Job summary
HR Investigation and Support Officer
Band 8a (under review).
Part Time
Fixed Term 23 months
hours pw
Flexible Hybrid working; home/office
Are you passionate about improving the way that organisations respond to investigations within the Employee and Human Resource setting and supporting the cycle of continuous improvement within an operational HR setting? If so, we have a fantastic opportunity for an individual to join our Team here at Gloucester Hospitals NHS FT to become part of the People and Organisational Development Team to help us shape the future culture of the organisation.
Main duties of the job
Working under the leadership of the Associate Director of HR and Resourcing you will be responsible for developing and improving the method of recording employee relations decisions within the Trust; reviewing and delivering a continuous training programme with HR practitioners to equip our managers to fulfil the role of Investigating Officer and deliver investigations; as well as ensuring our key policies are assessed to reflect current and best practice.
About us
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust operates hospitals on our two main sites in Cheltenham and Gloucester, and we're one of the largest NHS trusts in the country.
Our workforce of almost 10,000 staff provide high quality emergency, elective and specialist care across a range of clinical areas
Job description
Job responsibilities
Assess, improve and professionalise the Trust response to investigations within the Employee and Human Resource setting by;
- Working with stakeholders to create systems and processes that will ensure consistency of assessment and decision making within a conduct, grievance and disciplinary setting
- Developing and improving the method of recording employee relations decisions within the corporate memory
- Building and maintaining the important links between initial case assessment and any necessity for investigation within the context of a Just and Learning approach
- Ensuring policies relevant to behaviour, discipline and grievance are regularly reviewed and revised to reflect current and best practice.
- Working alongside HRBPs and on behalf of the Associate Director of HR & Resourcing, reviewing and delivering a continuous training programme with HR practitioners to equip relevant Trust managers to deliver investigations and fulfil the role of Investigating Officer
- Deliver high quality training to build the pool of investigators, as well as for case managers and commissioning managers from all professional groups
- Creating and maintaining opportunity for investigators to collectively check, challenge and peer review with appropriate safeguards for anonymity.
- Acting as a mentor and critical friend, where required, for those in the Trust undertaking the role of Investigating Officer and case manager
- Assessing and building upon the engagement expectations with victims and witnesses in employee relation cases
- Developing and ensuring a consistency of assessment and reporting when policy determines a requirement for fact-finding
- Developing and maintaining a system of performance data reporting for investigations that recognises organisational threat, harm and/or risk which ensures the necessary proportionate governance and oversight
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Masters Degree or equivalent or relevant experience
2. Relevant continuing CPD
Desirable
3. MCIPD membership (Level 7 minimum)
4. Level 7 CIPD qualification
Experience
Essential
5. Experience of leading a team
6. Record of experience of successfully leading a team
7. Experience of supporting senior colleagues, up to and including Executive level, with complex Human Resources challenges
Desirable
8. Experience of negotiating with regional and local Trade Union officials in order to manage disputes, policy implementation and other relationship matters.
Knowledge Skills & Abilities
Essential
9. Ability to lead a team of professionals who work autonomously, creating an environment to encourage creativity, collaboration and professional development.
10. Excellent oral and written communication skills
11. Strong ability to lead, influence and negotiate at senior levels
12. A solution focussed approach to problem solving and relationship management.
13. A collaborative approach to working with a range of functions within the wider People and OD service and Integrated Care System; experience of collaborating to deliver solutions and creating opportunities for service development
14. Ability to analyse complex information and workforce trends to identify key concerns and lead the collaborative development of trust wide solutions.
15. Ability to manage significant competing priorities with limited resources, prioritising delivery of HR Services in accordance with risk and the achievement of key objectives.
16. Experience in capturing the learning from sensitive employment relations issues and utilising this to develop improvements to policy, practise and services
17. Well-developed sensitivity to stakeholder relationships with a constructive yet strong approach to challenge, specifically up to Executive level.
18. A thorough and up to date knowledge of employment law and demonstrable experience of its pragmatic application.
19. Tenacity and Resilience
20. Confidence and experience in making difficult decisions and managing the implementation of decisions within a team.
Desirable
21. Ability to use Microsoft Office applications
22. An understanding of the challenges within the NHS modernisation agenda and the ability to generate local solutions to these
23. Experience of successful partnership with Trade Unions
24. The ability to provide comprehensive senior reports, workforce information and to support the development of business cases.
25. Knowledge of the Just and Restorative learning approach to the assessment and progression of employee relations cases.