HR Business Advisor

Job Title: HR Business Advisor

Salary: The starting salary is £45,075, which includes allowances totalling £2,841.

The salary is broken down as £42,232 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £50,385.  Plus, a location allowance of £1,841 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.

Location: This role is embedded with local leadership teams, at locations within the London Metropolitan Area with an emphasis on on-site support. However there is some scope for hybrid working. We have vacancies based in Central, East, West, & South London.

More trust. Less crime. High standards – that’s our two-year mission plan. To turn it into reality, we’ve created the People Performance Improvement Team (PPIT), a brand new unit where you can make a serious impact. As an HR Business Advisor, you’ll be instrumental to our plan’s success. Help us meet our objectives so we can make London a better, safer place.

You’ll lead local HR services to improve performance across all areas. Collaborating with management teams, you’ll identify and implement HR solutions that will help the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) work at its very best.

Day to day, you’ll be problem solving and applying the principles of governance, compliance, resolution and escalation to the HR service. You’ll also be a crucial link between HR and various internal and external stakeholders, supporting plan delivery and championing our More Trust, Less Crime, and High Standards mission.

Operating at the hub of the team, you’ll be a point of contact for HR-related matters. And when you’re not dealing with contacts? You’ll be overseeing the delivery of HR initiatives that elevate people performance. You’ll deputise for the Senior HR Business Advisor, an opportunity to hone your leadership skills.

Although you won’t be managing advisor directly, you’ll have a significant effect on their success: we’ll be looking to you to improve the availability and performance of the workforce within your assigned unit.

To join us, you’ll need to be a credible HR leader who has (or is studying for) a CIPD qualification (or equivalent). As such, you’ll have a firm grasp of HR fundamentals, from employment law to recruitment. With this expertise, you’ll oversee and provide assurance for key HR matters. Whatever the task, you’ll bring your excellent communication skills into play to build relationships that count.

Why join us? Besides the rewarding nature of the job itself, a competitive salary and a Civil Service pension, you'll benefit from excellent career and professional development. 

Job Purpose

The role of the HR Business Advisor is to collaborate closely with the local management teams, leading the identification and implementation of HR solutions to improve operational performance and to optimise the use of resource.

The role will involve managing daily, problem solving and applying the principles of governance, compliance, resolution and escalation to HR service provision. Additionally, the HR Business Advisor serves as a vital link between HR and various internal and external stakeholders, supporting delivery of the MPS Turnaround Plan and promoting the mission of More Trust, Less Crime, and High Standards.

Communications and Working Relationships

The HR Business Advisor actively engages with local stakeholders, HR colleagues, LDSS and external partners e.g. OPTIMA and SSCL, employing various communication channels such as face-to-face, MS Teams, phone calls, and emails.

The role involves developing productive relationships with DPS and Learning and Development teams, ensuring coordinated support to address probationary and discipline matters.

They will be skilled at dealing with sensitive information and complex environments, they engage with internal and external stakeholders across different hierarchical levels, employing negotiation and briefing skills to convey critical information effectively.

Key Results Area

They serve as the point of contact for HR-related matters, creating seamless communication and action implementation.

Overseeing and promoting the local delivery of HR initiatives to elevate people performance, including diversity inclusion and attraction initiatives.

Contributing to workforce management activities for efficient resource allocation in consultation with the Senior HR Business Advisor.

Deputising for the Senior HR Business Advisor as needed, with authority to make delegated decisions, and be the key contact for senior stakeholders

Managing information

• Validating workforce information, ensuring accuracy and aligning with PSOP/ corporate databases.
• Ensures that the LRPM management information delivers what the business needs for effective performance and compliance monitoring. Take corrective action where improvements are necessary. Feedback and escalate issues as required with Senior HR Business Advisor and Workforce Planning and Deployment
• Create/maintain and use resources appropriately to ensure that information required for deployment decisions is kept up to date e.g. no aid no operations, and training and fitness records. This includes liaising with team leaders to ensure records correctly reflect fully deployable officers
• Lead in the identification and management of information for the assessment of local police posts to inform the adjusted duties resilience, liaising closely with Workforce Planning and Deployment.

Managing availability

• Proactive identification of cases through the use of data and local knowledge. Providing advice and input to enable the progression and resolution of complex cases.
• Ensures effective management of all limited duties officer cases [adjusted, recuperative, and restricted duties]:
• Local management of adjusted duties by leading local O/BCU adjusted duties panel and providing initial HR support with the Senior HR Business Advisor, to ensure cases are linked into OH and wider HR services and recommendations in supporting individuals in having fulfilling future employment; maintenance of the local adjusted duties panel records. This includes liaising with supervisors,
• Ensure that Workforce Deployment has the current status on the adjusted duties BCU resilience.
• The lead on attendance management and ensure grip is maintained on the availability of local resources by monitoring, tasking and holding managers to account for actions. E.g. driving follow up actions from the attendance management and LRPM meetings. Ensuring that actions arising from Attendance Management and LRPM meetings are completed, providing guidance when needed, and signposting to key partners within HR Case Management and Optima.
• Support to the local management in local restricted officer management Create and maintain a database of records relating to restricted officers that are posted to or away from the BCU.

Managing the workforce profile

• Analysis of workforce planning activity, managing and monitoring the OCU profile ensuring the co-ordination of recruitment, selection and retention of staff to meet current needs and ensure future requirements. E.g. identifying risks in vacancy management and succession planning to ensure a consistent and efficient delivery of resources.  
• Contribute to the delivery of career pathways to support succession planning and career development of staff, collaborating as appropriate with the career development leads.
• Guide and advise local senior management in the decision making of requests for flexible working, Project Balance and career breaks applications, liaising with HR specialist units when appropriate.
• Provide guidance support and assistance to ensure that all local selection processes [where SSCL do not have a role to coordinate] meet the standard of fairness and transparency. E.g. selection for specialist courses.
• Leading local upskilling sessions for local workforce as identified/required/necessary.

Managing employment relations

• Contribute to effective management of grievances locally by ensuring sufficient trained resources and that locally, there are practices in place to enable compliance with policy.

Coordination with service providers

• Coordinating with support service providers e.g. SSCL, LDSS, and Optima, ensuring seamless support delivery and service alignment.
• Coordinate the provision of assistance to the local managers to compile HR-related case files.

Scope for Impact

The HR Business Advisor holds a key role in ensuring accurate data for individual availability and performance, thereby optimising deployment decisions across BCUs.

Challenges arise from providing advice to various stakeholders, necessitating a balance of knowledge, skill, and confidence.

Operating within the framework of employment law, particularly the equality act, presents a challenge, requiring personalised advice based on individual circumstances.

The role involves delivering sensitive messages with compassion, resilience, and robustness.

The HR Business Advisor’s close collaboration with the business is instrumental in identifying improvement areas and disseminating best practices for people performance enhancement.

Dimensions

While the HR Business Advisor does not directly supervise personnel, their responsibilities include improving the availability and performance of a significant workforce within their assigned unit. Additionally, they may deputise for the Senior HR Business Advisor and provide coverage for service delivery on other BCUs, reinforcing the managerial and leadership aspects of their role. 

How to apply

Click the apply now button below and start your career at the Met. Applications will be via a detailed CV, Personal Statement, and online application form. Your personal statement should outline why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role. (NB. Please do not attach 2 copies of your CV).

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 16th April 2024.

www.metpolicecareers.co.uk