HR Business Partner - Childrens Services

We have a high profile and challenging opportunity to work with a newly formed Children’s Services Leadership team to address the workforce issue supporting the improvement of Children’s Services. This is a priority for the Council.   This critical role will work with the new leadership team to develop and implement their workforce strategy. Stabilising their workforce is critical.  This will include identifying and implementing plans for recruitment, retention, career pathways and future workforce planning.  The role is solely to address their challenges and will have the support and resource of a diverse and well established HR service to deliver the outcomes needed.  Responsibility and oversight for monitoring and reporting on the progress of the HR service delivery aspect of their workforce strategy lies with this role, and liaison with HR colleagues will be key to resolve any issues as they arise. The role forms part of the HR leadership team who will fully support the achievement of outcomes for this role.

To meet this challenge, you will need to have:

• A broad knowledge and understanding of HR services, and an ability to identify what we can offer Children’s Services, to create solutions to their workforce needs and support their improvement activity
• Experience as a HR professional, including working with senior leadership operating at a strategic level
• An understanding of the workforce issues currently facing Children’s Services nationally and within the Council; and a knowledge of recruitment, retention, workforce development strategies and solutions to support improvement
• Ideally experience of recruitment in a skills shortage area where there has been a requirement to drive new and creative initiatives to support short, medium and long-term resourcing needs
• Strong communication, negotiation and mediation skills; with a proven ability to engage and persuade senior leaders on a course of action, instil confidence and provide clarity, direction and evidence to support proposals
• Excellent IT and data management skills, and confidence in the use of data to identify trends and issues to support improvement activity
• Impact and the ability to form strong working relationships quickly to confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues, at all levels, to generate commitment
• Experience of developing and implementing new initiatives and change – with involvement in either all or key parts of the development of the strategy, design, stakeholder engagement, negotiation/consultation, implementation and evaluation
• The ability to operate at a strategic level, both within the Council as well as working with external agencies and partners to deliver initiatives and pieces of work
• Resilience – this is key, coupled with excellent prioritisation and delegation skills. The demands from the service are high.  Ability to balance competing demands and focus on what is important to achieve improvement

This is undoubtedly a challenging role…  but at an exciting time where you have the rare opportunity to focus solely on influencing a newly formed leadership team and shape the future workforce of Children’s Services; coupled with the full support and resource of an experienced and diverse HR service.  Are you up for the challenge?

For more information or to apply CLICK HERE