Senior HR Advisor (Schools) – AR

Senior HR Advisor (Schools)

Role Summary

Provide expert HR and Employee Relations advice to schools and senior leaders, managing a broad portfolio of complex people matters while ensuring compliance with employment legislation, Council policies, and best practice.

Partner with headteachers, school leadership teams, governors, and trade unions to deliver pragmatic, outcome-focused HR solutions that support organisational objectives and effective workforce management.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a diverse caseload of complex employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance, attendance, sickness absence, appeals, and investigations from initial advice through to resolution.
• Advise headteachers, senior managers, and governors on employment law, HR policies, and best practice, ensuring legally compliant and commercially sound decision‑making.
• Lead and support organisational change initiatives, including restructures, redundancy consultations, TUPE transfers, workforce planning, and organisational design.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders, including senior leadership teams and recognised Trade Unions, facilitating effective consultation and negotiation.
• Attend and advise at disciplinary hearings, grievance hearings, appeals, consultation meetings, and Directorate Management Team meetings, providing procedural guidance and HR expertise.
• Prepare investigation reports, management reports, hearing documentation, outcome letters, and other HR correspondence to a high professional standard.
• Analyse workforce data and HR metrics, including sickness absence, turnover, case management, and headcount, producing KPI reports and recommending improvement plans.
• Support the development, implementation, and consistent application of HR policies, procedures, and employment practices across the organisation.
• Design and deliver management training on employee relations, attendance management, performance management, employment law, and people management.
• Promote diversity, equality, inclusion, and wellbeing initiatives while ensuring compliance with employment legislation and organisational policies.
• Contribute to continuous improvement projects to enhance HR service delivery, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
• Support job evaluation processes and provide guidance to junior HR colleagues where required.
• Maintain accurate HR records and documentation, ensuring confidentiality, GDPR compliance, and adherence to information governance standards.
• Key Areas of Expertise
• Employee Relations
• Employment Law
• Complex Case Management
• Organisational Change & Restructuring
• TUPE
• Attendance & Sickness Absence Management
• Performance & Capability Management
• Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures
• Trade Union Consultation & Negotiation
• Stakeholder Management
• Workforce Analytics & HR Reporting
• Policy Development & Implementation
• Leadership Coaching & Manager Support
• HR Compliance
• Change Management
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