Surrounding Children with Excellence

HR Lead

Surrounding Children With Excellence

The Primary First Trust

The Primary First Trust currently consists of six primary schools in Bexley and Medway From the outset the commitment of our organisation has been to ensure we can meet our school improvement priorities. The upward trajectory of the results in all of our schools shows we have achieved this. The development of our HR Services now needs focused attention.

JOB DESCRIPTION

To establish and maintain central HR procedures, services and systems (as outlined in the HR Schools’ services below) working closely with the Schools’ Business Managers and the Director of Finance and Business Services.

To contribute to the development and implementation of HR strategies, systems, procedures and policies, ensuring they comply with employment law and best practice, and are aligned with business objectives.

To establish a strong understanding of local authority pay policies and ensure that these and central pay policy is implemented across the schools and the Trust.

To establish all pension and auto-enrolment, TPS and LGPS administration and reporting requirements across the schools and the Trust. To manage the relationships with the external payroll provider and exchange of information required and all other relevant external parties.

To act as an internal expert, providing advice, guidance and practical support to the Trust’s Executive team, Head Teachers and senior staff on all people management and employment law issues including discipline, grievance, attendance and performance management, learning and development, restructure and redundancy ensuring that all processes are conducted in accordance with the Trust’s needs.

Apply by midday on Monday, 4th

January 2016

Interviews on 12th January 2016

Job start March/April 2016

Salary: £37,368 (pro rata to £26,050)

Location: Gravesend, Kent with some

school travel within Kent.

Contract type: 41 weeks a year (term

time plus 2 weeks in holiday period as

required).

Contract term: Permanent

ABOUT THE ROLE As part of the central Trust team, the HR Lead will provide generalist HR support in all operational areas including the routine HR and Pensions requirements to schools and the Trust, also with employee relations, management development and HR best practice. The HR Lead will play an important role in ensuring that people management issues are fully incorporated into business strategy.

Specific Responsibilities

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will be accountable

and responsible to the Director of

Business Finance and Services and will

have contact with managers and staff

within all schools. They will liaise with

external organisations, stakeholders,

legislative bodies and others.

Surrounding Children with Excellence

To work with the Trust and Schools to develop staffing structures, job roles and contractual arrangements that best meet the changing needs of the Trust. To help manage change in a way that balances legal, contractual and trade union issues with practical considerations.

To lead and advise on HR systems and recruitment issues with a particular focus on cost-efficiency, the use of new technology and developing ways of attracting a diverse and high calibre range of applicants.

To contribute to a positive employee relations culture, locally respecting current formal and informal channels of communication with recognised Trade Union representatives, whilst also developing new models for communicating with and engaging staff.

To lead on specific organisational changes, including trade union negotiation on restructures, job design and conditions of employment where necessary.

In conjunction with the Director of Finance and Business Services to develop an HR risk register ensuring that high level risks are escalated as appropriate. To assist with the completion of HR reporting to Local Governing Bodies and the Trusts Board.

To support the growth of the Trust with additional schools and take the lead on TUPE staffing issues, working with colleagues through the academy conversion process.

Schools Standards Service

A) Employee relations

Telephone advice on discipline, grievance, redundancy/re-organisations, child protection, capability, ill-health management and equal opportunities.

Visits to schools to meet the Head teacher/senior staff to discuss employee relations’ issues.

Attendance at investigatory or informal meetings to support/advise the Head teacher.

Attendance at formal meetings under the agreed procedures to support/advise the Head teacher.

Advising the school on the preparation and presentation of cases to formal hearings.

Attendance at formal hearings and appeals under formal procedures to advise governors on procedure.

Drafting correspondence relating to these issues on behalf of the Trust/Head teacher or chair of the governing body panel(s).

Meeting employees and their representatives as part of the conciliation process in relation to grievances, or in relation to capability or disciplinary issues where this will assist in the process of resolution.

Meeting employees who are on long-term sick leave as requested by the Trust, seeking a medical prognosis, and progressing the case.

TO APPLY

Complete the application form provided and return by email to Sarah Thompson at:

sthompson@theprimaryfirsttrust.co.uk

By midday on Monday, 4th January 2016

For an informal discussion with the CEO regarding the position please contact Sarah Thompson at

sthompson@theprimaryfirsttrust.co.uk

to arrange a convenient time.

For further information about the Trust please see the website:

www.theprimaryfirsttrust.co.uk

Surrounding Children with Excellence

Advising the Trust on absence management and dealing with persistent short-term absence.

Assistance in individual school consultation and negotiations with trade unions/professional associations.

Advice and support in the negotiation of compromise agreements. B) Retirement, redundancy and redeployment

Advising the Head teacher and governing body in schools which need to reduce their staffing establishment.

Attendance at all relevant meetings.

Consulting with relevant trade unions on behalf of the Trust.

Meeting the staff concerned and dealing with redundancy cases in accordance with the agreed procedure.

Providing redeployment support to staff who are in a potential redundancy situation.

Drafting relevant documentation as required.

Dealing with requests for premature retirement in accordance with the relevant procedure.

Providing redundancy and/or pension estimates and authorising payment.

Preparation of redundancy dismissal notices. C) Recruitment and selection

Advising on the format and content of job descriptions, person specifications, and advertisements.

Advising on best recruitment practice.

Attending Head teacher appointment interviews.

Maintaining electronic/paper personnel files. D) Conditions of service/grading

Advising on appropriate grading and conditions of service for all groups of staff.

Advising on grading of support posts via NJC job evaluation scheme

Advising on maternity, paternity and adoption leave and payments and leave of absence arrangements.

Advising on pay for teachers and support staff.

Advising the Trust on the statutory assessment of teachers' salaries (including Headteachers and deputies).

Issuing dismissal notices.

Providing template human resources policies and procedures in electronic format.

Providing updates on changes affecting schools with regards to HR issues.

Surrounding Children with Excellence

PRIMARY TRUST VALUES

United

Empowering

Courage

Integrity

Aspiration

Tenacity

Innovation

E) Contracts/HR Admin (contact will be made with the payroll provider as necessary)

Producing and issuing of employment contracts and supporting documentation for new and existing staff.

Issue of contract amendment letters to employees whose conditions of service have altered.

Advising on maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental leave and payments and leave of absence arrangements.

Basic pay queries for teachers and support staff e.g. payscales, amounts received.

Authorising DBS checks on new staff and volunteers for forwarding to the service and advising schools on the outcome.

Checking teacher qualifications via the DfE Employer Access checking service and advising schools where appointees do not meet the staff qualification requirement.

Checking eligibility to work permits and visas.

Producing employee documentation for transfers in posts and variations of contracts.

Co-ordination of and advice on completing Occupational Health referrals.

Providing pension estimates for support staff reaching eligibility for retirement.

Completing relevant documentation for staff covered by the local government pension scheme related to re-joiners, changes in employment and resignation/retirement

With the school and Teacher Pensions Authority (TPA), complete documentation for teachers pensions administration (designated this authority and this has been approved by the TPA).

This can be completed for changes effective from the date of this SLA (1st April). This service includes new starters, staff leavers, retirement applications, elections in and out of the scheme and missing service enquiries, via the STU (secure transfer computer link) to teachers’ pensions.

The Primary First Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects

all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

HR Lead

Surrounding Children with Excellence

ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE

Qualifications Chartered Member of the CIPD or working to-

wards.

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

Substantial experience as an HR Lead / Generalist HR Role.

Experience of case management, change management, Man-agement Information Systems and policy development.

Strong employment law knowledge and application of this, balancing legal compliance with organisational needs.

A good understanding of and commitment to diversity and equality issues.

Experience of successful HR project management.

An understanding of Learning and Development issues with experience of finding creative and cost-effective ways of meeting L&D needs within the context of overall Regional ob-jectives and limited training resources.

Risk Management – ability to raise risk issues within the region and with relevant staff and ensures all risks relating to region are documented, monitored and managed.

Ability to translate the Trusts objectives into HR practice and processes

Health & Safety - takes responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of self and colleagues

Abie to adapt and adjust legal and HR best practice appropri-ately in a complex working environment supporting managers with varying degrees of experience and diverse job roles.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Confidence to apply both formal and informal styles where required. Strong interpersonal skills.

Financial understanding including the ability to quickly under-stand the financial consequences of employment decisions.

Experience of HR in a state maintained, founda-tion school or academy

Knowledge of teachers and support staff pay and conditions in a local

Personal Qualities

Confidence, discretion and respect for confidentiality.

Behave professionally at all times and build good relations internally and externally.

Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people

Willingness to undergo appropriate checks, including en-hanced DBS checks

Motivation to work with children and young people

Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people

Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours and attitudes to use of authority and maintaining discipline

The Primary First Trust

The White House Clifton Marine Parade Gravesend DA11 0DY

Tel: 01474 565903

www.theprimaryfirsttrust.co.uk

Surrounding Children with Excellence