Candidate Brief
HRAdviser – Exeter based
October 2014
Welcome Letter
Dear Candidate
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to review this candidate briefing pack. DCH has a strong reputation; we are influential within the social housing sector, have strong national voice and are known as an organisation that punches above its weight.
Our HR vision is to be a high achieving employer that people aspire to join, and enjoy working for. We have two fundamental aims supporting this vision:
•Our first aim is that the HR team will work in partnership with our customers, which includes board members, directors, managers and staff, to ensure that the group has skilled and motivated staff now, and for the future
•Our second aim is that HR will be creative and challenging in supporting the business and will champion the role of staff in achieving DCH vision and strategy.
We are recruiting an HR Adviser to join our current team of four; this is a permanent post based in our Exeter office although the role requires travel across Devon & Cornwall. This is a generalist role and you will be involved in the whole of the employee life cycle from recruitment, employment relations through to supporting the leaving process.
It’s an exciting, challenging and rewarding time to join DCH, and in particular to join the HR team. As a team we work hard but flexibly; work life balance is important to us. We have a fantastic opportunity to introduce new and better ways of working to an already successful organisation, to develop DCH as a great employer and more importantly to give our staff great opportunities for the future.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sheila Whelan
Group Director of HR
DCH
Introduction to DCH
DCH (formerly Devon & Cornwall Housing) is a leading housing group, managing and delivering services to over 20,000 homes, with a budgeted turnover of £115million.
We are supported by a team of over 800 motivated and enthusiastic staff working together to deliver services that make a huge difference to individuals, families and communities across Devon and Cornwall. We are financially strong, socially focused, and recognise that an increased emphasis on efficiency will improve our ability to deliver a demanding programme of work. This ensures that we make the most of the opportunities that will come our way in the future.
We are also one of the largest developers of affordable housing nationally. We have developed over 2,000 affordable new homes in the last four years and have a pipeline development programme up to 2017 of a further 3,500 homes for rent, shared equity and outright sale.
In one of the most turbulent periods in sector history, we have increased our investment in customer services, responded to public spending cuts and been able to generate significant surpluses. Importantly, we believe passionately that the social results we are achieving are changing people’s lives through access to decent, secure housing, high-quality support services and the regeneration of local communities. Increasingly, our attention is also focused on understanding the beneficial economic impact our investment in building new homes and in services is having on the local economy of the communities we invest in.
Performance has improved across all areas of our work, with strong and continually improving financial indicators that give us choices on how we can invest in the communities where we work. Customer satisfaction remains high, with particularly strong results on value-for-money.
During the past few years we have also not shrunk from hard decisions. Substantial cuts in Supporting People funding has required us to redesign services so that we make the most of resources available, while still maintaining high-quality support services to our customers.
Our future is as an expanding provider of affordable homes, working closely with partners in both the public and private sector to deliver high-quality services, meet extensive housing need and invest in communities across our region.
Future priorities and the shape of our new strategy
Over the last three years, the group has changed significantly, and so has the world outside. We have responded effectively to the substantial sector change that has emerged. Our whole landscape of government, the economy, quangos, regulation, capital grants and welfare has changed almost beyond recognition. The sector has gone through a sea-change, from being closely-regulated, grant-funded and risk-averse, through to the beginnings of a fundamental new approach.
Welfare reform, regulatory change, and new planning and delivery frameworks are all taking shape at the same time as continued economic instability, and a housing market that remains fundamentally unaligned with incomes. At the same times as this, there are increased demands from customers and stakeholders to provide higher-quality and better-value services than ever before.
In all parts of our strategy and operations we are recognising the fundamental changes that have been achieved, and that our decision-making, business processes, and most importantly our culture, all reinforce our position as a substantial regional organisation.
It is these factors that set the scene for the strategic review that took place in 2012/13. The DCH board has agreed the strategy that will take us to 2016 and beyond, with an ambitious vision, challenging aims and rigorous values, all set out below.
Our Vision
Our vision is of a growing and developing business that is valued by our customers; investing in new and existing homes that people want to live in, strengthening communities that will be sustainable into the future, and improving prospects and opportunities for people across our areas of work.
Our Aims
We have three core aims running through everything that we do:
- delivering great customer services
This aim focuses on delivering the best possible services and homes that we are proud of, achieving high levels of customer satisfaction with an emphasis on meeting customer needs flexibly. It is fundamentally based on our belief that great customer services are delivered by staff that live our values, through processes and systems which are efficient and effective.
- investing in the communities where we work
This aim focuses on being an enabler for people to improve their own situations, overcoming barriers and enhancing opportunities with support from DCH and other agencies. We will invest in evidence-based long-term outcomes, for example potentially including health, education, training and apprenticeships. We will be prioritising the areas of work that will have most effect, and we will target resources where interventions will have the greatest impact and deliverability.
- growing our business
This aim includes our key activity of developing new homes, and is also about wider business growth; an organisation that grows in more than one dimension. It includes consideration of new partnerships, new products, new services and markets, and positions us as an organisation with the strength to lead and shape agendas. We are becoming an agile organisation that responds effectively to change, with scalable business models that enable us to drive the best possible value from growth. In particular, this aim brings increased financial independence from government, no longer solely relying on public subsidy to grow our business.
Our Values
Our values are clear, authentic, demonstrable, realistic and livable. They are integral to how we recruit, induct, inspire leadership and support a team-working culture by our staff:
- putting customers first
We are proud of the services and homes we deliver. We know the importance of communicating with our customers, and responding to their needs with a friendly and flexible approach.
- learning and improving
We are always looking for ways to improve our services and how we deliver them. We know that responding effectively to a changing world is essential to deliver our strategy and to increase value for money for our customers. We share ideas and actively seek feedback from others to improve our performance.
- making things happen
We work collaboratively and in partnership to achieve our objectives. We are accountable for our actions, keep our promises, and have a can-do attitude when faced with challenges.
- honesty, respect and leadership
We respect our customers, colleagues and stakeholders. We understand that trusting, open working relationships help us deliver great customer service. We work with passion and enthusiasm, and throughout the organisation we encourage, challenge and support others to deliver great service.
Our Brand Journey
In May 2013 we rebranded with the single identity of DCH across our group. This marks an important stage in our growth, building on what has gone before:
- Devon & Cornwall Housing itself was formed in the 1970s, growing organically to be a leading local organisation during the 1980s and 1990s.
- Penwith Housing Association and TorHomes, which transferred from local councils and subsequently joined Devon & Cornwall Housing in 2006 & 2007, retaining their individual brands.
- Our specialist companies Independent Futures and Westco Properties, set up to specialise in independent living and commercial development.
The group has gone from strength to strength, becoming the largest housing organisation in the south-west. Our history has given us a breadth and depth envied by many; we offer a seamless package of housing and support solutions.
In building on this success, our new single DCH branding has been developed through listening carefully to customers and stakeholders who told us that separate identities were confusing and diluted our impact.
We are still retaining our specialist companies in the background within our company structure, but all our activities are delivered through the DCH brand. We are keeping what has made us a valued partner, bringing it together from each previous organisation, and magnifying it through collaboration and clarity in our new brand.
Together with a well-managed programme of customer communications and stakeholder engagement, our new identity supports our DCH strategy at a time of exciting change, dynamic growth and a challenging agenda.
Governance and Management
Over the past two years DCH has undergone a considerable restructure through amalgamation. This included considerable (and very successful) consultation with customers and stakeholders, leading to a two-stage amalgamation where assets were transferred to the parent, and community interest companies were set up to provide governance oversight for landlord services.
Our new governance and company structure was launched last year and is now aligned to our strategic priorities. It includes specialist companies for housing support, commercial development and leasehold management, supported by two community interest companies (CICs) providing operational service overview in Cornwall and Devon.
The innovative structure of using community interest companies (CICs) to operate as service delivery subsidiaries provides accountability opportunities for residents and community stakeholders, while maintaining central control and direction, as well as streamlined governance effectiveness.
All our companies trade under the single name of DCH, except for Call24 which provides a 24-hour, 7 days-a-week telecare call response service to 9,500 customers. Call24 is jointly owned with Plymouth City Council.
Our Board
Led by our group chairman Angela Dupont, the board members of DCH have overall responsibility for the activities and performance of the group and ultimate responsibility for governance. Comprising 12 members, including the Group Chief Executive and Group Finance Director, the parent board’s role is to direct and control the group’s work; to determine strategic direction and policies, to establish and oversee control, to establish and oversee the framework of delegation and systems of internal control including group performance and risk management. It monitors the performance of all organisations within the group to ensure that they remain financially viable and conduct their affairs properly.
The implementation of the parent board’s strategy and policies is delegated to the Group Chief Executive.
Our Group Management Team
As part of implementation of our strategy, we have reviewed the structure of the group management team to support our business.
Together with other changes, this leads to a new structure of the group management team.
For further information on our organisation, please visit
Human Resource Directorate
The HR team is here to advise, champion and support the people needs of the group, enabling DCH to achieve its goals through the motivation, contribution and skills of our staff. This includes: employee engagement, recruitment, induction, learning, management and staff development, policy and group practice, performance management, and reward and recognition. We have been nominated as finalists in a number of categories of the CIPD awards, the results will be announced in September.
The management team aim to deliver a high quality, customer focused HR service that delivers our vision of a people-orientated organisation that attracts, develops and inspires skilled and enthusiastic staff who share our values.
The HR Adviser team work with staff and managers across the group on a geographic basis. They provide advice and support on people management such as recruitment, employee relations and reorgansiation.
The HR administration team are the first port of call for any general HR enquiries. They handle a wide range of HR matters including: recruitment administration, learning and development administration, starters and leavers, contractual changes and sick absence reporting.
Our L&D team identify, coordinate, design and deliver a huge range of training and learning across the group.
Job Description – HRAdviser
Responsible to:Head of Human Resources
Responsible for: (No direct reports)
Purpose
Provide a comprehensive, high quality and customer focused HR advisory service to managers and employees promoting and actively progressing the delivery of DCH and HR strategies across our diverse organisation inline with our vision, our aims and our values.
Key Objectives
•Promote the vision and values of the Group and HR strategies, actively seeking to positively engage staff throughout the group in achievement of DCH strategic aims
•Proactively support and progress complex employment cases delivering pragmatic business focused advice that drives line manager capability in resolving and concluding cases
•Support the development and implementation of a performance management culture including leading on capability related casework, developing manager’s skills, advising and guiding managers through the policy
•Deliver a professional and timely recruitment and selection service attracting talented people to DCH group, coaching and advising managers as required to enable them to contribute to the recruitment and selection process effectively
•Guide line managers in the communication and delivery of organisational change, including restructure, redundancy, TUPE and other complex initiatives taking account of the impact on staff morale of such changes, ensuring effective implementation of new structures, and including authorisation and preparation of legal and contractual documentation
•Play an active role in developing and maintaining meaningful staff consultation and communication, both formal and informal
•Contribute to the delivery and analysis of regular KPI and ad-hoc management information which provides managers with insightful commentary to drive business improvement
•Advise on organisational legal compliance in relation to workplace practice and HR service delivery ensuring risks are communicated, assessed and mitigated in partnership with line managers
•Support the OD team in development of management and staff, identifying and addressing issues and concerns that prevent the achievement of business objectives or HR strategy
•Initiate and contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of internal policies and practice that provide an effective, consistent and timely delivery of an HR service that delivers group strategy and enhances DCH’s aspiration to be a high achieving employer that people aspire to join, and enjoy working for
•Contribute to the continuing improvement and development of the HR/OD team, to projects, change management programmes and working groups as required
•Maintain up to date knowledge with developments in employment legislation and human resource best practice sharing this knowledge with colleagues and customers.
Corporate Responsibilities
•Develop and maintain collaborative and productive relationships with colleagues throughout the group.
•Maintain awareness of the changing external environment, developing professional knowledge and skills and using this to the benefit of DCH and own personal development.
•Adhere to and promote the group’s policies and procedures, with special attention being given to promoting equality & diversity, data protection, health & safety, value for money and risk management.
•The post holder is expected to undertake any other reasonable duties within their capabilities and the scope of the post as requested by their line manager.
Person Specification
Qualifications
•CIPD qualified with substantial post qualification experience (or equivalent expertise through study and experience)
•Evidence of continuing professional development and genuine interest in continuous learning.
Experience/knowledge
•A track record of achievement in a customer and performance focused HR team within a large employer (and that is geographically dispersed).
•Working with a high achieving business, delivering a constantly improving HR service in a changing environment.
•Current knowledge of employment legislation and evidence of translating this into risk assessed practical advice and actions.
•Supporting managers in handling disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence and other employee relations matters in a timely and professional manner.