HR Business Partner North West Prisons (Ref:92238)

HR Business Partner North West Prisons (Ref:92238)

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is responsible for everything that goes into running the UK’s criminal and civil justice systems, creating the foundations for a safe, fair and prosperous society. We are one of the largest government departments with over 88,000 staff based across England and Wales. We are responsible for 500 courts and tribunals, 122 prisons, the policies underpinning the system and much more.

The People Function supports the organisation by enabling its people to be the best that they can be. We are continuously reviewing and enhancing the services we provide to ensure the delivery of high-quality services for our customers. MoJ People Function has over 1,400 committed and capable professionals delivering people services across the Justice family. At the heart of delivering these services are our people.

This is an exciting opportunity to provide strategic HR partnering to senior leaders in HM Prisons and Probation (HMPPS). You will be critical in ensuring HMPPS meets its aims in protecting the public and reducing reoffending and gain unique experience which will enable you to progress in your career. This role sits within the HMPPS HR Business Partner Team which is the front-facing arm of the People Function supporting a number of business units across HMPPS.

The post holder will partner either Governors within the Prison Service and/or equivalent senior leaders within the Probation Service or HQ, dependent on the complexity of the customer groups. At present, HMPPS is moving through a significant transformation to create a joined-up prison and probation function, the role may therefore flex as the new organisation evolves. It’s an interesting time to join the team with a huge amount of opportunity to be involved in supporting business change.

Working in partnership with senior leaders, this role will be responsible for supporting the business to deliver against people priorities. The postholder will operate as an implementer, facilitating access to central services and working alongside the business to execute people initiatives.

The post holder will be required to partner customer groups in various locations and may be called upon to support regional projects across areas of the business.

As a qualified (or aspiring) HR professional, the post holder will use a combination of generalist knowledge, personal skills and experience to advise and partner senior leaders on how best to align the people and business priorities.

Most roles will require line management.

The post holder will be required to bring together the people priorities for either their prison and/or probation customer group or HQ at a senior level. They will support on the underpinning activities to enable;

1. Solving: Provide strategic input on HR topics and help leaders develop effective people solutions.
2. Connecting: Help the organisation draw on appropriate People Function Services and shared service support.
3. Coaching: Coach leaders on how to manage people issues and drive the people agenda effectively.

With links to the wider HR specialist functions within the People Function, the post holder will facilitate access to the right services to deliver people initiatives.

Key Delivery Strands:

Change Management

1. Understanding the business and the drivers for change to be able to support the business with the people elements of change implementation.
2. Support the business through reorganisation, restructures and redeployment.

Resourcing & Retention

1. Working in partnership with the business and finance to understand the current and predicted workforce picture based on attrition and recruitment forecasting.
2. Support in the execution of interventions to address resourcing and retention challenges and facilitating access to the right services across the People Function.
3. Provide support and advice on resourcing vacancies, ensuring compliance with Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

Management & Leadership Capability

1. To understand the line manager and leadership capabilities within the business unit, support the business to access centrally run learning through the learning and development team and/or helping develop the right learning interventions.
2. Supporting senior leaders with the development of their leadership teams.
3. Help build management confidence and capability in handling of absence, performance, conduct and grievance cases through ensuring the right advice can be accessed.
4. Work with the business to understand the casework picture and support senior leaders to drive action to progress cases within policy timelines, supporting in the access of advice.
5. Work between HR Policy and the business to ensure the policies are understood and embedded.
6. Understand the role of the unions and support managers with union engagement related to people activity.

Employee Experience and Staff Engagement

1. Working with the senior leaders to analyse and identify the right people priorities through the annual Civil Service People Survey.
2. Supporting the stakeholder group to implement the right employee engagement interventions, accessing the right support from within the people group drawing on best practice and central offers.
3. Ensure diversity and inclusion runs through all people strategies and action plan.
4. Facilitate access to products and services to help support networks to improve delivery.
5. Support the business to access the right well-being services for staff, bringing together all that is available through the People Function to provide the right well-being package or service dependent on the need.

Behaviours & Strengths (for Recruitment/Success Profiles):

Making Effective Decisions

1. Analyse and use a range of relevant, credible information from internal and external sources to support decisions.
2. Display confidence when making difficult decisions, even if they prove to be unpopular.
3. Present strong recommendations in a timely manner outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks.

Managing A Quality Service

1. Work with stakeholders to set priorities, objectives and timescales.
2. Identify risks and resolve issues efficiently.
3. Involve a diverse range of colleagues, stakeholders and delivery partners in developing suggestions for improvements.

Working Together

1. Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on shared objectives.
2. Self-starter with drive and energy, strong interpersonal skills and a team-centric and collaborative way of working.
3. Create an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are taken into account and bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

1. Understand the strategic drivers for your area of work.
2. Remain alert to emerging issues and trends; align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities.
3. Understand how the strategies and activities of the team create value and meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills: Essential Criteria

1. Previous experience of working in a HR team and an awareness of the wider Civil Service HR operating model.
2. The ability to confidently build and manage a diverse range of relationships, including with senior stakeholders.
3. Strong experience of delivering in a HR team, with experience of delivering HR plans and supporting others to optimise performance of their staff.
4. Excellent communication skills, both in verbal and written formats.
5. Ability to analyse and understand data and apply analytics to business delivery.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

1. Qualifications: You must have completed and achieved your Chartered CIPD Membership (or have an equivalent HR qualification), or willing to work to gain the qualification within 2 years of appointment and actively demonstrating Continuous Professional Development.

Security clearance required: Security clearance will depend on the environment and may include a requirement of CTC, SC, DBS.

Location Requirements: There is a requirement for the successful applicant’s work base to be within the region. They will be appointed to the office/hub in the advertised region, which is closest to their home address. The base location will be discussed with the successful candidate. The role has a requirement to travel within region and nationally.

Office attendance and travel requirements: As an MoJ employee based in an MoJ building, our minimum expectation is that you will attend a workplace at least 40% of the time. Arrangements will vary depending on the space available at your base location and where it is possible, 60% in-office working is expected. Travelling to see your team alongside any other travel to different sites will be classed as a day’s office attendance. Regular travel will be required for this post.

All applicants should be aware that business partnering arrangements are subject to change and postholders will be expected to accommodate changes in partnering arrangements in line with business need to include providing cover and support for other business areas when required.