Job Title: Employee Relations Manager Starting: ASAP Duration: Ongoing Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 – 5.30 Location: Croydon, South London Band: 7 Pay: £26.16ph PAYE inclusive of holiday pay Job Summary: * The purpose of this role is to work closely with the Head of Employee Relations to ensure that the Employee Relations team provide a proactive, highly professional and efficient ER service and that all investigations are undertaken to a high standard and completed within required timeframes. * This role will have a day to day responsibility for supporting the Trust to deliver against their restorative approaches to people practices by making informal resolution the new way of resolving conflict between parties. * The post holder will support the Head of ER to produce KPI reports on behalf of the HR department in relation to complex employee relations cases, ensuring regular monitoring takes place against all ER cases. Duties: Key Responsibilities - Employee Relations * Support and develop an effective specialist advisory service across the range of employee relations matters ensuring the provision of professional, expert and technical guidance and support in line with policies and procedures. * Facilitate and lead on highly complex employee relations cases, advising managers on best ER practice ensuring that advice given complies with good employment practice, employment legislation and Trust-wide standards. * Ensure that all ER cases are managed in accordance with the Trust’s Disciplinary, Grievance, Dignity at Work (Bullying and Harassment) and Capability Policies using best practice approaches as set by ACAS guidelines. * Ensure that all investigations, engage all relevant staff and that appropriate timescales are set, deadlines are achieved, case managers are updated and individuals informed of progress to enable resolution of the case in a timely manner. * Ensure the ER team prepare investigation reports including all relevant evidence in advance of formal hearing and that all formal hearings are convened in accordance with Trust Policies and Procedures. * Attend formal hearings, either supporting the manager in presenting the management statement of case to the panel, calling witnesses as required and presenting all evidence that is relevant to each case or to support the chair of the panel. * Assist the Head of ER to act as the main point of contact/liaison with the Trusts external solicitors when seeking legal advice, managing Employment Tribunals and preparing any Trust documentation. * Liaise with both local and regional Trade Union representatives Key Responsibilities - Team Management * Line Manage the Senior Employee Relations Advisors. * Manage and develop the performance and capability of the ER team including setting * performance standards, promoting regular feedback, and ensuring annual PDRs are carried out. * Ensuring the work load for the ER team is allocated fairly and efficiently for the nature of the case to support an early resolution in a swift, effective, professional and compassionate way. Key Responsibilities - Policy & Service Development * Write and revise employment policies, to a high professional standard in accordance with NHS Terms and Conditions, Employment Law and best practice and ensure that they are Implemented and promote as required. * Participate on job matching panels * Oversee the development of documentation for managers and employees in supporting the application of ER policy and process, such as guidance, templates and tools etc remain up to date and fit for purpose, recommending and implementing improvements where appropriate. * Design and deliver specialist management development and training courses on HR policies and procedures. * Lead a culture of compassion with employee relations and ensure the Trust’s fair treatment process is embedded and understood. * Interrogate the employee relations database and analyse data to support the HRBPs and Head of ER in targeting interventions to improve the performance of the Employee Relations Team. * Contribute to the development of expertise within the Trust by ensuring high quality * documentation of lessons learned to enable continual improvements in the delivery of the ER service. This may involve imparting contentious feedback and influencing senior stakeholders on their people management practice. * Assist the Head of ER to provide regular KPI reports that show lessons learned as well as progress to track an improvement in timelines for all ER cases. * Assist the Head of ER to monitor trends around ethnicity, disability, gender and age, highlighting any areas of concern or disparity and formulating action plans to remedy this. * Act as a point of knowledge/reference on the formal processes involved in investigations, hearings, appeals and tribunals and deliver any teaching sessions as and when required either to HR staff or Trust Managers. Essential Experience: CIPD qualified and registered Extensive experience of providing expert advise on Employee Relations in large, complex, unionised organisations Managing a team Successful achievement of managing complex investigations Experience of managing complex projects to tight deadlines Experience of providing expert advise to senior managers Essential Knowledge and Skills: Ability to communicate with a wide range of people regarding complex issues Knowledge of employee relations best practice Excellent knowledge of patient confidentiality Ability to deal with very sensitive information Ability to present complex information in a formal setting Ability to analyse data to be presented Desirable Experience: NHS experience Good knowledge of employment law Understanding the current financial restraints that the NHS is experiencing Knowledge of Agenda for Change regulations Prince 2 Qualified Experience using ESR Smart card holder Experience using e-DBS