Employee Relations Manager

Job summary

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.

Main duties of the job

• 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

About us

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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

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 1:1s 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 Trusts 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.

Person Specification

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Strong HR background providing advice and support to managers and staff on a range of employee relations matters (including performance, conduct, employment law and people policies) without day-to-day supervision or direction and have the capacity to assist others where required
• Significant experience supporting the full range of complex employee relations cases,
• Experience of managing a team

Desirable

• Knowledge of MHPS and Safeguarding

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Ability to develop and maintain communication, both verbally and in writing, to all levels of staff about complex and difficult matters, and in sometimes difficult and sensitive situations
• Ability to identify key issues and problems in a situation, generating options likely to lead to successful outcomes
• Sound knowledge of current employment law and ability to apply to the working environment

Desirable

• Worked in a complex organisational environment in a healthcare or similar environment
• Ability to manage a high caseload

Education and qualifications

Essential

• MCIPD or equivalent

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Great Dover Street

200, Great Dover Street

London

SE1 4YB

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

---