Employee Relations Advisor in Leicester

Kara Healthcare is a quality care provider devoted to delivering first-class dementia, nursing, residential, and respite care to residents living in our homes. We believe our residents deserve choice, dignity, and independence. Our main focus is to create a friendly, safe, and warm environment for everyone in our homes. Tailored care plans and 24-hour personal support for each resident help us achieve this. We offer a wide variety of care options from short and long-term residential to person-centred nursing care. Kara Healthcare are continuously looking to recruit talented individuals to join our caring, enthusiastic, and supportive team. Everyone here has a fundamental part to play in our continued success and growth.

Kara Healthcare is seeking an experienced and highly capable ER Advisor to join our People Team. This is a fantastic opportunity for an HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has a strong background in employee relations. The successful candidate will take ownership of a wide range of complex employee relations matters across our care homes and support functions, ensuring managers are supported to manage people issues confidently, fairly, and in line with employment legislation and company policies. This role will be pivotal in protecting the organisation from risk, promoting best practice, and maintaining a positive employee experience while supporting operational leaders through challenging workforce situations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a high volume of employee relations cases from start to finish.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to managers on disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance management, sickness absence, flexible working, probation, and conduct matters.
• Support and coach managers through investigations, hearings, appeals, and formal meetings.
• Draft investigation reports, outcome letters, improvement notices, and other formal documentation.
• Manage long-term sickness and absence cases, ensuring compliance with company procedures and employment legislation.
• Support organisational change projects, including restructures, consultations, redundancy processes, and TUPE-related matters.
• Advise on complex employment law issues and provide practical solutions to minimise business risk.
• Prepare documentation and support responses relating to ACAS Early Conciliation and Employment Tribunal claims.
• Work closely with legal advisers where required, ensuring robust case preparation and documentation.
• Monitor trends in employee relations activity and recommend proactive interventions to reduce risk and improve employee engagement.

HR Operations

• Support the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, contractual changes, and offboarding processes.
• Ensure all employee records are accurately maintained within HR systems.
• Prepare contracts, letters, references, and employment documentation.
• Oversee compliance requirements including Right to Work checks, DBS checks, and other statutory obligations.
• Manage and respond to HR queries, providing timely and professional advice.

Policy, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure consistent application of company policies and procedures across all services.
• Support the development, review, and implementation of HR policies in line with current legislation and best practice.
• Maintain accurate and confidential employee records in accordance with GDPR requirements.
• Support internal audits and compliance reviews relating to people processes.

Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to HR projects, people initiatives, and organisational development activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, employee experience, and manager capability.
• Support the delivery of training and guidance to managers on employee relations and people management matters.

About You

• Proven experience in a HR Advisor or Employee Relations-focused role.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Significant experience managing complex disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability, redundancy, and performance cases.
• Experience supporting or preparing documentation for Employment Tribunal and ACAS matters.
• Excellent investigation, report-writing, and case management skills.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and challenge appropriately.
• Confidence working with senior managers and operational leaders.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• High levels of discretion, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience is desirable.

Package & Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Ongoing professional development and career progression
• Exposure to complex and varied employee relations work
• Supportive and collaborative People Team
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to employee wellbeing initiatives