Head of People in Surrey

Main purpose of the job: To build, lead and own the People function at Unicare. The Head of People is the single accountable owner of the employment relationship from offer to exit, including employment law compliance, employee relations, workforce regulatory compliance and right to work. The role leads the recruitment function so that hiring, onboarding and retention operate as one joined-up process rather than three separate ones. The postholder brings professional HR discipline to a business that has grown quickly without a dedicated People function, removes employment risk from the Co-CEOs' desks, and gives Unicare a workforce evidence base capable of withstanding CQC inspection, commissioner scrutiny and, in due course, a sponsor licence application.

Main tasks of the job:

• Employment framework and contractual compliance: Own the full suite of employment documentation including offer letters, Statements of Main Terms, restrictive covenants, working time opt-outs and role-specific agreements ensuring every employee receives a compliant written statement within the statutory timescale under section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. Ensure all documentation carries the correct legal employing entity and current terms, and retire outdated templates from circulation. Maintain, review and issue the Company policy suite (via Croner), keeping it aligned with current employment legislation, CQC requirements and Unicare's actual practice. Manage contractual variations, secondments, flexible working requests and changes to terms, including consultation where required. Work with the Accounts to prepare case files; liaise with Croner and external employment lawyers; advise on settlement agreements and protected conversations. Track ER caseload, themes and outcomes, and report trends to the Senior Leadership Team. Oversee whistleblowing and Freedom to Speak Up referrals that have an employment dimension, working alongside the Compliance function.
• Right to work and immigration: Conduct and quality-assure right to work checks for every worker employed, establishing and maintaining a statutory excuse against liability for illegal working under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Operate a reliable follow-up check process for workers with time-limited permission to work, so that no member of staff continues in employment beyond the expiry of their leave. Ensure recruitment activity is planned on the basis that Unicare cannot presently sponsor, and advise Operations where that constrains the candidate pool. Lead the preparation and submission of the Company's sponsor licence application, planned for April 2027, including bringing HR systems, personnel records, policies and record-keeping practice up to Home Office standard in advance, and evidencing the human resources and recruitment systems the Home Office requires an applicant to demonstrate. On grant of a licence, be prepared to hold or support the Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User roles and to establish compliant Sponsorship Management System, Certificate of Sponsorship and Appendix D record-keeping processes. Advise the Co-CEOs on changes to the immigration rules and on the cost, lead time and risk of a future sponsored recruitment route.
• Safer recruitment and regulatory workforce compliance: Own compliance with Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 fit and proper persons employed and with Schedule 3 evidence requirements for every member of staff. Ensure DBS checks, renewals, Update Service registrations, references, health declarations, qualifications and conduct history are obtained, verified and recorded before employment commences. Maintain inspection-ready personnel files and produce workforce evidence for CQC inspection, local authority contract monitoring and tender submissions. Own the workforce elements of the well-led and safe key questions, and lead mock inspection preparation in those areas.
• Recruitment, onboarding and retention: Lead, supervise and develop the recruitment team, setting objectives, standards and performance measures. Own workforce planning in partnership with Operations and Finance forecasting demand from new packages, mobilisations and expansion, and building recruitment pipelines ahead of need. Set and report recruitment KPIs including time to hire, cost per hire, offer-to-start conversion, first-90-day retention and agency spend. Own the induction and probation framework end to end, including four-week, six-week and three-month probationary reviews, and ensure they are actually completed. Design and deliver a retention strategy addressing the causes of early leaving, including exit interview analysis and stay conversations.
• Absence, wellbeing and performance: Manage short and long-term sickness absence, return to work processes, occupational health referrals and reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. Own annual leave administration and the BrightHR platform, ensuring accurate accrual, carry-over and holiday pay treatment. Embed a consistent supervision, appraisal and Personal Development Plan framework across all services. Promote staff wellbeing, oversee the Employee Assistance Programme and act on the drivers of burnout in a complex care workforce.
• TUPE, restructure and organisational change: Lead TUPE transfers in and out due diligence, employee liability information, measures letters, consultation with representatives and post-transfer harmonisation planning. Advise on and manage restructures, redundancy processes and changes to terms, including collective consultation obligations where they arise. Support the Co-CEOs on the People elements of new contract mobilisations, service acquisitions and geographic expansion.
• Training compliance: Own the mandatory training matrix and reporting, driving statutory and mandatory training compliance to and above target across all services. Oversee the Care Certificate, Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training and induction training completion. Commission and coordinate training delivery, working with the Clinical Director, who retains professional sign-off for clinical curricula including Positive Behaviour Support and restrictive practice content.
• Data, systems and reporting: Own People data integrity across BrightHR and personnel records, and ensure GDPR-compliant processing, retention and disposal of employee data. Produce a monthly People report to the Co-CEOs and Senior Leadership Team covering headcount, vacancies, turnover, absence, training compliance, ER caseload and right to work position. Use data to advise on pay structures, differentials and the cost of workforce decisions.
• Leadership: Contribute as a full member of the Senior Leadership Team to strategy, growth planning and organisational design. Manage the People and recruitment budget. Model and embed Unicare's values, and hold managers to account for the culture they create.

Person specification:

• Essential: CIPD Level 7 qualified, or CIPD Level 5 with substantial senior generalist experience. Demonstrable experience leading a People or HR function, including full autonomous ownership of complex employee relations casework. Strong, current, practical knowledge of UK employment law and its application. Current, practical knowledge of right to work legislation and the prevention of illegal working. Experience of TUPE transfers, including consultation. Experience in health and social care, or another regulated sector with equivalent safer recruitment obligations. Evidence of building process and structure where little previously existed. Confident, credible and resilient with senior stakeholders able to challenge the Co-CEOs where the law or the risk requires it. Line management experience. Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use. Eligible to work in the UK without sponsorship.
• Desirable: Experience in complex care, supported living, learning disability or mental health services. Experience of CQC inspection from the workforce and well-led perspective. Experience of applying for, or operating, a UK sponsor licence including Sponsorship Management System duties or a Home Office compliance visit. Experience of employment tribunal proceedings. Experience of BrightHR, Croner and Birdie. Experience in a multi-site organisation of 150 or more employees. Experience of pay and grading structure design.