We are looking for an exceptional HR professional to join us as our new Deputy Director for People, to play a key role in leading our People Directorate and delivering our People Strategy. The Deputy Director leads on all aspects of our people agenda across AWP, working particularly closely with the Executive Director for People’s senior team, and supporting them in the interface with our two Integrated Care Systems. AWP has a significant workforce of over 5000 people, and, like most NHS organisations, we have some pressing workforce challenges, including rising levels of vacancies, a competitive market and challenges to retain, support, and motivate our workforce. Our People Strategy represents a comprehensive programme of work to help tackle these challenges, and to manage and mitigate our workforce risks. In essence your job will be to ensure that we deliver across the workforce agenda and to make sure that AWP is a ‘Great Place to Work’. To thrive as our Deputy Director for People we anticipate that you will be drawing on extensive experience in demanding people management / HR roles and will be effective at managing a very busy and extensive portfolio of work. We are looking for you to have the confidence to work autonomously and, above all else, to be a credible and knowledgeable People / HR professional, who is keen to really understand our services and who can win the hearts and minds of our workforce. You will be a very visible presence, a focal point for all leaders and managers at AWP, and a key leadership figure for the People Directorate, which is a team of over 100. You will have a crucial role in developing an open, honest, and ‘just’ culture at AWP and supporting staff at all levels to feel motivated, engaged, and enthusiastic about improvement. We are looking for someone with very highly developed people skills, who is committed to partnership working and who is kind to others, whilst encouraging them to make the best contribution possible. Above all you must have a true passion to ensure that AWP is the most effective employer that it can possibly be, and that people are keen to join us, stay with us, progress with us, and to deliver great services. We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust); a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care. We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset. Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care. At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger. For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Carole Perez Job title: Executive Assistant to the Director for People Email address: carole.pereznhs.net Informal discussions are encouraged. To arrange an appointment with Julian Feasby, Director for People, please contact Carole Perez at carole.pereznhs.net