in order to promote effective partnership working on all elements of employment relations matters.
• You will be required to support the Trust’s Job Evaluation Team and advise on the Trust’s Job Evaluation Scheme, grading appeals and disputes as and when required.
• You will be required to support the People Business Partners in ensuring that the HR implications of business and service plans are anticipated, planned and initiated, assisting in management of change initiatives which ensure effective communication and consultation processes within the service provide advice and support to managers on effective re-profiling, skill mix and productivity changes as required.
• You may be required to support coaching and training as and when required to support training needs at a service level and as directed by the Deputy People Partner.
• You will be required to support the development, review, communication and training of new and existing HR policies and procedures to ensure they are consistently implemented across the Trust.
• You may be required to deputise for the Deputy People Partner or People Business Partner and proactively undertake specific project work aligned to the Trust’s Organisational Strategy and People Strategy as directed.

For further details please see the attached job description.