Go back University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Senior People Advisor

The closing date is 24 August 2025

We are looking for enthusiastic and professional individual who is fully qualified or working towards qualification with the CIPD to join our Employee Relations team. Previous NHS experience is preferred but not essential.

You will provide specialist advice and guidance to managers and employees regarding all employee relation issues (incorporating all staff, including Medical). This will include conduct and performance management, grievances, sickness and other absences in accordance with Trust policies, current legislation, the ACAS code of practice and other professional standards.

You will ensure effective and high quality evidence based investigations of conduct and other people related issues, ensuring that risks and issues are flagged in a timely mannerThis role has a hybrid working pattern and is part office and part remote working. Your base will be one of our hospital sites in either Brighton, Worthing or Chichester.

Main duties of the job

The key elements of this role are to:

• Provide proactive and professional advice and guidance to managers and employees regarding all employee relation issues. This will include conduct and performance management, grievances, sickness and other absence in accordance with Trust Policies, current legislation, the ACAS code of practice and other professional standards.
• Support managers in providing effective and high quality evidence based investigations of conduct and other people related issues
• Contribute to the development and delivery of employee case management and inputting more widely into all employee relations case management across the Trust
• Support managers in using effective people management practices to improve service performance and productivity by using mediation and coaching techniques and developing and delivering training programmes.

About us

At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme,for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop.We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.

Job responsibilities

Provide complex HR advice and guidance to staff and managers on workforce-related issues generated from enquiries which may be emailed, over the telephone or face to face. Very complex issues should be referred to an Employee Relations Manager or the Employee Relations Team Manager.

To provide appropriate HR support to managers to maintain a fair and consistent approach to all employee relation issues, including providing recommendations on the way forward where no precedent exists or options conflict.

Manage a caseload of highly complex employee relations cases in an advisory capacity ensuring they are handled appropriately and in a timely manner, including prioritizing work on a daily and ongoing basis and identifying and managing changing priorities.

Support managers in conducting investigations within agreed timescales and attending hearings which will include preparation for the investigation as well as assistance in producing investigation reports, management cases and other documentation. This will also require planning of investigation meetings, including liaising with external parties. Very complex investigations/hearings should be referred to an Employee Relations Manager.

To ensure partnership working between HR team and line managers on the management of sickness absence in order to reduce the levels of sickness absence and related costs.

Through liaison with other teams and directorate maintain an awareness of the local and national agenda

Engage in collaborate problem solving with co-workers and staff and other outside agencies.

Person Specification

Essential and Desirable

• post grad qual or equiv exp
• HR exp including in an ER role
• Exp of advising on T&C and people policies and procedures
• Knowledge of employment legislation and good practice
• Exp of coaching/training managers in good people practice
• Experience of working with trade unions
• Experience of working in the NHS

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
• Evidence of having undertaken (I) own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

£38,682 to £46,580 a yearPer annum, pro rata