To ensure the provision of an efficient and comprehensive professional People service to managers and staff across Central Services Directorates.Support the delivery of Directorate People-related strategic goals and objectives and the development of partnership relationships through discussion with the Directors.As a member of the Trusts People Team, contribute to the development of People policies, systems and practices and to the development and delivery of People projects on a Trust-wide basis. REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS You will be line managed by the Lead Consultant, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the relevant Central Services Directors to ensure effective partnership working and alignment with service priorities KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES Provide professional advice, expertise, guidance and support on all aspects of People matters to Director(s), Managers, and staff within the Central Services Directorates you support, ensuring that they are aware of current legislation, best practice and Trust policy and procedures. This role will be the focal point of contact for People matters for the areas it is aligned to. In liaison with the Manager team, develop business partner relationships with the Director s and other lead managers within the Directorate(s) in order to gain greater all-round understanding of their business requirements and support them in delivering key objectives. Act as main point of contact for Directors and line managers within the directorate for employee relations issues and to provide support and advice on individual employee casework e.g., grievance, performance and absence management, conduct, capability, harassment and bullying, redundancy, voluntary severance, redeployment, change management, stress management, team development, equality & diversity. Ensure cases are dealt with in a timely fashion and in accordance with our policies, current legislation and best practice and that effective communication and good employee and/or Trade Union relations are developed and maintained. Liaise with the People Recruitment team over the servicing of the recruitment function from handling vacancies to issuing contracts of employment and carrying out Disclosure Scotland checks. Use and verify information held on the relevant People Systems. Develop and where appropriate, deliver People development activities in consultation with Director s and Organisational Development (who may identify and recommend external providers of training, so that cost effective and business-led solutions are delivered). Communication and consultation with staff will be an important element of this role. Along with the Director s, represent the d irectorates interests in discussions on People issues at Trust level, ensuring that the needs of the area are taken into account in developing Trust-wide policies and procedures and ensuring that centrally agreed People policy and practices are implemented in the d irectorate(s). 6. As a member of the Trusts People Team, contribute to policy development and major projects on a Trust-wide basis.Ensure consistency in People practices. Communicate effectively with other members of the People community to share best practice and keep up to date with professional developments, including changes in best practice, new legislation and case law.Represent the People Department at Hearings in other areas of the Trust as required, support the job evaluation process as required. Support the development, use, and effectiveness of the People and Volunteering Systems. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE Qualifications Essential Professionally qualified in HR (Chartered Member of CIPD, would be the norm). Degree or degree level capability in a generalist or specific HR discipline. Will have enhanced knowledge and skills through CPD activities. Desirable HR, HR-related or business-related post-graduate qualification. Clean driving licence. Experience Essential Track record in HR which must have included operational HR as a professional advisor (advising, influencing, delivering HR solutions in partnership with the business, employee relations). Ability to deal with confidential information and always maintain confidentiality. Strong communications skills and superb attention to detail is a must. Strong influencing and interpersonal skills. Excellent organisational and time management skills. A flexible can-do attitude with the ability to work to deadlines. Capacity to work efficiently and stay calm under pressure. Good IT literacy (Microsoft Office, Excel, HR Systems) Desirable Good knowledge of Access People XD Experience of volunteers, volunteering, and volunteer systems. DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB Planning and Organising In collaboration with Director s, contribute to the development and delivery of the People element of the Operational plan. Plan and review the progress of case/recurring project work including prioritisation on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Plan one off projects, over periods of weeks to months (e.g. restructuring activity).Manage competing prioritise against tight deadlines. Work can be provisionally planned but the unpredictable nature of the work requires the post-holder to continually re-assess and re-prioritise the workload. Problem Solving The job holder must deal with both routine and more complex individual staff issues, (e.g., grievance, redeployment, ill health, performance management etc) careful consideration of statutory requirements and Trust policy is needed and the business needs and the perceptions of all parties involved need to be taken into account to identify workable solutions. The job holder can be faced with problems affecting individuals or groups and in these cases he/she must use own knowledge and experience to devise appropriate solutions. The job holder will normally be able to solve most problems without advice but may in certain circumstances want to discuss more complex problems with more senior staff in the People Team. Decision Making Decisions in relation to work prioritisation for self. Professional decisions on interpretation of Trust policy and employment legislation, when to seek advice from other senior colleagues on acceptable levels of risk in pursuing a particular course of action Key Contacts/Relationships Director(s), and Line Managers to raise awareness of forthcoming People issues likely to affect the business, to understand the business and to provide tailored solutions to specific problems. Other Line Managers - to provide advice and guidance on both routine and more complex cases, based on an understanding of business needs, Trust policy and the relevant legal context. People Recruitment team to provide practical advice, guidance and support. External Occupational Health provider, and the (internal) Health & Safety team in the management of absence and in relation to stress risk assessments. The Workforce Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead Consultant on equality, diversity and inclusion issues and the Head of Organisational Development in relation to directorate and individual development needs. Volunteering Lead Consultant on matters relating to volunteer policy, process, and management. The People Director, Head of People Policy, Business Partnering, EDI & Volunteering (who is also the Deputy People Director), The Lead Consultant People Partnering Policy & Advice (who is also the Deputy for the Head of People Policy, Business Partnering, EDI & Volunteering) the Lead Consultant (People Systems & Operations) and other professional People colleagues to assist in the formulation of People policy and procedures, and to seek clarification or agreement on how to manage individual cases. For professional and personal development purposes, People Business Partners may be transferred to another regional/directorate grouping on a temporary or permanent basis depending on individuals and/or the regions/directorates requirements. The individual and region/department would be consulted in these circumstances and before any transfer take places. There may also be a requirement to cover for other People Business Partners due to sickness or annual leave. Scale Each People Business Partner is aligned to one region or Directorate(s). The Trust has ca 1100 employees and 2300 volunteers spread across the country (from the Shetland islands to the border with England, and the mainland and islands between) and whilst most situations can be managed through Teams, some face to face meetings will be required, as well as being present at Regional/Directorate Team meetings. Many of our sites are remote and rural (with limited public transport), and for some, travelling to/from them involves ferry/boat trips (and occasionally by air). People Management There are no direct line management responsibilities. Fostering good relationships with those outlined in the Key Contacts/Relationships section above is essential. Finance Management There are no budgetary responsibilities associated with this role. Tools / equipment / systems Ability to use Microsoft Office, Outlook, financial purchase ordering system, and People XD System (currently AccessXD). Place in organisational structure : Just so you know The Trust has a set of Values we ask you to work within, and these apply to everybody in the Trust irrespective of their role or job. This means we want you to have: The ability and willingness to understand others perspectives and to consider the impact of your actions on them and to adapt your actions as necessary. The ability and willingness to learn and try new things, to be flexible and step outside of your comfort zone. An open and honest way of communicating, ready to ask others for their ideas and to be open to hear and consider different points of view. A pro-active approach to taking initiative and to driving forward ideas and projects designed to improve daily operations and deliver an exceptional visitor experience.