Senior People Relations Advisor

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Advisor to join an established People Relations Team. This is a new opportunity to support and oversee complex cases while supporting the development of the people relations team and department managers. The post holder will require significant experience of providing complex ER Advice to Senior Managers within a complex organisation.

Main duties of the job

You will be required to work with the existing Senior Advisors, to give focused expert advice, through options based coaching to line managers with a focus on the long standing and complex cases. You will also support the management of Appeals and hold a caseload of Employment Tribunals. There will also be opportunities to take on projects to support the working and development of the team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Maintain and develop an understanding of the services provided by ELFT to be best able to identify where and how the employee relation function can contribute to the achievement of the People plan.
• Resolve complex employee relations issues in line with Trust policies and procedures and act as an expert on ER issues on high profile cases.
• To work with the Advisers and medical managers to resolve ER issues in accordance with MHPS
• Advise and support Managers and staff in the interpretation of HR policies and procedures, and provide professional advice on best practice, and its application in the service, including:- o Employee Relations including discipline, grievance, redundancy and redeployment Sickness and other absence o Performance Management and annual appraisals o Employee health and wellbeing o Flexible Working o Equality, Diversity and Inclusion o Training and Development o Employment Law
• Work alongside the Head of People Relations to ensure all Appeals and Employment Tribunal cases are dealt with in accordance with agreed protocols (including undertaking preparation of Employment Tribunal cases and attendance at hearings as and when required)
• Work alongside the Head of People Relations in developing and updating ER policies and procedures and present them at the Joint staff committee to be ratified.
• Ensure templates and tools to support managers, People & Culture Hub and the People Relations Team remain up to date and fit for purpose, recommending and implementing improvements where appropriate.
• Identify, develop and deliver an overall HR training and development programme in line with requirements of ELFT covering all aspects of Employee Relations.
• Support the Head of People Relations for the ongoing development of the Employee Relations function
• Lead in the provision of a quality mediation service within the Trust
• Deputise for Head of People Relations as required.
• Attend and contribute to SLT meetings as required.
• Responsible for maintaining and developing the Employee Relations tracker database (Selenity)
• Develop and create reports and documentation on a periodical basis in regards to employee relations investigations and responses to Freedom of Information Requests
• To quality check and audit ER management cases on an ad hoc basis
• Interrogate the employee relations data base and analyse data to support the Head of People Relations in targeting interventions to improve the performance of the People Relations Team
• Identify potential areas of concern and trends e.g. sickness patterns, highlighting and discussing with Managers to find appropriate solutions.
• Work in partnership with Trade Union representatives, negotiating with them as and when necessary.
• Work in partnership with Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
• Conduct Workshops and courses on HR issues for managers and staff.
• Coach Managers on an individual basis as necessary to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed for their job.
• Lead a culture of compassion with employee relations and ensure the Trust’s fair treatment process is embedded and understood
• As a line Manager, undertake investigation projects as delegated by the People Relations Manager from initiation of the investigation through to compilation and presentation of reports.
• Projects as directed by the Head of People Relations