Schools HR Partner (PO2)

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JOB ROLE PROFILE AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Post Title and Number: HR Partner___________________________________________

Present Grade: PO2 Dept: Chief Executive_____________________

Service/Section/Team: Schools HR

Reports to (title): Head of Schools HR_

Purpose of the Role:

At Enfield Schools HR, we empower schools, settings, and trusts to deliver exceptional education and outcomes for children and young people through tailored HR solutions.

We are a diverse team of education HR specialists, driven by a moral purpose rather than profit. This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference in the sector, and in the lives of children, providing high-quality consultancy with impact.

As an HR Partner, you will provide a full generalist HR service, acting as a dedicated partner for schools and trusts. You will take the time to understand their unique needs, delivering bespoke advice and expert support.

This role has a strong focus on Employee Relations casework but the postholder will also be involved in a wide range of HR disciplines including conducting workplace investigations, designing and delivering training, writing and reviewing policies, supporting TUPE projects, supporting change management in customer schools, and ad-hoc HR project work with customer schools.

You will play an active role in the development of our team, contributing to development of practice and our evolving strategy. Your insight will help drive innovation and ensure we continue to meet the changing needs of the education sector.

Dimensions including Structure Chart:



Key Accountabilities:

Accountabilities
Anticipated level of time  
H = High
M = Medium
L = low
1. Act as HR partner to named schools

· Build and maintain trusted relationships with headteachers, school business leaders, governors, and leadership teams.
· Act as an HR partner to named schools, understanding the specific needs and challenges of each school to provide tailored HR solutions.
· Work in a pragmatic manner to assess options and risks and offering risk-based solutions to support customer outcomes.
· Work in keeping with our not-for-profit ethos.

H
2. Employee Relations and high-level case management:

· Provide expert advice and support on complex ER cases, including disciplinaries, grievances, sickness absence and performance management.
· Advise and support on change management including reorganisation, restructure and TUPE.
· Guide school leaders on the application of employment law, policies, and procedures.
· Support formal hearings and appeals. Support and advise on the employer’s case and attend meetings as HR representative.
· Advise on safeguarding-related employment issues, ensuring compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and safer recruitment practices.

H
3. Contribute to the development of our resource suite by creating and curating model policies, manager resources, employer guidance, letter and pro-forma templates, and other relevant content.

L
4. Build and maintaining effective working relations with trade unions to consult, negotiate and agree business focused outcomes on a range of projects and complex casework.

M
5. Deliver HR training and workshops on key HR topics. Contribute to the design, development, and delivery of training materials.

L
6. Liaise with Council Teams and internal partners as needed to ensure appropriate support for schools, i.e. LADO, Finance, Legal

L
7. Conduct and deliver impartial workplace investigations as part of a traded service and in accordance with school policies.

L
8. Contribute to the ongoing development of the traded HR service:

· identify opportunities to enhance service delivery and efficiency.
· identify opportunities to offer contract and consultancy services, in line with our not-for-profit ethos, through engagement with customer base and identification of new potential customers.

L
9. Deputising for SMT as appropriate

L
10. Lead on defined projects and pieces of work including policy development, training creation and delivery, manager guidance on HR topics, HR audits etc. For these defined projects, HR Partners will take direct management of APO and lead other HR Partners where required.

L
11. Support internal colleagues and Assistant Personnel Officers through sharing knowledge, and providing advice, guidance, and support as required.

L
12. Conduct Job Evaluations using GLPC Job Evaluation Scheme. Ensure fair consistent job evaluations to help schools to attract and retain staff and reduce risk of equal pay claims.

L
13. Keep up to date with changes in employment law, education sector policies, and HR best practice, to ensure you give providing proactive advice.

L
14. Any other duties as reasonably required in the role and by managers.

L

Key Relationships (Internal and External):

Relationship building and development is critical to our success and the success of this role. The postholder will have regular contact with school staff including Headteachers, Senior Leadership Teams, Business Managers, Office Managers, Governors, and line managers.
There will be some contact with school staff, but our contracts with schools are to provide services to those acting on behalf of the school customer.

There will be regular contact with other Council teams and services including representatives from legal, finance, payroll, pensions, LADO and other external agencies and organisations

The role will also require relationship building with trade union officials and representatives as education is a highly unionised sector.

All interactions may vary in purpose depending on the specific matter at hand. To be successful the post holder will be able to develop relationships utilising a high degree of confidentiality and sensitivity.



Equality and Diversity:

The Council has a strong commitment to achieving equality in its service to the community and the employment of people and expects all employees to understand, comply with and promote its policies in their own work.


Health and Safety:

The post holder shall ensure that the duties of the post are undertaken with due regard to the Council’s Health and Safety Policy and to their personal responsibilities under the provisions of the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and all other relevant subordinate legislation.

For a more detailed definition of these responsibilities, refer to the current versions of the Corporate Health & Safety Policy, Group Safety Policy and employee information leaflet entitled "Health & Safety Policy; Guidance on Staff Health & Safety Responsibilities".

Corporate Health and Safety Responsibilities
All employees have personal responsibilities to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others. This means:

1. Understanding the hazards in the work they undertake;
2. Following safety rules and procedures;
3. Using work equipment, personal protective equipment, substances, and safety devices correctly; and
4. Working in accordance with the training provided and only undertaking tasks where appropriate training has been received.

Employees shall co-operate with the Council by allowing it to comply with its duties towards them. This requires employees to:

· take part in safety training and risk assessments and suggest ways of reducing risks; and
· take part in emergency evacuation exercises.

Employees shall report all accidents, ‘near miss’ incidents and work-related ill health conditions to their manager/supervisor/team leader.

Employees shall read the Corporate Health & Safety – Organisation Part B Policy to ascertain and understand their responsibilities as an employee, line manager, Assistant Director or Director of the Council.

Information Security:

In order to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Council information, including information provided by customers, partner organisations, and other third parties, where applicable, employees will comply with the Council’s Information Security Policy.

Statement of Commitment to Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults through safer employment practice:

Enfield Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Safe recruitment of staff is central to this commitment, and the Council will ensure that its recruitment policies and practices are robust, and that selection procedures prevent unsuitable people from gaining access to children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff employed to work with or on behalf of children and young people in the Council must be competent.

All staff working with Children & Vulnerable Adults should be aware of and share the commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults when applying for posts at Enfield Council.

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Last revised March 2025

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Job Title: HR Partner Grade: PO2

Department: Chief Executive Team: Enfield Schools HR

HOW TESTED
Application – A
Test – T
Interview – I
Job Specifics – Skills, Experience, Knowledge & Abilities

Essential:

1. Demonstrable experience in handling a wide range of Employee Relations matters disciplinary matters, grievances, performance management, absence management
2. Experienced in supporting delivery of change management such as restructure, reorganisation and TUPE.
3. Able to analyse complex situations and give tailored support and advice to decision makers.
4. Acting with pragmatism in all matters. Able to understand risk in a HR context and use this knowledge in helping customers to achieve their goals.
5. Highly organised and able to multi-task without sacrificing quality of service.
6. Strong knowledge of HR practice and UK employment law.
7. Strong written and verbal communication skills
8. Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills
9. Able to demonstrate a commercial mindset in balance with our not-for-profit ethos.

Desirable:

1. Knowledge or experience HR and/or law in the education sector
2. Understanding the challenges facing the education sector and the drivers for school and trust operations.
3. Trained in, or familiar with, job evaluation principles.



A/T/I









A/I
Behaviours

Appropriate behaviours are key to the delivery of our vision for Enfield.

We want staff who will work collaboratively, flexibly and constructively, and exhibit this ethos in all their dealings with residents, colleagues and partners. Our leaders will be exemplars of the following behaviours and encourage them in staff at all levels; 

Take Responsibility
We want staff who are willing to make decisions and be accountable for them. Staff should have a positive can-do attitude where they see problems as challenges which can be overcome. They should accept responsibility for service delivery, be clear about their service offer and deliver what they promise.

Open, Honest and Respectful
We want staff who are comfortable and confident to acknowledge the difficulties and the barriers they face. They should also be able to constructively challenge the way things are done where there is evidence that it impedes service delivery. Challenge should be conducted in a professional, courteous manner with the aim of reaching a mutually agreeable resolution.

Listen and Learn
We want staff who are prepared to actively listen and reflect on customer concerns with a view to understanding the customer’s point of view. Staff should be able to receive constructive criticism and be prepared to adapt the way they operate and deliver services where appropriate.

Work Together to find solutions
We want staff who can work collaboratively with other departments and partners, freely sharing their knowledge and skills to identify solutions to address customer concerns.

Candidates: Please ensure you address these behaviours in your responses to the essential (and desirable if applicable) criteria above.




A/I

Competencies:

Candidates: Please ensure you address these competencies in your responses to the essential (and desirable if applicable) criteria above.

1. Customer focus
2. Deliver service performance
3. Focus on continuous improvement
4. Political awareness and context



A/I
Qualifications & Professional registration criteria

Candidates: Please ensure you address these qualifications in your responses to the essential (and desirable if applicable) criteria, you will be expected to meet these requirements of the role and they will be explored with you at interview.

1. Holds a CIPD Qualification at level 5 or above, is in the process of gaining accreditation, or has equivalent experience.


I

Special requirements

Candidates: Please note you will be expected to meet these requirements of the role and they will be explored with you at interview.

1. Capable of working independently with minimal supervision, while also knowing when to seek guidance.
2. Open minded, willing to support the journey of service development and act with pragmatism.
3. Able to demonstrate a “not-for-profit commercial mindset”.



I

We are considering applications on term-time only basis, and for working patterns from 30 to 35 hours per week. If 30 hours -over 4 days (not a Friday) Please state your preferences or requirements in your application.

This role is initially till 31st July 2026, but it has the potential to become permanent in the future.

We are recruiting for an HR Partner to join our successful and well-regarded Enfield Schools HR Team. We are a diverse team of education HR specialists, committed to both ethical responsibility and sustainable success. This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference in the sector, and in the lives of children, providing high-quality consultancy with impact.

We are proud that our service empowers schools and trusts to deliver exceptional education and outcomes for children and young people through tailored HR solutions.
As an HR Partner, you'll deliver a comprehensive generalist HR service, acting as a trusted advisor to schools and trusts. You'll take the time to understand each organisation’s specific context, providing tailored advice and expert support.
While the role has a strong emphasis on employee relations casework, you'll also gain exposure to a broad range of HR activities. These include conducting workplace investigations, developing and delivering training sessions, drafting and reviewing policies, supporting TUPE and change management processes, and contributing to ad-hoc HR projects across our customer schools.
Our ideal candidate will have a strong background in generalist HR and the ability to turn their hand to support customers in whatever people or management challenges they are undertaking. This role demands a creative and solution-oriented mindset and a pragmatic approach to HR. The ability to build relationships with customers and coach develop risk-based options to meet their goals is paramount to being successful in this role.
As we are a customer facing rather than an internal facing service, we also require the ability to balance a not-for-profit ethos with a traded service approach and customer service focus.
Enfield Council has a flexible approach to working and the successful candidate will balance home working, working in the Civic Centre with our team, and working on school site as required.
Being able to travel to various locations by car is essential for this role. You must hold a full driving licence and have appropriate car insurance and access to a vehicle as needed. As this role includes a permanent home working component, you will also need to ensure you will be able to work effectively from home.