People Services Strategic Lead

Overview

As our People Services Strategic Lead, you will deliver a professional, people-focused HR service that adds value across the organisation. You will lead the People Services Team both operationally and strategically, working with the Head of HR & OD to coach and develop others, foster a culture of positive employee relations, and deliver performance improvements.

We are seeking a proactive, strategic HR leader who is passionate about creating a positive workplace culture and driving strategic HR initiatives.

• Proven experience in leading HR teams and managing complex employee relations.
• Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practice.
• Strategic thinker with excellent leadership and coaching skills.
• Passionate about driving change and fostering inclusive workplaces.
• Confident communicator and trusted partner to senior colleagues.

If you're ready to make a meaningful impact on organisational effectiveness and support the implementation of our People Strategy, we’d love to hear from you!

• A proactive and future-focused approach to Employee Relations.
• Manage complex casework and Employment Tribunals.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and Trust policies.
• Lead on organisational change, policy development, and continuous service improvement.
• Promote and embed equality, diversity, and inclusion across all areas.
• Act as a trusted advisor to managers and senior leaders, influencing strategic HR decisions.
• Align initiatives with the People Strategy and broader local and national NHS contexts.

The qualification, training and experience requirements for the role are detailed in the Job Description/Person Specification.

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5,000 colleagues across 55 sites and in people’s homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that values civility, inclusivity and diversity, and provides a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide opportunities to share experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. Highlights include:

• 72% would recommend the Trust as a place to work (ranked 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West).
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust’s priority.

These scores indicate strong engagement, with ongoing opportunities to improve. We are committed to becoming a Great Place to Work with top-quartile performance in annual staff surveys and Pulse surveys.

The postholder is a senior member of the People directorate and will lead a team of HR professionals to deliver an effective, proactive HR service across the Trust. Reporting to the Head of HR & OD, they will influence, coach and develop the HR team and managers to identify and manage risk, advise on best practice, lead on policy development and lead on Job Evaluation.

The post holder will also have responsibilities for the Trust’s Medical Staffing team. The postholder will initiate or lead projects addressing defined organisational priorities, with a trust-wide remit across region and system.

The role requires interpreting national and local policies, strategies and legislation to establish requirements and options for the Trust. Projects will be conducted independently, drawing on experience and evidence-based practice.

Please refer to the Additional Information attachment before submitting your application.

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