LION ACADEMY TRUST
Grade: SO2 (30,324 – 31,998)
ABOUT LION ACADEMY TRUST
At the heart of the Lion Academy Trust is the belief that access to an outstanding education is a right for all our children and young people. To achieve this goal, we have a consistent and continuous focus on developing and implementing outstanding educational practices. We continue to develop innovative and better ways to transform schools into centers of teaching and learning excellence and, as our results show, our robust, quality-driven approach has brought proven results.
The Lion Education Trust and Lion Academy Trust work hand in hand to lead several schools in different geographical hubs. The Lion Academy Trust is made up of several schools in Waltham Forest, and Essex that serve a multi-cultural community and all our schools are on a journey to being truly outstanding schools.
We believe that that obstacles and barriers, both real and perceived, can be overcome by clear, strategic and targeted support that creates culture change based on sharing good and outstanding practice, collegiality, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
This underpins our high expectations and action and drives all our staff to provide rich opportunities for our children in order for them to reach the highest possible levels of attainment and achieve exceptionally well in all walks of life.
We believe that outstanding teaching and learning must be central to every decision made and every development introduced. We are inclusive, caring schools where every child matters.
OUR VALUES
1)Inspire – All our children are entitled to an outstanding education
2)Achievement – Relentless pursuit of excellence, Good or better everyday
3)A Positive Difference - Our students & stakeholders are the reason we exist
4)Evolve - Centrally defined & locally implemented hubs of excellence
5)Exceptional Customer Service – High service level at everything we do
BEHAVIOURS
Accountability: Accepts full responsibility for self and contribution as a team member, displays honesty and trustworthiness. Able to solve problems quickly with a strong commitment to organisational success. Follows through and meet commitments on time.
Initiative/Perseverance:Completes assignments without the need for prompting from his/her line manager or others. Demonstrates resilience against challenges and obstacles.Achieves results on individual input. Looks to solve issues and ensure all elements of the business function
Organizational Skills: Able Ability to identify and set priorities, plan and effectively allocate appropriate resources. Maintains attention to detail to ensure high quality outcomes.
Driving Results: Takes personal responsibility and ownership for results, delivering within functional framework and against targets, whilst supporting the Trust’s objectives and aims.
Functional competencies: Commercial Effectiveness, Stakeholder Management, Business Skills
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Trust Operations Team is a vibrant and multi skilled team that supports across all the schools within the Trust. Interaction within this department will be between finance, HR and wider operations teams.This role will form part of the Trust operational team with a primary focus to support the HR Department & HR needs across the Trust.
This role reports into the HR Business Partner and is a full time role working 52 weeks per year.
KEY ATTRIBUTES
•Ability to work with highly confidential and sensitive information•Initiative and a self-starter with ability to work unsupervised
•A high level of discretion and confidentiality
•Excellent IT skills including working on Google Platform and MS Word and Excel
•Excellent communication skills, including written and spoken presentation
ROLE DESCRIPTION
Due to continued growth an exciting opportunity has arisen for a Junior HR Advisor to join the Lion Academy Trust as part of the Central HR function. This role will be responsible for supporting & providing HR advice to schools across the Trust.The role incumbent will have recent experience of working in a HR advisory role providing first line professional, comprehensive and timely advice on a range of general HR queries such as sickness absence management, terms and conditions, disciplinary and grievance issues, performance management, and HR policies and procedures.
The Junior HR Advisor will support and work alongside the HR Business Partner in providing a professional consultancy HR service to all Trust schools and Executive Team on all aspects of HR.
The Junior HR Business Partner will participate in HR projects as directed by the HRBP. The role may, from time to time requiretravel to schools across the Trustfrom time to time.
EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
•Graduate CIPD or Relevant HR qualification with a commitment to continues development.OVERVIEW OF MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Recruitment & Onboarding:•To manage and oversee recruitment of Trust vacancies and assistHR/Office managers in compiling job descriptions, person specifications and recruitment adverts.
•To meet with employees to complete all pre-employment checks, including checking DBS documentation and oversee the recruitment for Trust roles advertised centrally as and supporting schools with recruitment drives.
•Ensure the Trust agreed format, guidance the Single Central Register (SCR) is adhered to and all new employees are registered on the SCR.
•To prepare and issue contracts to all new starters.
•Advising on short listing and acting in support of recruitment interviewing and other selection methods where required.
•Manage and proactively resolve all aspects of the employee life cycle which include but not limited to compiling recruitment support documents, placing, advertising roles, monitoring recruitment peaks
Policies & Procedures:
•Assess absence data and acting as the first stage support for Trust schools for advise, monitoring and addressing attendance performance concerns in alignment with Trust policy and procedure. Providing coaching and support to HR/Office managers as appropriate.
•Support the HRBP with the management of all long term absence management cases as appropriate, including but not limited to advising schools in alignment with Trust policy, advising on sickness case management in alignment with Trust policy.
•Act as point of contact in advisory capacity for all trust schools on all HR policies, HR practices.
•Support and advising Trust schools in meetings including but not limited to absence meetings, capability meetings, flexible work request meetings, disciplinary & grievance meetings.
•embedding of any new HR policies and practices, monitoring the effectiveness of their communication, local compliance and flagging any areas that could benefit from review.
•Collaborate with HRBP to ensure the effective dissemination of all HR training and policy updates across the Trust.
•Assist with and where appropriate advice on staffing restructures across the Trust, ensuring that the restructures are legally compliant and in line with Trust policy whilst seeking legal
•Advise and support the effective management of the Trust performance management cycle and process as it applies to teaching and support staff.
HR Systems & Records:
•To effectively & efficiently support and facilitate the Trust wide implementation of a HR
& MI system.
•Advise and support Trust schools alongside HR/Office Managers on the effective utilization of HR/MI systems including and not limited to uploading personnel information, report writing, secure data processing in line with GDPR & ICO guidelines.
•Manage the monthly payroll input into a small payroll utilizing the Lion Academy Trust payroll portal.
•Manage employee contractual revision as required as well as maintain employee files in line with safeguarding requirements, data protection regulations and Trust policy & practice.
HR Advise & Project work
•To provide HR advise and support to schools in relation to the application of HR Policies, procedures and best practice in alignment with Trust policies.
•To support and where relevant coach HR/Office managers with the on the application of policy and provide support and guidance with policy case work.
•To have regard for and knowledge of General Data Protection Regulation and its application.
•Support the implementation of all HR projects alongside the HR Business Partner for example but not limited to HR Management Information System & General Data Protection Regulation.
•Assist with HR audits across the Trust and ensure data acquired is sued to develop HR best practice.
•Ensure accurate recording of case work including minutes, emails, letters, witness statements etc.
Policy Maintenance
•To maintain an up to date file of Trust policies, ensuring policies are reviewed and updated in line with statutory requirements
•Advising on compliance with legislation and guidance, for example, DFE, data protection, Freedom of Information Act, school governance
•To ensure the Trust and school websites meet all statutory requirements
HR Support
•Providing administrative support to the HR Business Partner & Executive Team Leads (CEO & Director of Education) Compiling documents for case meetings, minute taking and letter writing
PERSON SPECIFICATION (E- Essential, D-Desirable)
CIPD Qualified (or working towards) / DHR experience at HR Advisor level / E
Experience of working in the education sector / D
Experience of recruitment up to senior level / D
Experience of TUPE transfers / D
Experience of managing case work including absence management, disciplinary, grievance / E
Experience of working with local and national conditions of service for teachers and support staff / E
Working knowledge of employment legislation and HR good practicewithin the education / E
Knowledge of Teachers and NJC pay and conditions / E
Good ICT skills and ability to use MS office software& Google software / E
Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to effectively convey complex information to a wide variety of audiences / D
Ability to work with all staff across Trust Schools and Executive Team / D
Experience of HR project work including restructures / E
Experience of dealing with difficult and sensitive situations in a diplomatic way / D
An understanding of relevant outside bodies that HR work within education / D
An understanding of the education climate and culture / D
Ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines / E
Safer recruitment knowledge and process understanding / D
OTHER
The job description sets out the duties the duties of the post at the time it was drawn up. The above mentioned duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and the post holder may be required to carry out other relevant duties as directed by management of the Trust; as may be reasonably expected. This is not a common occurrence and would not justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.The Trust is an equal opportunities employer and committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, the successful applicant must provide satisfactory references and will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure, along with all relevant safeguarding checks.