Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
The People Services Directorate are seeking a new Operational Lead to join their small Operational Management Team. You will work with the Head of People Operations and Investigations and the two other Operational Leads to oversee the provision of an efficient and proactive generalist HR service, which will include considerable input into the Employee Relations activities and agenda for the Trust.
Main duties of the job
You will oversee a number of assigned place based HR teams, to be agreed, within the Trust. Working closely with the other Leads you will proactively manage the service to enhance and augment a proactive, efficient and reliable HR service. You will provide direct supervision to the People Services Managers in your patch and will be responsible for team appraisal and development and onwards supervision. You will be asked to take the lead on appropriate priorities and initiatives along with your Operational Lead Colleagues. Whilst you will not be expected to carry an operational ER caseload you will need to participate in various ER activities including for example conduct hearings and appeals.
Working for our organisation
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
1. We are kind.
2. We are respectful.
3. We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
Starting with Us
NELFT places great importance on new starters being properly welcomed into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process, new starters will also have the opportunity to meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend several drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing, and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
High Cost Area Supplement - Fringe
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,192 to a maximum of £2,011 pro rata for part time).
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Lead a locality orientated team of HR practitioners with a focus on excellent customer service.
Advise and support team with open and legally complaint management of complex organisational change.
Provide special advice and support in handling of complex employee relations cases, including Employment Tribunals.
Drive improvements in staff management and support the evolution of the Trust's Just and Compassionate Culture
Person specification
Skills
Essential criteria
4. Chartered MCIPD status
5. Master's level qualification in HRM/ equivalent experience
6. Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
Experience
Essential criteria
7. Previous team management experience
8. Previous experience of complex ER case management
9. Experience of leading Trust-wide HR projects/initiatives
10. Experience of dealing with complex organisational change
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
11. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
12. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
13. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
14. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.