Head of Human Resources in Luton

Luton Full-Time On-site

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Be all you can be with Hamberley

At Hamberley, we believe that our residents deserve something ‘Extra Special, Every Day’, and we have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Human Resources to play a key role in delivering our people strategy and supporting our growing network of care homes.

The Head of HR leads the HR, Learning & Development and Overseas Recruitment functions, and is the company’s senior adviser on all people matters.

The role sets and delivers a people strategy that supports safe, high-quality, person-centred care, helping us attract, develop and keep the right people in every home.

The postholder will lead a team that provides practical, accessible support to home managers and home-based teams, reducing friction on HR and employee relations matters.

We offer our colleagues:

Competitive salary and benefits package with discretionary bonus
25 days holiday (plus Bank Holidays)
Based in our Luton Support Office at least 3 to 4 days a week, with regular travel to homes.
Workplace pension
A supportive and collaborative working environment
Opportunities for professional development and training
Employee Assistance Programme, occupational health support and wellbeing services

What you’ll be doing:

Leadership and people strategy

Develop and deliver a people strategy aligned with the company’s vision, business plan and values.
Advise the Commercial Director, Board and senior leadership on all people matters, and prepare Board papers and reports.
Lead, develop and motivate the HR team, setting clear objectives and making sure the structure gives good coverage across both regions.
Build strong working relationships with home managers and operational leaders, acting as a visible and accessible presence in the homes.

Employee relations

Oversee the handling of disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence and performance cases, ensuring they are fair, consistent and timely.
Personally manage complex, senior or high-risk cases, including tribunal claims, working with external legal advisers where needed.
Promote early, informal resolution and equip home managers to handle day-to-day people matters with confidence.
Manage employee consultation, including on organisational change and any collective matters.

Policy, compliance and employment law

Keep HR policies, procedures and contracts up to date with employment law and good practice.
Ensure HR practice supports regulatory requirements, including CQC expectations on safe recruitment, staffing, training and fitness of staff.
Oversee safer recruitment and pre-employment checks, including DBS checks, right-to-work checks and references.
Ensure compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 for employee data.

Overseas recruitment and sponsorship

Oversee the Overseas Team and the company’s Home Office sponsor licences, ensuring all sponsor duties are met.
Ensure accurate record-keeping, reporting and right-to-work compliance for sponsored workers, and readiness for Home Office compliance visits.
Support the wellbeing, integration and retention of internationally recruited staff.

Recruitment, retention and workforce planning

Work with the recruitment team to support timely onboarding, consistency in documentation and compliance.
Develop workforce plans and use data on turnover, absence and vacancies to target action where it is most needed.
Lead initiatives that improve engagement, wellbeing and retention across the homes.

Reward and payroll

Oversee pay and reward, including annual pay reviews, pay benchmarking and National Living Wage changes.
Work with Payroll and Finance on accurate, timely payroll inputs, and manage the HR budget, including salary costs.

Learning and development

Through the Head of L&D, ensure staff receive the mandatory, induction and role-specific training needed for safe care.
Support leadership and management development, particularly for home managers and deputies.
Promote career pathways that help us grow and keep our own talent.

People systems and data

Sponsor the completion of the implementation of the Company HR system with the People Systems & Data Governance Manager, removing duplication and manual tasks across recruitment, payroll and HR.
Provide accurate people reporting and KPIs to the Board and senior leadership.

You’ll be based in our Luton office, with regular travel to our care homes and occasional overnight stays.

Could you be part of our team?

We are recruiting for a Head of Human Resources to lead our People Team. Applicants will be/have:

CIPD Level 7 qualification, or equivalent experience.
Significant generalist HR experience at a senior level, such as Head of HR or senior HR Business Partner.
Strong, up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law and its practical application.
Proven record of managing complex employee relations cases.
Experience leading and developing an HR team.
Experience of multi-site organisations with a dispersed workforce.
Ability to influence and advise senior leaders and the Board.
Confident use of HR data and reporting to guide decisions.
Excellent communication skills and a visible, approachable style
Experience in the care sector, health or another regulated environment is desirable
Experience of Home Office sponsor license and sponsored workers is desirable

If this sounds like you and you’re looking for a fulfilling role that makes a genuine impact in the lives of others, this rewarding career is for you.

Due to the high level of interest we anticipate for this role, we may close this advert earlier than the stated closing date to manage applications effectively. If you’re interested in joining us at Hamberley, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Hamberley People:

We respect and value our residents and each other. At Hamberley Care Homes, we believe in the importance of what we do and why we do it. Creative and empowered, our people see every day as an opportunity for growth and development. We make ideas happen. Together we can achieve anything.

Be part of something special. Be part of Hamberley.