Head of Employee Relations

Job Summary To lead the provision of a proactive and customer focused Employee Relations (ER) for the Trust. Reporting to the Associate Director of People, the post holder will support the Trust in the delivery of corporate objectives and delivery of strategic and operational people projects and initiatives that maximize performance to meet current and future business needs. Working in partnership with managers to develop and deliver the Trusts Employee Relations service at Chelsea and Westminster and across the Acute Provider Group (APG), based on approach to people management that embodies a Just Culture. With a passion for excellence in customer service, the post holder will develop and deliver best in class ER service. Accountable for the provision of advice on Trust policy, local and national terms and conditions of employment and employment legislation and be a subject matter expert in all aspects of employee services and the improving of people practices in the Trust. The Head of ER will be expected to create an environment of continuous quality improvement and professional development ensuring that the delivery of services to staff is regularly reviewed and that service developments or changes are implemented when necessary. The Head of ER will provide visible, credible and effective leadership in order to deliver a high-quality service by coaching and supporting their direct reports. The post holder will be a strong, inspirational leader who influences and shapes the Trusts people strategy agenda, forging strong relationships with stakeholders internally/externally and building the reputation of collaborative partnership working and innovation in the provision of Employee advisory and support services across the customer base supported. Key working relationships ER team and direct reports Trade Union Representatives People & OD Directorate Teams including People Business Partners, Specialist Medical Workforce team, Workforce Intelligence, Resourcing, Occupational Health Finance Team All Line Managers, Divisional Managers and Senior Managers All internal staff Third party service providers, external Agencies or outside organisations i.e. Trust solicitors, trade unions, Disclosure & Barring Service & the Home Office. External applicants/members of the public Main Roles and Responsibilities Effective management of the

ER Team

Lead and manage the ER Team. Work closely with key stakeholders including Directors, Managers, senior clinicians, Professional Leads and senior People & OD colleagues to ensure the functions support good management and enables the delivery of the Trusts workforce strategy. Build strong, credible and visible relationships across the business and be viewed as a trusted advisor. Work in partnership with managers, trade unions, staff organisations and staff representatives, to implement and further develop a wide range of People & OD and employee relations policies and procedures that are designed to advise and support managers and staff in the exercise of good employment practice. With an approach of continuous improvement, develop effective processes and practices in line with best practice and legal guidelines. Deputising for the Associate Director of People. Ensure that the Services play a critical function in the Trust acting as a Learning Organisation. Regularly de-brief appropriate managers following the conclusion of complex cases. Hold accountability for actions or learning points being followed through or escalated to the necessary governance fora. Lead, build and maintain positive and productive relationships with recognised trade unions to promote partnership working across the organisation leading on complex negotiations and disputes. Ensure the provision of a high quality and efficient mediation service designed to resolve disputes between staff at the earliest opportunity without the need for formal procedures to be initiated. Developing a just culture where our people can thrive and be themselves. Set appropriate expectations for governance, escalation and communication of ER risk, taking a commercial and pragmatic approach to managing legal risk balanced with clinical risk and efficient service delivery. Manage own complex ER caseload providing high quality consistent advice Present information relating to highly complex and sensitive cases to Trust panels, including attendance at Employment Tribunals and giving witness evidence as appropriate. Advise formal hearing panels Advise and support Maintaining High Professional Standards investigations and hearings Liaise with the Trusts solicitors on matters relating to Tribunals, other employment related claims and legal claims. Manage employment risks related to expiry of Right to Work / Certificate of Sponsorship, professional registration and other statutory bar Stay abreast of all current and forthcoming changes in employment legislation and ensure that these are immediately reflected in policy advice and employee services. Lead and participate on a range of corporate People & OD Directorate Projects, developing project plans to ensure integration of operational and strategic matters. Oversee the People & OD database for all People & OD policies ensuring that policies are up to date and that People & OD colleagues review, update and create policies as required. Reporting Report on activity and performance data for the Employee Relations function, benchmarking services, taking action to improve the service and remedy any deficiencies as appropriate. Manage the employee related systems including the production of statistics, analyzing regularly intelligence from reports presenting to the Trust Workforce Committee development and Senior Managers to inform priorities and influence strategic decision making, including cost and risk analysis. Lead team development of performance metric scorecards and service/system improvement processes to continuously monitor and improve service delivery and contribution of the ER function to enable care groups and departments to deliver financial and performance targets. Be expert super user and champion of ER systems especially RL Datix ER Tracker, the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) etc. To regularly produce high quality accurate standard and ad hoc ER reports from these systems Ensure that the Trust is fully compliant with, and reports on Maintaining High Professional Standards and processes when dealing with employee cases including compliance with relevant legislation and Trust policies. Ensure all information captured and stored is in line with Information Governacne requirements and compliant with data protection legislation. Team Management Proactively lead and manage the ER Team; Act as mentor and role model for direct reports, new members of staff and students Manage the ER finances ensuring that services are managed within budget and advising on external spend, such as that for legal services. Ensure appropriate procurement processes are followed. Manage and develop the performance and capability of the ER team including setting performance standards, promoting regular feedback and carrying out annual appraisals agreeing a Personal Development Plan with each member of the Team. Ensure the delivery of a programme of training based around building competence and capacity in the Trust in managing ER issues. Hold responsibility for undertaking sickness absence monitoring, return to work interviews, performance and resolution (grievance) issues as required and in line with the Trusts policies and procedures Other Contribute to evidence based practice and research projects including the People & OD strategy and ensure the effective operational implementation of all people initiatives, projects and programmes within the remit of the ER Team; Support the change management processes where applicable, in partnership with People & OD colleagues, senior managers and local management teams, including restructuring, redundancy consultation, variation of contracts and TUPE transfers. Identify, own and manage risks arising from strategic and operational plans. Ensure that ER provides the highest level of customer service to internal/external stakeholders, regularly seeking feedback to drive continuous improvement. Champion and lead innovation including the use of automation and digital technology in the design and delivery of efficient employee services. Hold responsibility for the development of the ER pages on the Trusts intranet so that it is an effective and up to date resource. Work with the Organisational Development function to develop a management development programme that will establish CWFT as an employer of choice which will enhance the Trust's ability to recruit, retain and develop talent