Senior Employee Relations Advisor

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust; Dartford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A public health service provider in Dartford seeks an Employee Relations Specialist to support managers on employee relations matters. This part-time role offers flexible working arrangements and requires expertise in employment law and strong communication skills. Develop your career with a commitment to diversity and quality patient care in a rewarding environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in providing expert advice to managers on employee relations.
• Ability to apply understanding of employment law and provide coaching.
• Experience in an NHS secondary care or acute setting is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional advice and support to managers on grievance and disciplinary procedures.
• Advise and support managers on investigations and employment-related hearings.
• Monitor performance for the Employee Relations Team.

Skills

Employee relations expertise

Understanding of employment law

Coaching and mentoring

Strong communication skills

Job description

Overview

This role provides an exciting opportunity for you to work part-time, so you can balance operating in a specialist employee relations role alongside your outside work commitments and interests. The successful candidate will be invited to discuss a flexible working arrangement to accommodate their needs in alignment with service requirements. The post may close earlier than the given closing date.

You will work to ensure comprehensive management of all employee relations matters and provide professional advice and support to managers in all areas of employee relations, ensuring that problems are identified and resolved quickly, effectively and fairly.

You will be aligned to a specific division/s of the Trust to be the main point of contact for all Employee Relations issues. You will build strong relationships with clinical and non-clinical colleagues to help deliver safe and compassionate care, and you will be regarded as a subject matter expert who positively influences decisions and promotes a restorative, just and learning approach and an anti-discriminatory culture.

You will guide managers on investigations and hearings, and deliver training to managers on employee relations matters to develop line managers’ capability to deal with employment issues fairly and consistently across the organisation, reflecting a restorative, just and learning culture and our values.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional advice and support to managers in all areas of employment relations including grievance, disciplinary, fair treatment and absence management procedures, ensuring problems are identified and resolved quickly, effectively and fairly and that communication with staff and their representatives is comprehensive and effective.
• Advise managers and staff on the interpretation and application of terms and conditions of service and contractual issues.
• Advise and support managers to undertake investigations, including decisions on suspensions, supporting the development of investigation reports, and supporting the presentation of findings at hearings.
• Attend formal employee relations meetings as appropriate and advise on documentation, ensuring consistency, accuracy and best practice.
• Support the Head of Employee Relations and HR Business Partners with the effective management of Employment Tribunal claims and related duties.
• Support the Head of Employee Relations to produce and monitor monthly employment relations data for key performance indicators and provide monthly feedback reports to the HR senior team.
• Lead on supporting managers to proactively manage short term sickness cases by reviewing reports and identifying cases that trigger the Trust’s sickness absence policy.
• Develop monitoring mechanisms to measure performance for the Employee Relations Team and deputise for the Head of Employee Relations when required.
• Provide professional advisory input as a full panel member in employment related hearings and stay familiar with Trust computerised Employee Relations and ESR information record systems.
• Keep up to date with current employment law and best practice and recommend changes to policy and procedure as needed; participate in Agenda for Change job evaluation and contribute to job descriptions and person specifications in line with AFC methodology.
• Foster a positive climate of employee relations and maintain strong working relationships with accredited Trade Unions’ representatives.

Qualifications and Experience

• Proven experience in providing expert advice to managers on the full range of employee relations matters, including advising on casework.
• Previous NHS experience is not essential; ability to apply understanding of employment law, support and coach managers to identify risks and make sound people management decisions.
• Experience of working in an NHS secondary care or acute setting is beneficial.

Working for our organisation

We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you\'ll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we\'ve achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.

We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care. If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients.

Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.