HR Business Partner

Job Description

Job Category: Human Resources
Location: Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
Hours Per Week: 37.00
Start Date: Immediate Start
Start Time: 09:00
End Time: 17:00
Salary: £15.78

Purpose of post:
To provide a confidential, effective employee relations and business partner resource to (an) assigned department(s)/directorate(s) and location(s) across a range of people management and employee relations issues, including recruitment, discipline and grievance; attendance management; dignity at work and capability.
To contribute as an integral member of the HR department to the provision of a modern, professional high quality and responsive HR service to support the corporate and business plans of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Key Duties and responsibilities:
1. To provide proactive specialist advice, knowledge and support to managers within an assigned directorate, geographical or other area in relation to the effective application of HR policies, procedures, terms and conditions across a range of national agreements, employment law and HR best practice.
2. To provide generalist HR advice to managers on the interpretation and application of HR policies and procedures and support the implementation of appropriate procedures and processes, including grievance, discipline, attendance management, dignity at work and capability.
3. To ensure co-ordination and consistency of advice between all HR business partners through regular liaison and exchange of ideas and best practice.
4. To ensure effective working relationships with key stakeholders such as directors, managers and representative bodies.
5. To promote equality and diversity within the council and particularly, in the post’s assigned area(s) by adhering to the council’s equal opportunity policies and procedures and by ensuring that allocated targets to reduce inequalities and promote good relations are achieved.
6. To develop and implement HR solutions through early intervention and prevention drawing on the benefits of engagement, communication, mediation and other solutions to reach the best outcome; ensuring compliance and the risk to the council is managed and mitigated.
7. To act as counter signatory for the completion of criminal checks by applying for and receiving disclosure certificates through AccessNI, ensuring that access to Disclosure and the information they contain is managed in accordance with AccessNI guidelines.
8. To ensure the central co-ordination and management of all employee relations cases both internal and external to the organisation, including confidential recording and archiving and the retention of full case notes.
9. To participate in consultation and negotiation through the local joint consultative mechanisms with management and the trade unions on the resolution of employee relations issues; HR policies, procedures, and guidelines as required.
10. To provide regular or ad hoc HR reports for senior management, committees and council as required.
11. To provide cover on a rotational basis for the HR Manager, assuming certain responsibilities in their absence to ensure continuity of service to Departments and Directorates.
12. To assist the Learning & Development Manager in the development and delivery of co-ordinated HR learning and development interventions to line management, on delegated core people management functions including discipline and grievance, harassment and bullying and attendance management.
13. To advise and support individual managers in conjunction with Occupational Health to reduce sickness absence and put in place support mechanisms to expedite the timely return of staff to work, supporting attendance management case conferences as required.
14. To monitor and report on the attendance management process for the designated area(s) and proactively support managers in dealing with long-term and short-term absence issues appropriately.
15. To prepare responses to Freedom of Information and Data Protection requests, Ministerial, Parliamentary or NI Assembly questions; liaising with internal and external stakeholders as required.
16. To ensure the timely and effective production of information from the Department’s integrated management information systems as required.
17. To manage case file notes and associated materials with the appropriate discretion and confidentiality at all times and in accordance with data protection requirements.
18. To assist the HR Manager with employee resourcing activity as and when required; taking the lead in organising and chairing selection panels, identifying selection methods and advising on current employment legislation and codes of practice.
19. To support managers in undertaking investigations and chairing hearings in HR matters as appropriate (e.g. discipline, grievance & harassment) and provide written records of proceedings, to ensure compliance with the relevant legislation; as and when required.