Job description

Post title: HR Adviser

Service area: Human Resources

Grade: SO2

Reports to: Senior HR Advisor   

Your team: N/A

Number of supervisees: N/A

Our ambition

We’re determined to make Islington fairer. To create a place where everyone, whatever their background, has the opportunity to reach their potential and enjoy a good quality of life.

We also have an ambitious goal – to be the best council in the country– with every employee clear about the part they play and inspired, focused and supported to give their very best.

We want to build an organisation where employees feel valued, inspired and empowered to help us achieve our goals and provide the best services possible to our residents.

Our values and behaviours

‘Be Islington’ is about setting a clear challenge about what it means to be an Islington employee and sets the standard for every new recruit.

We ask our employees to ‘Be Islington’ – playing their part in working together for a fairer borough and to always be collaborative, be ambitious, be resourceful, and be empowering (‘CARE’).

Our commitment to challenging inequality

We are committed to tackling inequality, racism and injustice and creating a fairer borough for all. In order to do this, we need to set the example by being a fair employer and creating a workplace environment, which is free from discrimination, racism and inequality. Our approach needs to be proactive, consistently learning to create a fairer workplace and foster a culture, which empowers all staff to challenge inequality.

Fairness is at the heart of what we do. We want to celebrate and embrace our differences by:

  • Ensuring our workforce is representative of the people we work on behalf of, our residents
  • Creating equitable working environments and diverse teams
  • Understanding our residents in order to design and deliver services that help tackle inequality and improve life chances for our residents
  • Getting to know people and their differences
  • Interpreting issues and concerns from a cultural perspective and address situations or problems from the points-of-view of multiple cultures
  • Supporting people with long-term health conditions and/or disabilities
  • Recognising the value of flexible working to support staff where possible

Key responsibilities

  • Support the Senior HR Advisor in the provision of advice to managers on the application of the council’s policies, pay and conditions of service, and on the legal and best practice implications of employment issues.
  • Undertake and support casework including discipline, capability, absence and grievance. Guide and advise managers in line with council policies and best practice.

·         Taking meeting notes at HR related meetings which may deal with complex and sensitive data e.g. disciplinary and grievance hearings.

  • Participate in case conferences to review the progress of live cases with managers and where appropriate involve employment lawyers as necessary.
  • Support establishment of positive working relationships with managers to assist in the provision of a high quality HR service.
  • Develop constructive working relationships with Trade Unions representative to ensure employee relations matters and collective discussions are undertaken in an efficient manner.
  • Support the Corporate employee relations framework by attending and taking minutes at Joint Secretaries meetings.
  • Advise managers on the Council’s Organisational Change Procedure and support managers through the consultation and implementation of the change process. Ensure risks are clearly identified and mitigated and appropriate records kept to evidence appropriate consultation and outcome processes. Support the redeployment process.
  • Maintain accurate case management records to enable the provision of quality HR management information. Analyse and interpret complex data to gain insights on organisational or service trends.
  • Draft complex correspondence to support the progression of complex cases or change management processes.
  • Coach and build the capability of managers to enable them to handle situations with skill rather than managing the issue for them.
  • Develop relevant documentation, ensuring all supportive documents and templates are kept up to date and in line with current legislation.
  • Support the setting up Hearings and Appeals in line with policy parameters, prepare hearing and appeal packs where necessary.

Resources and Financial management

Ensure effective Financial Management, cost controls and income maximisation in an ever changing environment, fluctuating demands and priorities. Ensure resources are well managed and effectively deployed to the best possible effects assuring value for money in all activities.

Compliance

Ensure legal, regulatory and policy compliance under GDPR, Health and Safety and in area of your specialism identifying opportunities and risks and escalating where appropriate.

Work style

Flexible

Person specification

You should demonstrate on your application form how you meet the essential criteria.  Please ensure that you address each of the criteria as this will be assessed to determine your suitability for the post.

Essential criteria

Qualifications

Essential criteria
Criteria description
 Assessed by

1

Working towards CIPD qualification or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience.

Application/Interview

2

Evidence of continued professional development.

Application/Interview

Experience

Essential criteria
Criteria description
Assessed by

3

Experience of supporting restructures redundancies, TUPE and re-deployment.

Application/Interview

4

Experience of working in a unionised environment and building positive relationships with unions.

Application/Interview

5

Experience of providing HR advice and guidance on employment issues.

Application/Interview

Skills

Essential criteria
Criteria description
Assessed by

6

Good knowledge of current employment legislation and its application in the workplace.

Application/Interview

7

Ability to maintain an up to date knowledge of HR best practice, trends and employment legislation.

Application/Interview

8

Ability to build credibility and effective working relationships with key stakeholders and colleagues.

Application/Interview

9

Ability to analyse complex information.

Interview/Test

10

Effective written and communication skills.

Application/Interview/Test

Our accreditations

Our accreditations include: the Healthy Workplace award, Timewise, London Living Wage Employer, Disability Confident Committed, The Mayor’s Good Work Standard, Stonewall Diversity Champion, and Time to Change.