Job vacancy: Assistant HR Business Partner, Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield

Job summary

Main area

Human Resources

Grade

NHS AfC: Band 6

Contract

Secondment: 8 months

Hours

Part time
Flexible working

15 hours per week (Ideally Monday and Tuesday)

Job ref

457-25-7241513

Employer: Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Centre Court
Town: Sheffield
Salary: £38,682 - £45,580 pa pro rata
Closing: 16/06/2025 23:59

Assistant HR Business Partner

NHS AfC: Band 6

About us

At Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust we provide a range of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care and other specialist services designed around the needs of people in our city.

We have a dedicated and skilful team of people caring in Sheffield, which you could become a part of.

Our values are at the heart of everything we do. These are: working together for our service users, respect and kindness, everyone counts, commitment to quality, improving lives.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provide leadership and supervision for the HRBP team, including co-ordination of requests for leave and ensuring cover for all aspects of operation.
Develop the confidence and capability in the management of HR related issues within the team using a coaching methodology
Ensure appropriate Standard Operating Procedures and processes are in place to support the delivery of Key Performance Indicators and are adjusted where necessary.
Work with the HR Business partner to support service needs within designated directorate(s) by providing day to day HR Advice and information on all HR Issues. This includes grievance, disciplinary and sickness to all managers and staff groups including doctors and consultants within the Trust.
Manage an individual caseload including support, advice and guidance to managers on investigations, preparation and presentation of cases including complex and sensitive cases.

Be the main point of escalation for queries from the HR Advisory team
Support the team to enable them to advise Managers on the interpretation and application of HR policies, procedures and processes
Interpret employment legislation and case law, providing authoritative advice on all HR related issues, including conduct, capability, discrimination, harassment and maternity etc.
Support the team to be able to provide advice on terms and conditions of employment.

Deputise for the HR Business Partner on hearing panels up to and including consideration of dismissal
Engage with users of the service to gather feedback and make adjustments to the service as appropriate
Work with the team to identify areas for improving efficiency and effectiveness
Build effective working relationships with the team and key stakeholders across the Trust

Undertake delegated team projects overseen by the HR Business Partner
Support/oversee the delivery of training to all staff groups in Employee relations topics (for example Bite Size training, Values based training, Bullying and Harassment
Undertake job evaluation assessments and reviews in line with Agenda for Change job evaluation processes
Be proactive in working with the HR Business Partner and Directorate Managers to reduce levels of sick absence, working in accordance with the appropriate policies and procedures.
Ensure all HR records and databases are maintained, providing monthly reports on workforce information and ad hoc reports as requested.
Liaise with those providing services under SLAs or within SHSC to ensure that they are delivering what is needed by the team and report back any concerns to the HRBP, eg OH, Physiomed, Payroll, Workforce
For Medical Directorate Senior HR Advisor- Support the Medical Director with providing advice and guidance as appropriate.
Maintain consistently high professional standards and act in accordance with the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct, and to be a role model for other members of the team.

Person specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential criteria

Postgraduate qualification in HR or ability to demonstrate the breadth of expertise in this area of specialism
Member of CIPD or nearing completion
Degree level education or equivalent experience
Evidence of commitment to continuous professional development.

Desirable criteria

Qualified coach
Qualified mediator
Qualified job evaluator for AfC

Experience

Desirable criteria

Experience of job evaluation
Experience of working within the NHS or another Public Sector organisation
Experience of coaching and / or mentoring

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

Ability to build and maintain credibility with Managers
Excellent knowledge of current HR processes and practices.
Excellent knowledge of current and forthcoming employment law
Excellent IT skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Experience

Essential criteria

Experience of supervising or leading a team
Experience in an operational generalist role, covering a wide range of HR responsibilities, including policy writing, recruitment, discipline, grievance and sickness absence management
Experience of advising on terms and conditions of employment
Experience of working in partnership with Trade Unions
Experience in developing and delivering training
Experience of supporting change management within a large complex environment
Experience of recruitment processes
Experience of monitoring and supporting the achievement of KPIs

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

Ability to organise and prioritise own workload in line with specified deadlines
Ability to influence guide, challenge and persuade at all levels of the organisation
Excellent presentation and interpersonal skills
Ability to manage conflict, difficult and sensitive issues
Ability to communicate appropriately and effectively with staff at all levels of the organisation both verbally and in writing
Ability to interpret terms and conditions of employment

Other

Essential criteria

Ability to work effectively as part of a team
Shares information and good practice appropriately
Proactive, creative and flexible approach, able to work on own initiative and take responsibility for delegated areas of responsibility
Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, including the ability to produce reports that are clear and concise.
Commitment to openness, honesty, inclusiveness and personal integrity in dealing with others

We aim to be an organisation that is diverse and inclusive and to meet this aim we welcome applications from people with a wide range of life experience and whose diversity echoes the diversity of Sheffield, that of the people who use our services, and that of the people who may need to use our services but face barriers to access. Please think about your personal values and how these align with our values when you are applying. Find out more about our organisation through our website.

We are a Disability Confident employer level 2 and hope to achieve level 3 this year. We offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for a role. When you apply you will have the opportunity to let us know if you require adjustments to be made, please contact us if you are not sure or if you require adjustments to the application process itself.

Our six staff network groups welcome new members, these are:

The Ethnically Diverse Staff Network Group
The Disability Staff Network Group
The Lived Experience Staff Network Group
The Rainbow Staff Network Group
The Staff Carers Staff Network Group
The Women’s Staff Network Group

We know how important flexible working can be to applicants and therefore we encourage you to discuss any working arrangements as part of this process. We will always aim to accommodate requests, wherever possible.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding adults and children and as part of our safe recruitment practice the successful applicant(s) will be subject to a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) if it is deemed appropriate for the role. The cost of the DBS check (currently up to £48.23) must be met by the successful applicant(s).

When applying for this post you will redirected to complete your application in our preferred applicant management system, Trac. If you are successfully offered a role, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. In addition, in submitting an application, you authorise our Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed.

Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement.

While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for, nor can they accurately reflect your skills, knowledge, and experience. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.

Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by SHSC and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

For example, AI responses…

• usually lack relevance and fail to address the key criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.

• may come across as generic and fail to distinguish you from other applicants.

• may be ambiguous or open to misinterpretation. Without careful review and editing, the supporting statement could convey messages that are unclear or misconstrued by hiring managers.

• may include qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience that you do not possess, potentially leading to misrepresentation.

Supporting Statement

The supporting statement is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.

Recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. Managers will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.

Consider structuring your statement with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.