What skills and experience we're looking forCore PurposeThe vision is to centralise all HR functions for the Trust. This is a.....
What skills and experience we're looking for
Core Purpose
The vision is to centralise all HR functions for the Trust. This is a temporary job description and may change according to the needs of the Trust.
You will be supporting the Trust HR Manager with general HR policy and procedures across the Trust.
The core purpose of the post is to work closely with the Headteachers, members of SLT and the Trust HR Manager to ensure that the personnel and administrative aspects of school management are highly effective and fully support high quality teaching and learning. It is a diverse role that requires flexibility, along with knowledge and experience in the key areas of personnel and the day-to-day running of a school.
1. Strategic Planning
To work in collaboration with the Co CEO’s and Trust HR Manager on the leadership of HR initiatives including workforce planning and designing school policies.
Be responsible for higher level HR cases trust wide and HR compliance audits.
2. Policy Development
To lead on reviewing and completing trust wide HR policies to ensure compliance with employment law and safeguarding.
Conducting training for staff on HR policies and best practices.
Health and Wellbeing:
Ensuring the Trust Health and Wellbeing policy is implemented effectively by supporting the Trust HR Manager with the following:
• Keeping accurate records of staff absence.
• Liaising with Central Trust as appropriate on health and wellbeing issues.
• Providing the Co-CEO’s and Trust HR Manager with regular reports and attending meetings to discuss/resolve and personnel issues.
• Alerting the Trust HR Manager when absence has reached short term/long term absence trigger points.
• Contacting staff re: long term absence. Attending meetings, advising senior leaders
• Advising the Headteacher/members of SLT at the welfare and formal attendance meetings in line with Trust policy.
• Taking minutes at formal and informal meetings.
• Making Occupational Health referrals when necessary.
• Alerting line managers to the need for return-to-work meetings.
• Preparing letters and documentation in respect of formal meetings and appeals.
• Arranging and minuting appeals, advising the Trust HR Manager and members of SLT accordingly.
Compliance with Statutory Requirements:
Support the Trust HR Manager, Headteachers and Senior Leaders in ensuring that the schools comply with statutory requirements in the following areas:
• Equality policies.
• HR policies – responsible for notifying staff of any new policies, or policy updates and updating Headteacher and staffroom HR Policy files.
The Assistant HR Manager will support the Trust HR Manager with the following responsibilities:
Recruitment and induction:
• Supporting with the advertisement of vacancies, for both internal and external candidates, including working with external partners to advertise available roles.
• Working with the Headteacher’s/CEO to support candidate shortlisting and selection, providing relevant advice as necessary.
• Following the Trust’s procedures for conducting pre-employment checks.
• Working with the Trust HR Manager, Headteachers and Senior Leaders to ensure new members of staff have an induction programme appropriate for their role.
General HR Procedures:
• Collating information in preparation for Trust Board meetings.
• Supporting with paperwork and procedures for disciplinary, capability and grievance cases.
• Supporting with statutory HR returns and publications e.g. school workforce census.
• Supporting organisational changes, such as restructuring, redundancy and TUPE as directed by Central Trust.
• Supporting with advice to Trust leaders on all aspects of HR practice, developments, and legislation, ensuring the Trust adheres to best practice and operates within the law.
• Contributing towards the building of HR capacity within the Trust, helping Trust leaders to develop their knowledge and skills related to managing their staff.
• Collating workforce statistics, including KPIs.
• Adhering to the Trust’s HR policies and procedures, including those on pay, performance management, induction, parental leave, managing attendance and welfare, whistleblowing, paternity/maternity/adoption leave.
• Supporting the annual review of contracts to ensure they are fit for purpose and in line with any statutory employment changes.
• Supporting with the paperwork and procedures for disciplinary, capability and grievance cases Trust wide.
• Supporting the update of HR documents for the Trust, e.g. the Trust staff handbook.
• Participating in and supporting with the delivery of HR CPD to ensure leaders understand and can effectively implement all HR policy.
• Supporting the Trust HR Manager with quality assurance processes to ensure the effective implementation of policy.
Performance management, pay, and conditions.
The Assistant HR Manager will support effective pay and performance management processes, to ensure alignment with the Trust’s strategic plans and aims by:
• Supporting the Trust’s professional development programmes, working closely with the Trust HR Manager to ensure that needs are prioritised and addressed, and that accurate records of training are kept.
• Supporting the Trust’s approach to a robust performance management programme.
• Liaising with the Trust HR Manager/Trust CFO on Trust’s payroll operations to ensure payroll and recruitment processes are fully aligned.
Employee engagement and wellbeing
The Assistant HR Manager will be responsible for supporting employee well-being and job satisfaction, which aids the Trust in its efforts to recruit and retain the best staff by:
• Working with the Trust HR Manager to develop, implement and monitor staff wellbeing and engagement programmes Trust wide.
• Supporting staff questions about HR policies and procedures.
• Supporting consultations with staff on job satisfaction and helping to implement changes or improvements where appropriate.
Safeguarding
The Assistant HR Manager will be responsible for supporting the Trust’s work to safeguard its students/pupils, its staff and the wider community by:
• Following the Trust’s safer recruitment procedures, including compliance with Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and training requirements.
• Understanding the Trust’s single central record, ensuring compliance with requirements.
• Complying with the Trust’s responsibilities for safeguarding, specifically in relation to employee matters.
• Following the Trust’s procedures for handling allegations against adults and liaising with Central Trust as required.
• Completing safeguarding training and following Trust procedures.
General accountabilities:
The Assistant HR Manager will comply with:
• Ensuring that the output and quality of work is to a high standard and complies with current legislation/standards.
• So far as reasonably practicable, the post holder must ensure that safe working practices are adopted by employees.
These duties and responsibilities should be regarded as neither exhaustive nor exclusive, as the postholder may be required to undertake other reasonably determined duties and responsibilities commensurate with the grading of the post, without changing the general character of the post. Dependant on need, you may be deployed across the Trust.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants will undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers. The role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. The role is also engaged in regulated activity and will therefore require a children’s barred list check.
What the school offers its staff
BENEFITS – We offer a comprehensive benefits package featuring a substantial government pension scheme and up to 28 days of annual leave. Our work schedule is thoughtfully designed to align with family needs, including consideration of school holidays. This approach facilitates a balanced work-life integration, supporting both professional and personal commitments.
Thank you for considering joining our trust. We are privileged to be the CEOs of the Brighter Futures Learning Partnership Trust (BFLPT) and to be working with like‐minded headteachers, leaders, staff and board members who understand how important education is to life chances and social mobility. The BFLPT Board is determined to see a high‐performing multi‐academy Trust which delivers exceptional and enriching learning experiences for all its children, young people and staff. We believe that by working collaboratively, we will create an educational platform on which to build the strong foundations needed for educational success.
There could not be a better time to join our Trust, which includes a diverse and successful range of schools; four Doncaster primary schools, an infant school, an 11-16 secondary school (Hungerhill) and Doncaster University Technical College. Hungerhill School benefitted from being a Teaching and National Support school for many years; its legacy of strong collaboration is still recognised today both locally and nationally with strong student outcomes above national averages. Doncaster UTC opened in 2020 in a state-of-the-art building which supports the strong employer led curriculum designed to create the engineers and technologists of the future. The school has already won several national and local awards and is recognised by Baker Dearing Trust as being one of its flagship schools. More recently we have been awarded a second Free School Bid and the Trust will open a second Doncaster UTC specialising in Green Technologies and Health Care Sciences. We are excited about the future and the many expanding professional development opportunities for our staff.
In September 2021 we implemented a new Primary Knowledge Curriculum in all primary and infant schools and all our schools are heavily invested in the development of a mathematics mastery curriculum and lead on a number of projects supported by the South Yorkshire Maths Hubs.
We are extremely proud that our Ofsted reports have acknowledged that all our schools are good or better. The reports demonstrate that our schools are delivering better student/pupil outcomes by working together, sharing leadership and teacher knowledge and resources. All of this, of course, could not be achieved without our strong body of exceptionally hard-working and committed support staff. This has been testament to the strong investment in staff and pupils; our standards are high, but we take the investment in our staff very seriously.
We are also part of a network of national schools who are reshaping their curriculum, drawing on research and cognitive based science which will ensure all our children make accelerated progress. We employ a number of Ofsted trained consultants across the Trust who are supporting our subject leaders to design and shape the best learning experiences for our young people and in doing so, we are providing very bespoke support and training for teaching staff who want to invest in themselves. We are very proud of our story so far.
Our robust teacher development programmes and associate staff performance management systems allow for internal recognition and support to help encourage colleagues to thrive and develop within role. We are also very clear about reasonable, professional expectations, so that colleagues understand what is required of them, and are confident in their ability to deliver.
We also have many associate staff who are being supported to develop themselves through additional professional courses as we believe this is the hallmark of an outstanding Trust.
The successful candidate will be based at The School Bungalow in the Trust accommodation but may be required to work elsewhere within the Trust, as may reasonably be required by the Headteacher/Principal, CEO for the discharge of their duties.
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
