Following a recent structural change in the People Team, Southwest London & St George's Mental Health (SWLSTG) NHS Trust is looking for various roles in the People Team including a dynamic People Business Partner.

Reporting into the Deputy Director of People, the people Business Partner will be responsible for providing expert advice to the Service Line and Corporate Leads on all people matters, i.e., people strategy both internally and externally, brings best practice in terms of people initiatives drawn from inside and outside the NHS, and other significant areas of people practice including but not limited to areas such as organisational change, workforce planning, EDI, leadership development, talent strategy and TUPE.

The People Business Partner role is a core and senior member of the People team but also within their designated Service Line SLT as the subject matter expert for all people issues to support strategic discussions, to challenge, influence and shape decision making for people issues.

We are looking for a proactive, collaborative and resilient individual, who will be able to lead on specific projects within this scope for their Service Line, with a high costumer centric approach, whilst continuously driving improvements across the service.This role will suit an individual that is comfortable operating at a senior level, contributing to the overall People Strategy and strategic workforce planning.

This role is offered on a permanent basis and will be based at our Tolworth Hospital site . You will be working in accordance with the Trust Agile working policy.

Main duties of the job

The People Business Partner will be working at a strategic level as the subject matter expert is expected to work with the Service level leadership team as a colleague providing the expertise needed to support the development of service line business plans and strategies as they are developed.

The People Business Partner acts as an enabler, commissioning, and co-ordinating support from the wider People Team to meet their Service Line lead ensuring that their requirements are met. The post holder will also be responsible for a corporate service/s as appropriate to ensure they receive senior HR support.

As the subject matter expert for people the People Business Partner is expected to bring expertise and best practice from the wider NHS, our ICB and from external networks. The post holder will act as a 'mini' HR Director for the Service Line and therefore will be expected to speak for the whole People team and be conversant and up to date with the People Service and its priorities.

As part of the interview and assessment process, applicants can expect a psychrometric test, testing specific leadership competencies, a presentation with a stakeholder panel with an Q& A, followed by an interview. Applicants should expect a two day process, - first day with the psychrometric testing by an external provider, - second day, with the stakeholder presentation and interview.

Flexible working:

We are proud to offer agile and flexible working opportunities as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday within the time frames from 9.00am to 5.00pm, giving you the very best of good work life balance

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive. Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

About our locations:

Tolworth Hospital, Surbiton

To create the very best environment to care for our patients, this site's layout will be transformed in 2026 to add a number of wards to the existing three.

Job description

Job responsibilities

In addition to the main duties outline for the role, some of the key responsibilities include:

• Coach and develop senior leaders and managers to enable and support SWLSTGs leadership development approach, utilising the NHS Leadership Framework, Scope for Growth model and the Leadership way.
• Lead on the development of Service Line specific plans to delivery improved career progression, talent strategies and training needs analysis
• Lead organisational change within Service Lines and designated corporate functions.
• Working with the Service Line leadership team identify people risks and opportunities and ensure they are effectively managed through the wider People Team acting as the conduit.
• Deliver effective and efficient people services and operations for the Service Line including recruitment, pay and reward, workforce data, People Policies and employee relations.
• Input on Service Lines employee engagement work with particular focus and highlighting of aspects of the Staff Survey and Pulse Surveys leading on the development of short, medium and long term plans with how engagement and communication can able improved within the Service Line
• Build effective relationships and form a strong alliance with key stakeholders within the Service Line including union colleagues, senior leaders within and outside their immediate Service Line, corporate services colleagues, ICB stakeholders and wider NHS.
• Collaborate and influence the services of the wider People Team to align their work with service line need seeking continuous improvement and problem solving to ensure positive customer experience.

A full set of the responsibilities can be viewed in the job description and person specification

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Level 7 standard of Education (e.g., Masters) in Human Resource Management or related topic OR equivalent experience
• CIPD level 7 (Advanced Diploma) or equivalent qualification or experience
• CMI level 7 or equivalent gained through an inhouse programme or experience
• Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD)

Desirable

• Executive Coaching or Leadership Coaching Qualification
• Action Learning Facilitator

Experience

Essential

• Experience in a Business Partnering role that has worked with Senior Leaders to develop and implement functional workforce plans ideally in the NHS.
• Experience of leading on a people cultural change journey to deliver organisational transformation
• Commercial and customer focussed and able to build effective relationships at all levels of the organisation.
• Ability to think and act strategically using your influencing skills to bring management teams along with your ideas and the ability to describe initiatives and outputs as a result.
• Experience of using a coaching style with stakeholder groups
• Experience of identifying and managing the workforce resource implications of implementing complex transformational change
• Experience of overseeing complex employee relations issues
• Experience of researching issues to develop evidence-based practice and continuous development of HR services.
• Demonstrable experience of developing HR services and able to describe the impact of such.
• Experience in multiple specialisms including Diversity & inclusion, resourcing, retention, workforce planning, OD, change and transformation
• Significant experience of partnership working with trade unions
• Chairing meetings at a senior leave and facilitating group discussions
• Demonstrable evidence of ability to diagnose, develop and deliver effective HR interventions in a wide variety of situations.
• Demonstrable success in working with a significant level of autonomy to deliver large scale change, working with a range of stakeholders, delivering to time, cost and quality.

Desirable

• NHS Experience

Knowledge

Essential

• Contemporary employment policy and practice.
• Employment law
• The challenges facing the NHS today in terms of workforce development, leadership and culture.
• NHS Long Term Workforce Plan
• Healthcare Leaders Framework and Scope for Growth

Desirable

• Medical staffing - some experience of working in medical staffing and/or knowledge of managing matters that fall under Managing High Professional Standards would be advantageous. OD experience and expertise

Skills

Essential

• The skill to use your leadership role to drive forward our ambitions for diversity, equality and inclusion, being an agent for change ensuring that all staff are valued for their contribution, offered equal opportunity for growth, development and career development and fulfilment and never experience discrimination in our workplace.
• Be highly articulate and credible, consistently influencing and delivering engaging and meaningful information verbally and written regarding future direction.
• Lead by example, demonstrating resilience and tenacity to manage contentious or sensitive situations, honestly, openly, flexibly and with integrity, creating a shared sense of ownership for service delivery.
• Excellent negotiating and influencing skills on complex and sensitive issues.
• Lead by example, demonstrating resilience and tenacity to manage contentious or sensitive situations, honestly, openly, flexibly and with integrity, creating a shared sense of ownership for service delivery.
• Excellent negotiating and influencing skills on complex and sensitive issues and ability to effectively manage and diffuse conflict in an open manner.
• Able to effectively contribute to strategic decision making within the department and across the Trust with the ability to challenge and be the critical friend
• Be curious in order to seek solutions using questioning and political awareness - skilfully selecting questions that can broaden or narrow, deepen or lighten the conversation.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement of the HR services, using research and best practice.
• Accomplished at leading and delivering to deadlines and within set resources.
• Build collaborative relationships both internally and externally to solve issues by engaging the right people at the right time.

Employer details

Employer name

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Tolworth Hospital

Red Lion Rd

L
Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

294-CORP-5829964-JB