Human Resources Advisor in Wokingham

Position Type: Fixed Term Contract (13 Months)

Work Pattern: Full Time (35 Hours Per Week)

Interview date: 25th March 2026

Friends of the Elderly (FotE) is a not-for-profit charity dedicated to providing excellent care with a family feel, we have been supporting older people for over 120 years. The charity provides care home and day care services for older people, as well as grants for older people in financial difficulty.

This fixed-term full time role will be a key member of the HR team, working closely with the Head of Human Resources. The role will act as a trusted advisor, working closely with managers and staff to provide proactive HR support across a broad range of areas. The role also works closely with the wider team of support services including recruitment providers, payroll, learning and development, and finance.

In this varied role, you will provide day-to-day HR people focused advice on:

• Employee relations
• Performance
• Absence management
• Recruitment
• Right to work
• Policy interpretation

You will coordinate employee relations cases, guiding managers through investigations, grievances and disciplinary processes in line with policy and best practice. You will support effective recruitment in partnership with our external provider and ensure a positive onboarding experience for new starters. The role also involves contributing to the development and updating of HR policies and supporting initiatives that promote a positive and compliant working environment.

You will handle HR administration, including issuing contracts, maintaining accurate confidential records, managing references and administering staff benefits.

We are looking for someone ideally with a CIPD qualification but more importantly you will need HR experience at an advisory level. You will have extensive experience of using HR systems to record and access information with the ability to generate reports. Experience in managing employee relations cases and a sound understanding of HR policies and procedures, including up to date knowledge of employment law and best practice, is required and you will have the ability to build positive relationships with line managers.

This isn't just a job; it's about making a difference to older people's lives every day.

Rewards and Recognition

We really value the hard work and commitment of all of our staff, and offer:

• Learning, development, and career progression.
• Wellbeing support through various initiatives including an employee assistance programme offering up to 10 counselling, 4 life, 4 leadership, 3 financial coaching sessions per person, per issue, per year.
• Retail discount schemes to make your salary go further.
• Access to loans at affordable rates, saving directly from salary and advance pay already earned.
• Health cash plans for you and your family.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Refer a friend to work for us and receive a £200 bonus.
• Group Pension Plan, with a 6% contribution from us.
• Free DBS checks.

Safeguarding: Keeping everyone safe is one of the charity's core values, and is central to everything we do at Friends of the Elderly. All staff follow our Safeguarding Policy & Procedures and, if they see or suspect abuse, we expect staff to report it straight away.

Criminal record checks: As our core services deal with vulnerable adults, successful applicants will undertake a basic DBS check, and any offer of employment will be dependent on a satisfactory outcome. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar a person from working for us, this will depend on the circumstances and background of any record.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: Friends of the Elderly strives to treat all staff equally and be a diverse and inclusive workplace, where everyone can be themselves and everyone accepts each other's differences. Our ambition is to ensure equality and celebrate diversity, all working together to create an inclusive workplace, which attracts and retains the best people.

We currently do not provide sponsorship, but we welcome applications from those who have a right to work in the UK. To apply, please submit an up-to-date copy of your CV and a covering letter stating how you meet the criteria for the role. Don't delay in sending your application as we may need to close the vacancy earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please refer to the job description upon submitting your application.