HR Business Partner

Countess of Chester; Chester; Presencial; GBP 55.000 - 70.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting an experienced HR Manager to lead a busy HR team and provide strategic advice across the Trust. You’ll handle employee relations, recruitment and retention, attendance management, and organisational change, shaping policy and practice to support a high-performing workforce.

You will work with senior leaders to drive workforce planning, terms and conditions of employment, and interpretation of policies, ensuring staff are supported,

Formación

• Experience leading projects and reporting to senior managers.
• Ability to handle complex HR cases and employee relations.
• Experience in a large, unionised environment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with stakeholders.

Responsabilidades

• Provide effective leadership to the HR sub-team and foster a high-quality service.
• Lead employee relations, recruitment and retention, and attendance management.
• Drive organisational change and workforce planning; interpret policies and terms.
• Offer senior HR advice and guidance to colleagues across the Trust.

Conocimientos

HR leadership

Employee relations

Policy interpretation

Workforce planning

Educación

Graduate CIPD (level 7) or equivalent

Associate CIPD member

CPD commitment

Agenda for Change Job Evaluator

Descripción del empleo

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, staff pride themselves on not only leading through clinical excellence, but also by creating an environment where all staff are valued and appreciated. To achieve this, the Trust has embarked on an exciting new strategy focused on continuous improvement.

Our vision is to improve the lives of our community and provide excellence in healthcare, through partnership and innovation

Our High Performance Culture will support everyone to be the best version of themselves by being true to our Trust vision, values and behaviours.
We welcome applications from colleagues from our local and neighbouring communities of all backgrounds and identities, who are currently under-represented within our region such as Black, Asian, Minority ethnic and those with disabilities.

As a region we are reviewing the way we work, and exploring how new working practices that support flexible working can create a positive work-life balance. As part of our recruitment process we will explore how our inclusive employment policies, flexible working, staff engagement forums, Trust facilities and services can be of mutual benefit.

Job overview

Working Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Are you an experienced HR professional looking for a role where you can grow your skills and make a difference? This is a chance to build on what you already know, work with people across the Trust and get involved in a wide range of HR work. In our busy, fast-paced environment, you’ll gain hands-on experience, sharpen your problem-solving skills and build confidence in tackling different HR challenges.

You’ll work closely with colleagues across the Trust, building relationships, helping shape decisions and providing senior HR advice and guidance. You’ll get involved in everything from employee relations, recruitment and retention, and attendance management to organisational change, workforce planning, terms and conditions of employment, and interpreting and applying policies and procedures. This variety will give you plenty of opportunities to learn, build your expertise and become more confident in handling complex HR matters, while helping find practical solutions that put people first.

Main duties of the job

You will also provide effective leadership to your HR sub-team, creating an environment where colleagues feel empowered, engaged and supported to deliver a high-quality service. Previous line management experience is essential, along with the ability to motivate others, manage priorities and contribute positively to continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will bring substantial senior-level HR experience gained within a large, complex organisation, ideally within a highly unionised environment. You will be confident operating at pace, able to establish immediate credibility with colleagues at all levels, and skilled in building strong, trusted relationships.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are vital, as is the ability to think creatively and pragmatically to deliver effective HR solutions. If you are a resilient, proactive and compassionate HR leader who is passionate about making a meaningful contribution, we would welcome your application.

Working for our organisation

The Trust’s services are provided from three locations:

• The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds.
• Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.
• Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs 5,964 staff (headcount) to provide care and treatment to a population of over 400,000 people living in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire.

The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System. Due to its location on the border with North Wales, the Trust also works closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The Trust treats patients from England and some parts of Wales. During 2024/2025, there were approximately 643,000 patient attendances (inpatient, A&E, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See Job Description for further details.

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

If a DBS is required for your role, you are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee applies which is payable to the DBS Service.Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet immigration rules

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Graduate level CIPD (level 7) qualification or equivalent work based
• Associate member of the CIPD
• Evidence of commitment to Continuing Professional Development
• Agenda for Change Job Evaluator

Knowledge and Experience

• Working and detailed knowledge of employment legislation, equal opportunities and best practice, including managing complex cases and exposure to solving employee relations issues.
• Experience of taking the lead on projects, writing reports and implementing recommendations from these.
• Experience of working with, and influencing, senior managers.
• Experience of working in a Human Resources function in a Business Partner environment.
• Experience of providing and operational Experience of working within a complex multi-union environment.
• Experience of interpreting a range of terms and conditions of service.
• Experience of working in a complex organisation, ideally in a range of HR specialism’s e.g. personnel, recruitment, development, change organisation management, legislation HR Understanding of and ability to develop and analyse workforce and management information to support capacity planning and/or identify and devise learning strategies.
• Experience of re design, restructuring, re organisation/redundancy handling/TUPE.
• Experience of providing strategic and operational support to managers and staff within a large business area/service or several small business areas/services
• Knowledge of Agenda for Change job evaluation

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
If the role is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 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.

Enhanced DBS check applications that are submitted with omitted or incorrect information will be withdrawn. In the event errors are identified on your original application, a new application will need to be submitted and you will be required to pay the DBS application fee again.

The cost of the DBS application will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.

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. Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - Check if you need a UK visa - GOV.UK

The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet these immigration rules

For further details on skilled worker sponsorship, please consult the UK Home Office guidance: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK. Additionally, the New guidance for overseas applicants | NHS Employers provides helpful information on the recruitment process for candidates applying for roles in the UK.

Overseas candidates are responsible for their travel expenses.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have 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 dependent's (over 18 years old) will also be subject to this requirement.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.