Senior HR Workforce Attendance Lead | St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Watford

At St George's, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group, our people are our greatest asset. Delivering outstanding patient care depends on a healthy, engaged and supported workforce. High sickness absence can increase pressure on frontline teams, affect continuity of care and contribute to wider operational and financial challenges.

To address this priority, the Group is establishing a dedicated Attendance Management Team focused on improving attendance, supporting staff wellbeing, strengthening management capability and reducing avoidable sickness absence. The service will work collaboratively with managers, Human Resources, ER, OH and staff-side representatives to promote a proactive and supportive approach.

Working as part of the Attendance Management Team, the post holder will lead the development and delivery of an enhanced sickness absence service within their division. They will provide expert advice and leadership, oversee complex and long-term sickness cases, identify workforce trends and improvement opportunities, and strengthen manager capability through coaching, training and targeted interventions.

The role will support cultural change, consistent application of Trust policies and improvements in workforce wellbeing, attendance and operational performance. The post holder will be required to work between St Helier Hospital, Epsom Hospital and Epsom Gateway.

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of the Group’s Attendance Management Service within the division, acting as the subject matter expert and ensuring consistent application of policy and best practice.
• Develop proactive strategies and targeted interventions to reduce sickness absence.
• Manage complex long-term, recurrent and high-risk cases, advising managers through formal reviews, capability processes and hearings.
• Work with Occupational Health, HR Business Partners and Employee Relations to remove barriers, progress cases and achieve fair, sustainable outcomes.
• Design and deliver training, coaching and practical resources to strengthen managers’ confidence in attendance conversations, return-to-work processes and early intervention.
• Analyse workforce data, produce reports and recommendations, monitor performance indicators and support divisional improvement planning.
• Build effective relationships with HR, Occupational Health, trade unions and operational leaders, promoting a compassionate approach that balances staff wellbeing with service needs.
• Provide leadership to the Attendance Management Specialist and Employee Relations Advisor, including supervision, appraisal, performance management and development.
• Ensure compliance with employment law, NHS Terms and Conditions, Agenda for Change, Trust policy and information governance.
• Maintain records, use ESR and workforce systems effectively, and support audits, service improvement and reductions in temporary staffing costs.

St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).

After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

At St George's, we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.