Senior People Relations Advisor

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust; Margate; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS trust is seeking a Senior People Relations Advisor in Margate, England. This role focuses on delivering employee relations services, supporting managers on complex ER issues, and ensuring compliance with employment legislation. The ideal candidate will possess a relevant degree, CIPD qualifications, and extensive HR experience within a large organisation. Key responsibilities include casework management, training provision, and policy development.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent experience.
• Experience of generalist HR in a large complex organisation.
• Strongly developed communication skills including negotiation and coaching.

Responsibilities

• Act as a point of contact for employment policies and procedures.
• Support managers with investigations into employment matters.
• Deliver training to managers on ER policies and procedures.

Skills

Communication skills

Understanding of ER policies and procedures

Analytical skills

Ability to work autonomously

Education

Degree in relevant subject

CIPD part / fully qualified

Job description

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Senior People Relations Advisor

The closing date is 08 December 2025

The Senior People Relations Adviser plays a critical role in supporting a respectful and inclusive workplace culture, they act as a trusted partner to both employees and leadership.

Main duties of the job

This role will contribute to a professional and responsive Employee Relations (ER) service by delivering timely and complex ER advice and guidance. Support managers and employees on a wide range of ER issues, adding value to the People & Culture Directorate and the wider Trust. Assist in the development, implementation, and embedding of the People strategy, policy, and practice in line with legislation and best practices, working with staff side/trade union partners.

The People Relations team is evolving and changing to meet the needs of our patients and colleagues, this role is pivotal in supporting the transformation and contributing to overall success of the team and the Trust.

About us

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa applying for roles Band 5 and above.

Job responsibilities

Employee Relations:

Act as a point of contact for information and advice on employment policies and procedures, including employment legislation, NHS terms and conditions, pay, and equality and diversity.

Attend meetings to provide information and advice on employment processes and updates to Line Managers.

Ensure all documentation complies with current regulations and employment law and advise managers on required changes as necessary.

Supporting managers with a caseload of investigations into employment matters, including disciplinary, grievance, and harassment issues, and support managers in performance management issues and long-term sickness cases at formal reviews and beyond.

Ensure the provision of coaching and advice to all managers within the Trust regarding all aspects of employment policy and procedure for all categories of staff, as well as associated post-employment issues.

Support the Head of People Relations in meeting the Trusts key performance indicators.

Support and develop training packages and deliver training to managers trust wide to upskill their use and understanding of a range of ER policies and procedures in a fair and reasonable way that is compliant with legislation.

Support managers in providing advice on all ER-related issues, policies, and procedures, including but not limited to disciplinaries, performance, MHPS, dignity at work, and attendance management in a timely and reasonable manner to bring resolution and appropriate conclusion to these cases.

Ensure casework is progressed in line with workforce KPIs, and elevate where this does not happen.

You will be expected to provide support to panels in a number of ER processes, including but not limited to attendance, MHPS, disciplinaries, and performance hearings, ensuring preparation and coaching of Chairs to reach fair, appropriate, and reasonable outcomes with adherence to policy and legislation.

Provide ongoing coaching and development to line managers during all ER conversations/interventions, increasing their confidence in dealing with ER issues

The postholder will support with the triage of cases with direction from the Head of People Relations.

Communication

Interpret, analyse, and provide advice on employment matters with particular regard to effective and timely resolution of discipline, grievance, sickness, and harassment casework, including up to suspension, dismissal, and Employment Tribunal level, often involving complex, contentious, and sensitive issues requiring tact and diplomacy.

Support managers in their meetings with staff to gather evidence and facts in respect of issues.

Liaise with those involved, including managers and staff side, in respect of casework to ensure that cases are undertaken in a timely manner and in line with policy and best practice.

Maintain close liaison with the Trusts Occupational Health department, ensuring that any delays or issues with sickness absence cases are raised with management and actions put in place to rectify problems.

Analytical and Judgement

Undertake investigations into all employment matters, both complex and routine, which will require the post holder to use their judgement on the outcomes.

Interpret employment legislation, terms and conditions of employment, and all areas of Trust ER policy and procedure to reduce the risk of litigation involving frequently complex and sensitive issues.

Manage the People Relations Adviser in their provision of support for line managers in achieving the Trust objective in the reduction of sickness absence. This includes all aspects of sickness absence management, including advising managers of reasonable adjustments, redeployment process, and ill-health retirement.

Planning and Organisational

Plan and complete casework within agreed timescales, which will require excellent diary management and a flexible approach.

Organise own workload and ensure that any documentation required for reports is completed within the defined timescales.

Policy and Service Development

Propose changes to ER policies and procedures which impact across the Trust.

Identify opportunities for innovation and improvements to ER practice and systems of work, and support the changes within the ER function and relevant ER Teams as required.

Ensure that record-keeping for casework is of a sufficient standard to ensure that the Trust is able to defend Employment Tribunal cases.

Support the Head of People Relations in compiling documentation in relation to Employment Tribunal cases.

Deliver a customer-focused and user-friendly service which provides accurate, timely, professional advice to managers and maximises the use of appropriate technology and resources.

Ensure that line managers are informed of any changes to employment working practices and the effects of employment legislation.

Propose initiatives that modernise, reduce inefficiencies and costs, and draw these to the attention of the Head of People Relations as appropriate.

Line Management

Provide line management, including but not limited to mentoring, guidance, and supervision to the People Relations Advisor, ensuring the provision of an efficient and effective service. Conducting performance appraisals in line with the Trusts Performance Appraisal policy.

Information Resources Role

Responsible for ongoing and real-time updating of internal databases and systems to ensure accurate reports can be provided up to and including executive level.

Responsible for delivering accurate and timely management information regarding all casework.

Freedom to Act

Work independently under own initiative, whereby the post holder will be expected to interpret Trust policy, Agenda for Change, Medical and Dental terms and Conditions, employment legislation, recommendations from the Department of Health, NHS Employers, DBS, UK Border Agency, and ER best practice to ensure that the Trust is working in accordance with these.

Prioritise own workload and ensure key performance indicators and service level agreements are met.

General

The post holder is expected to actively promote and implement the NHS equal opportunities policies and procedures.

The post holder must at all times respect confidentiality and in particular the confidentiality of personal data stored electronically, in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 28

The post holder must be aware of individual responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act and identify and report, as necessary, any untoward accident, incident or potentially hazardous environment.

The post holder is expected to participate in performance appraisal in line with local Trust policy

To participate in Agenda for Change job evaluations as required to the standard set.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience
• CIPD part / fully qualified. Working towards CIPD post graduate qualification
• Continuing professional development, taking ownership and accountability for staying up to date / professionally registered with the CIPD

Experience

• Experience of recent generalist HR experience in a large complex organisation including complex case work including, issues of conduct, performance, dignity at work issues, sickness managements and investigations
• Experience of developing and delivering training interventions to staff and managersExperience of preparing, analysing and presenting reportsExperience of advising on employment legislation policy and interpretation of and application terms and conditions of employmentPrevious experience of working in the NHSWorking in partnership with trade unions

  Skills and Knowledge

  • Strongly developed communication skills including ability to communicate complex information with fully developed persuasive negotiating, coaching and influencing skills
  • Sound understanding of ER policies and procedures and employment legislation
  • Demonstrable ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues
  • Demonstrable ability to work autonomously without direct supervision and as part of a team

  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.

  East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust