South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
People Business Partner
Closing date: 23 November 2025
We are looking for an experienced People Business Partner to join our new senior leadership team. As a key member of our People Directorate leadership team, you will work directly to the Deputy Chief People Officer.
You will be the key connection between our clinical and corporate services and the People Directorate, helping to bring our new workforce strategy to life.
You will work independently and strategically, acting as a trusted advisor to leaders and teams within your designated business areas, to anticipate workforce themes and risks and to co‑create appropriate plans and solutions that improve employee experience and support the Trust’s strategic aims.
* Lead workforce planning and development projects.
* Use data and KPIs to support performance improvements.
* Promote fair and effective people management.
* Support leaders through change and transformation.
* Encourage diversity, inclusion, and engagement.
* Represent the People Directorate in meetings and forums.
At the time of advertising, this role meets the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.
All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID‑19 to protect patients.
Main duties of the job
Job Summary
1. You will be an integral part of the local leadership team acting as a critical friend, analysing data to identify emerging themes, trends and risks and bringing these into the leadership team discussions to co‑create solutions and risk mitigation.
2. Using key data, support critical business plans and performance improvements such as employee relations cases, key people metrics, workforce plans and supply plans.
3. Act as conduit between the People Directorate and the care groups/services to support the implementation and embedding of workforce programmes.
4. Influencing cultural change within services and business areas by connecting the People Directorate team and the care group to enable multidisciplinary conversations.
5. Creating stronger linker links between People Directorate teams by supporting and enabling a multidisciplinary approach within the Directorate leadership team.
About us
We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.
Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities. We do this by providing high‑quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non‑clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.
We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups. We value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.
Be a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.
Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.
Job responsibilities
Key areas of responsibility
* Ensure the people services are customer focused, efficient, effective and delivered to the highest professional standard.
* Act as an advocate of change and transformation in support of business and people strategies and champion best practice people management.
* Provide advice and guidance on very complex, sensitive and contentious people issues to minimise risk.
* Using appropriate metrics, surveys and employee engagement to identify problem areas and work with specialist People Directorate colleagues to develop appropriate interventions.
* Take a lead role in monitoring, reporting, analysing and improving people performance against agreed Trust people performance metrics (KPI) and where relevant external contract performance parameters.
* As a member of the People Directorate Leadership Team, contribute to the development of the People strategy and share intelligence regarding Care Group strategy.
* Ensure the workforce experience is positive from recruitment through journey of employment implementing a just culture framework throughout employment.
* Support workforce planning and promote organisational efficiencies.
* Champion staff engagement and develop a learning culture as a key component of their role.
* Build networks and encourage sharing of knowledge, experience and lessons learned across the People Directorate, Care Groups and the Trust.
* Act as an advocate for the people function at all times.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Educated to Degree level or evidence of equivalent level of knowledge achieved through practice‑based experience.
* Full CIPD (level 7) qualification or equivalent or relevant Post Graduate qualification in area of work.
* Chartered member of the CIPD or evidence of equivalent level of knowledge achieved through practice‑based experience.
* Fellow CIPD registration.
Experience
* Evidence of successful project management.
* Evidence of developing and presenting training and learning subjects to all levels of employees.
* Demonstrable experience of working at a senior level handling highly complex issues and projects in the people directorate.
* Experience of working as part of a management team.
* Experience of working in a complex organisation with a wide range of staff groups, stakeholders and in partnership with trade unions.
* Experience of writing, presenting and leading on the delivery of detailed information to support corporate objectives.
Personal Attributes
* Ability to prioritise work and meet tight and multiple deadlines/ competing demands.
* Ability to exercise professional judgement work autonomously and self‑motivated to complete own work and motivate others.
* Ability to build relationships with key stakeholders.
* Performance management and results orientated, dynamic completer finisher.
* Good standard of information technology to extract data, provide reports and presentations required for senior colleagues.
* Advocate the trust values and committed to equality and diversity and inclusion.
* Empathetic using tact and diplomacy.
* Able to undertake any necessary travel in connection with the duties of the post.
Physical Attributes
* Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years.
Special Knowledge/Skills
* Demonstrable experience at a senior role as an autonomous practitioner within a related people function.
* Understanding of the national agenda affecting workforce in the NHS and wider H&SC community.
* Strong ability to lead, influence and negotiate at senior levels utilising different styles, approaches and expertise when working with managers and staff and colleagues.
* Excellent interpersonal skills including strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to present complex written and verbal information in a logical manner.
* Ability to analyse workforce trends, identify key concerns and act in a solution focus manner.
* Ability to solve highly complex problems and make independent decisions.
* Demonstrates political awareness internal and externally to the trust.
* Ability to build relationships and work at all levels of the organisation, influencing across a range of professional groups and levels within the organisation and with external stakeholders.
* Ability to meet deadlines under pressure.
* Ability to use own initiative.
Training
* Evidence of strong CPD undertaken.
* Qualification in organisational development.
Employer name
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
#J-18808-Ljbffr