<div><h3>Overview</h3><p>We have an exciting opportunity available for a Band 5, ER Advisor in the Employee Relations team. This is a new post that has been created to primarily focus on supporting managers with managing sickness absence cases, as well as being a primary point of contact for staff and managers seeking general HR advice.</p><p>The postholder will work as part of the Employee Relations Team comprising of Senior ER Advisors and ER Manager and will be crucial in helping the Team deliver a comprehensive and proactive HR service to Divisional and Corporate Managers, Line Managers and staff.</p><p>As well as leading on providing support with sickness absence cases, you will also provide guidance on a wide range of employment issues and support the Senior ER Advisors with disciplinary, capability and grievance cases, and co‑ordinate the job matching and analysis process.</p><p>The role will also contribute to the just and learning culture, supporting managers to embed this approach in the management of issues, and in promoting a culture of learning and improvement.</p><p>Key Relationships include Executive Directors, Deputy Directors, Divisional Directors, Clinical Directors, Heads of Service, Service Managers, Heads of Nursing, Matrons, Chief People Officer, Deputy Chief People Officer, Strategic HR Business Partners, ER Manager, Senior ER Advisors and all employees and their union representatives.</p><h3>Absence and Ill Health Management</h3><ul><li>Manage absence (both LTS and STS) and ill health matters effectively within the Trust, providing guidance and support to staff and management.</li><li>Advise on complex issues such as long-term sickness cases, ill-health retirement, reasonable adjustments and termination discussions.</li><li>Organise final stage hearings in accordance with the Trusts Sickness Absence Policy, adjusting plans based on availability of individuals, adjustment requirements and room availability.</li><li>Analyse sickness absence data, provide detailed reports, and collaborate with managers to implement proactive absence management strategies.</li><li>Work with the Senior ER Advisors and HR Business Partners to design interventions for absence reduction.</li><li>Provide training, guidance, and advice on sickness absence management within the organisation.</li></ul><h3>Point of Contact and Advisory Role</h3><ul><li>Serve as a primary point of contact for staff and managers, offering advice on less complex HR issues.</li><li>Provide comprehensive employee relations advice and guidance based on Trust policies, NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) and medical terms and conditions, and best practices.</li><li>Offer consistent advice on employee relations matters to enhance organisational capability.</li><li>Liaise with internal departments including Recruitment, Payroll services, Finance, etc., and external organisations such as Occupational Health, as appropriate.</li></ul><h3>Compliance and Operational Support</h3><ul><li>Keep the Employee Relations Manager abreast of operational issues within the Trust/Divisions.</li><li>Ensure manager awareness and compliance with People Services policies and procedures.</li><li>Contribute to the drafting, formulation and implementation of existing and new policies, procedures and standard operating procedures.</li><li>Manage shared mailboxes, ensuring that all emails are responded to in a timely manner and documents are filed electronically in the correct place and appropriately named.</li><li>Ensure the ER Caseworker system is kept up to date in relation to all ER cases being supported.</li><li>Support and keep up to date the job evaluation database and spreadsheet.</li></ul><h3>Employee Relations Processes and Investigations</h3><ul><li>Provide advice and support on investigations, including grievances, discipline, and performance management.</li><li>Assist in employee relations hearings, particularly for absence management and less complex cases.</li><li>Act as an adviser for non‑complex disciplinary, capability, and grievance hearings.</li><li>Review management cases for formal hearings, identify gaps, and support managers in decision‑making.</li><li>Support the job evaluation process in accordance with NHS job evaluation criteria, including planning and organising job evaluation panels and recording requests and outcomes in the central database/records.</li><li>Provide advice and process all maternity, paternity, parental, shared parental and adoption leave requests.</li></ul><h3>Training and Development</h3><ul><li>Deliver training sessions on management essentials and other relevant topics to support leadership strategies.</li><li>Promote positive working relationships and open communication among colleagues and staff representatives.</li><li>Provide guidance on panel compositions and hearing packs for formal hearings.</li></ul><h3>Reporting and Analysis</h3><ul><li>Contribute to performance management reporting by analysing key indicators, particularly sickness absence data.</li><li>Participate in job matching and role analysis processes as necessary.</li><li>Provide pragmatic advice tailored to address risks and implications effectively.</li></ul><h3>Documentation and Record Keeping</h3><ul><li>Take and transcribe formal minutes for hearings and work groups.</li><li>Record case information accurately and efficiently in designated systems.</li><li>Review and update team standard operating procedures regularly.</li></ul><h3>Task Prioritisation and Resource Management</h3><ul><li>Reprioritise tasks and reassess strategies within evolving employee relation scenarios.</li><li>Handle competing priorities effectively to ensure efficient case management.</li></ul><h3>Subject Access and Freedom of Information Requests</h3><ul><li>Support and organise the processing of Subject Access Requests (SAR) and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, ensuring timely responses in accordance with statutory requirements and Trust policies, while maintaining appropriate documentation to support audits and reviews.</li></ul><h3>Education and Qualifications – Required</h3><ul><li>Educated to degree level in an HR related subject area or Level 5 CIPD qualification or relevant equivalent qualification or equivalent relevant experience in HR environment.</li><li>Membership of the CIPD.</li></ul><h3>Education and Qualifications – Desirable</h3><ul><li>Trained in NHS AfC Job Evaluation.</li><li>Experience of working in an operational HR role dealing with sensitive and complex issues.</li><li>Experience of advising managers on a range of HR issues, in particular absence management.</li><li>Experience of involvement in policy development and implementation.</li><li>Knowledge of a range of HR policies, processes and practices e.g. absence and capability, disciplinary and grievance procedures.</li><li>Knowledge of current employment law, data protection and ACAS Codes of Practice.</li></ul></div>