The Senior HR Officer will support the delivery of an effective and professional Human Resources service within a domiciliary care and charity environment. The role involves overseeing the daily operations of the HR department and ensuring the function of HR department is maintained. This will include providing support to the HR team with recruitment, employee relations, HR compliance, performance management, staff retention and workforce planning. The Senior HR Officer will ensure adherence to company policies and the compliance with Northern Ireland employment legislation, regulatory bodies, such as RQIA standards, equal opportunities and company policies.
The role will be a bridge between the HR team, Management team, employees and volunteers.
The Senior HR Officer will be responsible for keeping the senior operations team and the CEO informed of all HR related activities within the business, to include employee relations and recruitment. The role will include working closely with the Senior Operations managers to ensure all policies and procedures remain up to date. The Senior HR Officer will always project a professional image.
The role is based in Crossroads care NI offices in 432 Upper Newtownards Road and is particularly focused on supporting a large mobile workforce of care workers, volunteers, managers and office staff operating across community settings therefore travel to other locations may be required.
About The Role
HR Administration and Compliance
* Ensure the maintenance of accurate employee records and HR databases in line with GDPR requirements.
* Ensure proper documentation and filing
* Prepare monthly reports and analytics
* Support Senior Operations Managers with audits and inspection preparations
* Ensure compliance with employment legislation in Northern Ireland
* Support compliance with safeguarding requirements and RQIA and NISCC standards.
* Monitor the completion of right to work checks, probationary periods and mandatory training.
* Assist Senior Operations managers in a unified approach with reviewing and updating Policies, Procedures and Processes within the company with support from HR team.
* To regularly review the staff handbook and with the support of the HR team, ensure the information contained therein is relevant, in line with company policy and changes to legislation have been presented to the Senior Operations Managers.
* To liaise with scheme managers and provide training, where necessary, in relevant updates to employment legislation and changes to company policies and procedures.
* Conduct audits to ensure HR department function is maintained correctly
Employee Relations
* Provide professional HR advice to the HR team, managers and employees.
* Create and support employee engagement activities and promote a positive workplace culture
* Assist the Operations and Scheme managers in the quarterly team meetings with care staff
* Support informal and formal resolutions of workplace conflicts, to include mediation meetings when required.
* Ensure fair and consistent application of policies and procedures.
* To support and manage disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence and performance management processes, to include when concerns arise during Crossroads probationary periods.
* To ensure the smooth and efficient handling of all employee relation cases including conducting disciplinary and grievance investigations alongside the HR and Operations Teams.
* To support Senior Operations Managers and CEO whereby employee relations cases lead to disciplinary hearings and appeals
* Monitor staff hours to ensure both managers and staff adherence to contracted working hours, share code status re hours and that regular availability is provided by casual staff, to include invoking the non-contact process when this is the case.
* To oversee and support the completion of change of contract and flexible working applications, ensuring that the HR department has regular and appropriate information from scheme managers to support the decisions regarding the needs of the area and that relevant company policies are adhered to, all within a timely manner ensuring proficient recording and storing of documentation.
* Support retention strategies with-in a high-turnover care environment
Recruitment and Onboarding
* To be responsible, with the support of the HR team, for the recruitment of staff across the organisation including:
* Domiciliary
* Charity Projects
* Office
* Any of roles which arise within the organisation
* Liaise with Scheme managers on a regular basis to understand the recruitment needs of the organisation and to ensure adequate staffing levels are maintained throughout the company.
* Prepare job descriptions, adverts, contracts and offer documentation, ensuring that they are reflective of the role requirements and that all recruitment practices in the organisation reflect current legislation and best practice standards.
* Work with and support the HR team to proactively seek recruitment opportunities in the local communities through jobs fairs, job centre contacts and local business closures
* Research and develop competitive recruitment campaigns and work with colleagues on marketing campaigns for recruitment of volunteers and employees.
* Liaise with media outlets to ensure affordable and successful recruitment campaigns are undertaken
* Support the HR team and training manager, ensuring the everyday function of recruitment, to include onboarding and referral for induction is maintained. This includes using the ‘see me hired’ platform to support and oversee the following recruitment processes:
* Shortlist applications against set criteria
* Send regret / invite to interview letters
* Send outcome letters to all candidates
* Ensure all pre-employment paperwork is returned including employment gap information and criminal record disclosure and ID photo
* Check all recruitment information has been received and recorded in line with all legislative guidelines including Access NI, RQIA, NISCC and GDPR
* Send invite to induction letters to all candidates
* Create an ID badge for the new start
* Send a contract of employment to the new start to be signed and returned
* Work with the Managers, where concerns arise, to ensure the smooth and efficient management of Crossroads probation process
* Support line managers with any probation queries or concerns and hold interim meetings where necessary
* Support line managers where probations need to be extended or closely monitored
* Send employees letters to confirm when they have successfully completed their 6-month probation review to confirm their permanent employment status
* Track, monitor and report to payroll on all refer a friend recruits, ensuring Crossroads staff are paid appropriately in line with our refer a friend scheme and the repayment of Access NI fees are covered at the end of their probationary period.
* Complete the onboarding and orientation of all new office employees
* Support safer recruitment practices to include reviewing any medical concerns that are apparent throughout the recruitment process, assessing these and holding capability meetings. Should any concerns arise throughout this process then making the appropriate referral to occupational health to ensure fitness for tole applied for, that reasonable adjustment are implemented, if necessary, and relayed correctly to the operations team before the staff member commences role, including the planning of regular wellbeing reviews throughout probationary process to provide support where necessary.
* Ensure the maintenance of a diverse workforce, throughout the recruitment process and after, to include adhering to equal opportunities whilst ensuring the appropriate handling and storage of monitoring information throughout the recruitment process.
* Where it becomes apparent that there are trends or that concerns arise within the recruitment process, investigate, produce reflective reports and liaise further with Operations Managers and CEO whilst being proactive bringing forth options for resolving.
Absence
* Promote employee wellbeing initiatives and a positive workplace culture.
* Ensure that return to work interviews are being conducted within the HR team following periods of sickness absence
* Conduct staff wellbeing and capability meetings to include coordinating occupational health referrals where required
* Be responsible for supplying finance manager with finalised payroll absence report for SSP payments.
* Be responsible for reporting monthly absence figures to the senior operations management team.
* Be responsible HR supporting operations department with the sufficient monitoring and management of absences in adherence to company policies and procedures
Leavers
* Responsible for ensuring the completion of all exit interviews and collating reflective reports to support future retention initiatives
* Responsible for ensuring that resignation acknowledgements are sent, leaver information is provided for payroll prior to the 10th of each month, and relevant files are updated with leave dates
* Responsible for monitoring that factual references are created within a month of employee leave date
* Responsible for the ensuring that leaver files are archived in line with GDPR and retention of information policy
* Support the HR team to Respond to all incoming reference requests for leavers within a timely manner
Performance Management
* Support the performance appraisal process
* Track employee progress and development
* Help implement performance improvement plans
Training and Development
* Evaluate the training effectiveness
* Work with the senior management team to identify training needs
* Work with the training manager to support implementation of training identified through previous evaluations and employee relations cases and inspections
Article 52 & 55
* Complete annual monitoring return of information regarding applicants, employees and leavers using report from relevant software package
* Establish employees who are non-determined within the report
* Write to all non-determined employees requesting further information
* Collate employee returns and determine on their behalf where they have failed to respond
* Complete the extension of monitoring (Article 55) every 3 years
* Take affirmative action, if required, to increase representation in the company
Further workforce support
* Support organisational change processes including restructures, redeployment and consultation exercises.
* Produce HR reports and workforce data for management
* Contribute to continuous improvement within HR practices
* Support workforce planning
* Assist with HR payroll preparation, including sickness, holidays, mileage and overtime.
* Be a point of contact within the HR department
* Company reception support to include dealing with queries and distribute calls as appropriate or take messages and pass on in a timely manner
* To carry out any ad-hoc administrative duties such as photocopying, sending documents via post or email
* provide cover for any employee within the HR department to ensure its continuous function
General duties
* To Maintain confidentiality at all times
* Work in accordance with company policies and procedures
* Promote equality, diversity and inclusion
* Undertake any other duties reasonably required within the scope of the role
Additional
This job description reflects the present requirements of the post and the tasks identified are not exhaustive and will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances. It is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
The post holder will undertake their duties in all subsidiaries within the ‘Crossroads Care NI’.
Required Criteria
* The right to live and work in the UK
* Drivers licence and access to a car and be willing to obtain business insurance
* HR Degree, CIPD or HR relevant qualification
* Two years experience in HR
* Experience of employee relations
* Knowledge of law in NI
* Experience in managing employee confidential information
* Strong communication and organisational skills
* The ability to work independently and as a team, line managing competing priorities
* Competent in Microsoft Office systems
* Fluent in spoken and written English
* C or above in English and Maths at GCSE level
Desired Criteria
* Experience with See Me Hired
* Experience with recruitment platforms such as indeed
* experience within a charity, healthcare, social care or voluntary sector environment
* experience of workforce planning and assisting recruitment
Skills Needed
About The Company
Crossroads is a not for profit organisation dedicated to supporting carers and those with care needs across Northern Ireland.
Crossroads supports people through a number of projects:
Domiciliary – person-centred care, helping people live independently at home.
Young Carers – supporting children and young people who are caring on a daily basis.
In Your Prime – tackling loneliness and social isolation among older people in Northern Ireland.
Company Culture
Crossroads Care NI is a voluntary organisation whose sole purpose is to provide as much respite care as possible to carers of whatever age and disability. Crossroads have been providing a service to Carers in Northern Ireland since 1979. We provide services through our domiciliary, Young Carers and In Your Prime projects.
Company Benefits
Find a new career today through our recruitment service. We provide free training to all new carers, so don’t worry if you lack experience. Why not take a look through the current roles we have available in Crossroads and see if there’s something to suit you?
Salary
£30,000.00 per year