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Medway NHS Foundation Trust

About
Medway NHS Foundation Trust is a public benefit corporation authorised under the National Health Service Act 2006. It is a single-site hospital based in Gillingham, Medway Maritime Hospital, which serves a population of more than 424,000 across Medway and Swale.
We provide clinical services to almost half a million patients a year, including more than 125,000 Emergency Department attendances, more than 88,000 admissions, more than 278,000 outpatients appointments and more than 5,000 babies born last year.
As an NHS Foundation Trust, we have a 24-strong Council of Governors and more than 10,000 public members. We employ around 4,400 staff, making us one of Medway’s largest employers. In addition, close to 400 volunteers provide invaluable support across the League of Friends, Hospital Radio and the Voluntary Services Department.
Contact
- Address
- Medway Maritime Hospital
- Windmill Road
- Gillingham
- Kent
- ME7 5NY
- Contact Number
- 01634 830000
Associate Resolutions Business Partner
Accepting applications until: 16-Sep-2025 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 16-Sep-2025 23:59
Key details
Location
- Site
- Medway Maritime Hospital
- Address
- Windmill Road
- Town
- GIllingham
- Postcode
- ME7 5NY
- Major / Minor Region
- Kent
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (Band 7)
Specialty
- Main area
- HR
Do you have the ambition and vision to deliver the Best of Care by the Best People?
Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision of Better, Best, Brilliant is achieved
Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious and dynamic environment; our employees are able to choose the coverage and supplemental benefits that best fit their needs and those of their families. This includes the promotion of flexible working opportunities across the Trust, we are able to give our employees flexibility on where, when and the hours they work.
Our culture and values are what drives Medway NHS Foundation Trust and is the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation. It is important that you understand and to refer to our values when you are completing your application and always reflect our values throughout your employment with the Trust.
Job overview
Job Title: Associate Resolutions Business Partner
Division: Corporate
Care Group: HR&OD
Band: 7
We have an exciting opportunity to join our newly established Resolutions Team, focused on delivering formal ER investigations and positive Resolutions to staff concerns.
The candidate will be an experienced manager in ER matters or an HR practitioner, who will take on complex investigations, undertaking these promptly, efficiently and independently.
The post holder will also provide oversight and support to the team of investigators, ensuring best practice and consistency in investigation processes.
The post holder will also be responsible for the delivery of a range of resolution options, including conducting facilitated meetings and mediation with staff.
Advert
The post-holder is responsible for undertaking complex commissioned employment investigations which are principally as a result of, but not limited to, conduct, performance, right to work, fraud, and grievance matters.
The post-holder will be responsible for all parts of the investigation process from receipt of the allegation or concern, through to making representations at hearings and tribunals as necessary. The aim is to ensure that all processes are undertaken in a way that supports a fair and just culture.
The post-holder is responsible for the case management and application of mediation and facilitated conversations to resolve concerns which are principally as a result of, but not limited to, conduct and grievance matters, where informal resolution is a suitable option. A human centred and informal resolution approach will be at the heart of the guidance provided.
Working for our organisation
Do you have the ambition and vision to deliver our mission of the Best of Care by the Best of People providing excellent care, every time?
Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision is achieved for our patients.
As a key partner in the healthcare of our local population, we are keen to deliver this as an outcome of our Trust-wide strategy – Patient First. Using an Operational Excellence approach to align our priorities and operational management structures, we are just over a year and half into our Patient First deployment. We are looking for creative, skilled people to join our Transformation Team and further support us on this journey.
Our culture and values define us here at Medway NHS Foundation Trust and are the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation.
Our BEST values underpin Patient First and are at the core of the care we give to our patients, the support we offer to our staff and our overall leadership approach:
B – Bold
E – Every person counts
S – Sharing and open
T - Together
Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious and dynamic environment; our employees are able to choose the coverage and supplemental benefits that best fit their needs and those of their families. This includes the promotion of flexible working opportunities across the Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Resolution
Supporting the ER & BP teams integrate process flows to support the informal and early resolution of issues.
Participate in the case Triaging function, revieiwing information for each case and identifying any potential risks and ensuring cases are being appropirately managed and options of informal resolution are explored wherever appropriate.
Acting as a Resolution Champion, supporting and encouraging early and/or informal intervention wherever possible to resolve staff issues, working with wider HR colleagues, managers and employees to promote a wide range of resolution options.
Responsible for delivering conflict coaching and facilitated conversations, managing stress risk assessments, mediation, and providing advice on managing employee conflict.
Facilitate formal mediation sessions for sometimes complex, and potentially contentious matters, between employees.
Investigations
To work with the Case Manager to create Terms of Reference for allocated investigations, ensuring they are reviewed regularly and amended as appropriate, sending weekly updates on completion times for each case.
To provide Employment Law and Employee Relations subject matter expertise to Case Managers where required, and resolution investigators within the resolutions team.
To be responsible for the timely completion of investigations in accordance with Trust Policies.
To engage with subject matter experts where a clinical or specialist view or opinion is needed to understand or support findings
To advise the Case Manager of findings during the investigation, make recommendations, keep them up to date and to review decisions to suspend as new information is uncovered
To liaise with local counter-fraud specialists where referrals are made through the national counter-fraud team and to refer cases to them where an element of fraud is uncovered during an investigation
To advise the Case Manager on the ongoing management of the employee during the investigation, this could involve recommendations such as referral to absence management through the ER Advisory team or Mental Health First Aid Support
To provide all administration for the case, including organising a hearing date at early investigation stage in line with the policy to avoid delays due to panel availability.
Planning each case in line with clear project management delivery timelines.
To interview witnesses, create witness statements and ensure their accuracy and that they are signed off
Autonomous responsibility for the lawful and fair implementation of Trust HR processes through the investigation process, making decisions on interpretation of Trust policies through the process
Be responsible for regularly reviewing and interpreting conflicting, sensitive and contentious information received during the investigation on upsetting matters and producing it in a clear and fair way through production of an investigation report that explains the factual elements of the case in comparison to any assumptions made
Be responsible for reviewing the weight of the allegations against the factual findings and historical employment and determining recommendations for action as part of the written report production.
Upon presentation of the report to the Case Manager, the post holder must present a review of risks to the organisation if certain courses of action are taken, as well as a legal review of similar cases that have been heard at tribunal and outcomes of cases that have been investigated within the Trust.
To support Hearing Panel Chairs under HR process for investigations undertaken by the Resolution Investigators.
Management and Leadership
Use a coaching leadership style to build relationships and influence managers.
Ensure effective communication with other colleagues to ensure consistency in advice and practice.
Develop the people management capacity of operational managers through the design, development and delivery of coaching and training for the Trust on Investigations & Hearings, and HR Policies and Procedures
Provide coaching to other employees as required to support their development – both externally to the HR Department, and other trainees as required.
Provide guidance and reflection opportunities to the resolution team to support wellbeing and learning in regards to team exposure to potentially emotionally challenging casework.
Responsible for providing specialist advice on workplace investigations to HR colleagues and Trust Managers.
Responsible for communicating highly complex and at times, highly sensitive, information while at the same time sensitively handling issues of conflict that may arise during the investigation process.
Responsible for receiving, analysing and interpreting complex information and evidence; using persuasive, negotiating, empathetic and re-assurance skills as required to navigate the investigation process.
Responsible for reviewing case investigations, ensuring policy application, and providing development and feedback on cases where appropriate.
Financial and Physical Resources
Responsible for reviwing and monitoring expenditure associated with any external investigations commissioned; ensuring best value for money and that costs are verified before invoices are submitted for payment.
To effectively itilise routine systems for reporting of trends, finance, activity and performance.
Ensure compliance with Employment Law, Standing Financial Instructions and orders, Counter Fraud, financial management practice, as described by the Trust.
Training Delivery
Responsible for providing People Skills training (such as mediation/Facilitation, investigations) to staff and other team members
Policy / Service Development
Making proposals to policies / service issues which are being collated / reviewed by others and where there is a workforce element. Keeping appraised of employment law legislation and ensuring HR advice is given in accordance with this.
Information Management
Continuous monitoring and updating of Employee Relations Cases using the Trust’s case tracking system.
Providing reports and analysis of case trends, KPI’s and outcomes as necessary
Analyse complex evidence data to identify key findings and make appropriate recommendations.
Please note that we do not accept applications via CV or recruitment agencies.
This post will close before the intended closing date should sufficient number of suitable applications be received. Therefore, if you are interested in applying for this role, we suggest that you do so at the earliest opportunity.
Applications are welcomed from applicants who wish to apply for a position on the basis of a smarter or flexible working arrangement. Where candidates are successful at interview, such requests will be taken under consideration and accommodated where the needs of the service allow.
We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
All staff no matter where they work or which age group of patients they work with must be aware of their responsibility to act when they feel a child, young person or vulnerable adult has been or is at risk of abuse.
We are a fully non-smoking Trust. Smoking is completely prohibited in all Trust buildings, grounds and car parks for patients, visitors, staff and contractors.
This Local Employment Partnership Employer shares information about new starters with Jobcentre Plus, for statistical purposes only.
After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through NHS Jobs, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via NHS Jobs. If you have a query relating to your application, please contact the Resourcing Team on 01634 830000.
If you have not heard from us within 21 days of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion.
We wish to stress that no discourtesy is intended in following such a procedure, and you should not let this deter you from future applications.
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Fully CIPD qualified, level 7 or above
- • Mediation/Facilitation skills Qualification, or willingness and ability to complete appropriate Training to fulfil the role, within 12 months of appointment.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Employment Law
- NHS Terms and Conditions
- Best Practice Employee Relations
Desirable criteria
- MHPS knowledge and experience
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience undertaking ER Investigations
- Experience in ER, investigations or conflict resolution
- Working in Unionised environment
- Experience of development of HR policies
- Experience report writing and presenting to others
- Providing coaching or training to others
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Emma Wilson
- Job title
- Head of ER
- Email address
- [email protected]
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