Junior People Partner

Acorn Care and Education; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education and care provider in Bolton is seeking a Junior People Partner. This role offers the chance to develop experience in HR, supporting various services. Responsibilities include acting as the first point of HR support, providing advice, and managing processes like onboarding and performance management. The position offers a salary of up to £37,000 and hybrid work arrangements, alongside a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Life Assurance

Pension scheme

Mental health support services

Flexible Benefits Platform

Discount options

Qualifications

• Experience in a generalist HR Advisor or Senior HR Advisor role.
• Strong understanding of employee relations, onboarding, compliance, and recruitment processes.
• Confident advising managers and employees on day-to-day HR queries.
• Highly organised and comfortable managing multiple tasks and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Be the first line of HR support for leaders and employees.
• Provide day-to-day HR advice and guidance.
• Coordinate and deliver HR processes including onboarding and performance management.
• Support on employee relations cases.
• Assist hiring managers with recruitment coordination.

Skills

HR advisory

Employee relations

Onboarding

Recruitment

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

CIPD or working towards

Job description

We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Job Title: Junior People Partner

Salary: up to £37,000 per annum

Location: Bolton - Hybrid

Contract: Full time, Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Mon-Fri 9-5

JOB PURPOSE:

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to take their first step into a Business Partnering role within a fast-paced and varied environment. Whether you’re progressing from an HR Advisor or Officer position, or bringing transferable skills from a related field, this role offers the chance to deepen your experience across a broad range of people practices. You’ll be joining a supportive, knowledgeable HR team who are committed to your development, offering guidance as you grow your strategic influence and confidence.

Supporting three key areas of our business, Momenta, Blenheim Schools, and Central Services, you’ll gain wide-ranging experience while contributing to meaningful people initiatives. You’ll work closely with People Leaders, Managers, and the wider HR team to deliver a responsive, professional, and solutions-focused HR service across the full employee lifecycle, from onboarding and ER support to L&D coordination and continuous improvement of people processes. Acting as the first point of contact for HR queries, you’ll play a key role in helping build strong, consistent people practices across a diverse and growing group of services.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Be the first line of HR support for leaders and employees across Momenta, Blenheim Schools, and Central Services.
Provide day-to-day HR advice and guidance, escalating complex issues where appropriate.
Coordinate and deliver HR processes including onboarding, performance management, compliance, and employee engagement initiatives.
Support on employee relations cases such as absence management, informal grievances, and disciplinary processes.
Assist hiring managers with recruitment coordination and interview planning.
Help design and deliver learning and development initiatives tailored to divisional needs.
Liaise with payroll and central teams to help resolve pay or contract queries.
Contribute to HR integration activities during new acquisitions, with support from the wider HR team.
Use HR data and insights to inform improvements and provide regular updates to key stakeholders.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment law and best practice to ensure advice and documentation are compliant.
Work collaboratively with the wider HR function to ensure consistent practice across the Group.
Travel occasionally to sites.
EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

ESSENTIAL

Experience in a generalist HR Advisor or Senior HR Advisor role.
Strong understanding of employee relations, onboarding, compliance, and recruitment processes.
Confident advising managers and employees on day-to-day HR queries.
Highly organised and comfortable managing multiple tasks and priorities.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a collaborative approach.
Proactive, solution-focused mindset.
Willingness to travel occasionally to sites.
DESIRABLE

Previous experience in education, care, or multi-site organisations.
CIPD (or working towards).
Why join Outcomes First Group?

About the Group

Outcomes First Group is the largest independent provider of high quality special needs education and care. We are a vital part of local communities in England, Scotland and Wales with a renowned reputation for quality and positive outcomes for the people we educate and care for.
We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.
Our divisional brands include Acorn Education, Options Autism, Blenheim Schools and Momenta Connect.

Our Vision

Empower every child, whatever their ability, with a world-class education that nurtures potential, inspires lifelong learning, and equips them to thrive in a diverse and evolving world.

Our Mission

We commit to unlocking our pupils’ potential through personalised learning, innovation, and opportunity, supporting growth and aspirations.

Our Promise

We Listen.
We never assume.

We work together.
To make the remarkable happen.

We are accountable.
To each other and for one another.

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

Life Assurance
Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
“Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks
Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.
And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:

A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
Cycle to Work Schemes
Electric Car Purchase Scheme
Critical illness cover
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment and undertake appropriate checks.

All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer.

We're on a mission to give our colleagues an amazing work/life balance!

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.