HR Assistant @ Waltham Forest Federated GP Network

Job summary

As part of the HR Team, the postholder will act as the first point of contact for managers on routine HR enquiries, providing a comprehensive administrative support service. The postholder will deliver professional, consistent and timely HR support, offering guidance and standard information on HR policies and procedures, while referring more complex matters to the HR & Office Manager. They will support the delivery of a streamlined and high-quality recruitment service, coordinate HR administration throughout the employee lifecycle, and monitor learning and development compliance.

The postholder will undertake the entry of key information into HR systems and support the full HR function to ensure that the organisation maintains high-level HR services to meet the ongoing needs of the organisation.

The HR Assistant is responsible for ensuring information, documents and correspondence issued are accurate and produced in a timely fashion and will also be required to support employee wellbeing initiatives and signpost employees to appropriate support.

Main duties of the job

The HR Assistant is responsible for ensuring information, documents and correspondence issued are accurate and produced in a timely fashion whilst ensuriung complex HR matters are escalated to the HR & Office manager

Please read the full Job description for a full list of duties and responsibilities

About us

Waltham Forest GP Federation is a not-for-profit federation of 36 GP Practices in Waltham Forest. We are a private limited company who provides NHS Services based in Primary Care, pooling the skills and resources of local GPs to provide large scale services as part of the local NHS Strategy to bring more services into the Community to help people stay well and at home.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• 1. Acting as the HR Teams first point of contact for employees and managers, dealing with general enquiries and providing standard information on a range of HR policies and procedures
• 2. Communicating sensitive and confidential information in person, by telephone and in writing using tact, discretion and sensitivity.
• 3. Ensuring a professional service is delivered timely and consistently with information being accurately relayed to the appropriate person.
• 4. Monitoring the HR inbox and dealing with the queries in a timely manner or forwarding/informing the relevant department/person.
• 5. Directing queries, both employees and managers accordingly where more complex advice is needed.
• 6. Liaising and communicating effectively with all colleagues within the organisation as well as external networks and providers.
• 7. Inputting data onto the necessary computer systems, primarily; Blue Stream Academy Training, Bright HR absence management and Recruitment portals.
• 8. Undertaking a full range of pre-employment checks for all successful candidates in line with the appropriate policies and procedures, whilst ensuring accurate records are maintained.

a. Undertaking identity and right-to-work checks as separate checks, in line with current requirements, applicable NHS Employment Check Standards and organisational procedures.

b. Coordinating occupational health clearance, recording confirmation of clearance and referring any issues to the HR & Office Manager for appropriate advice.

c. Checking employment history, obtaining and chasing references, and referring gaps or discrepancies to the Recruiting Manager.

d. Verifying relevant qualifications and checking candidates' current professional registration with the appropriate regulatory body, reporting any discrepancies to the Recruiting Manager.

e. Coordinating DBS applications at the appropriate level for the role, countersigning only where authorised, and arranging repeat checks and Update Service checks where applicable in accordance with organisational policy. Following up outstanding information and promptly referring concerns to the Recruiting Manager and/or HR & Office Manager.

• 9. Coordinating the recruitment process including posting job ads, organising job interviews and fully onboarding the chosen candidate(s).
• 10. Maintaining compliance databases and monitoring professional registration renewal dates, mandatory training due dates and DBS recheck dates required by organisational policy; monitoring time-limited right-to-work permissions and arranging required follow-up checks; and promptly escalating outstanding checks or concerns to the HR & Office Manager.
• 11. Liaising with Lead GPs and updating them on relevant recruitment progress, annual leave requests and appraisal arrangements for employees within the agreed scope of the HR service, sharing information, only as authorised and necessary.
• 12. Booking venues for training, seminars and other events, ordering refreshments for training sessions and ensuring that the training materials are fully prepared and available for the sessions in a timely manner.
• 13. Sharing responsibility with other departmental administrators for maintenance and safe use of office equipment, such as photocopiers, ensuring the supply of necessary materials and calling maintenance engineers when necessary.
• 14. Complying with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and organisational policies when handling patient and employee information, maintaining secure and accurate records, sharing information only where authorised and necessary, and promptly reporting suspected data breaches through the appropriate procedure.
• 15. Dealing with routine enquiries within the role's authority and promptly referring complaints or matters requiring investigation or a management decision to the responsible person, seeking guidance from the HR & Office Manager where appropriate and ensuring matters are not unnecessarily delayed.
• 16. Keeping an accurate, detailed log of complaints, compliments and comments received by the HR team, where required, recording referrals and following up administrative actions without taking responsibility for investigation or resolution.
• 17. Undertaking additional duties appropriate to the role and level of responsibility, as agreed with the HR & Office Manager.
• 18. Taking ownership for ongoing personal development through participation in appraisal and supervision.
• 19. Preparing offer letters, employment contracts, contractual change letters and other routine HR correspondence using approved templates, obtaining the necessary authorisation before issue and monitoring the return of signed documents.
• 20. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date personnel files and HR system records, storing documents securely and retaining or disposing of them in accordance with the organisation's retention policy.
• 21. Collating and checking authorised payroll information, including starters, leavers and changes to pay or working hours, and submitting it to the relevant payroll contact within agreed deadlines.
• 22. Maintaining sickness absence and leave records, assisting with annual leave calculations and providing managers with reminders about outstanding documentation or review dates.
• 23. Monitoring probation review dates and fixed-term contract end dates, prompting managers to complete reviews and confirm decisions in sufficient time, and preparing authorised correspondence.
• 24. Coordinating leaver administration, including notifying payroll and relevant colleagues, updating records, arranging exit questionnaires or interviews, and liaising over the return of equipment and removal of system access.
• 25. Producing routine HR reports and supporting personnel file audits, compliance reviews and requests for workforce information, referring discrepancies to the HR & Office Manager.
• 26. Coordinating induction arrangements, monitoring completion of mandatory training and appraisals, and following up outstanding actions with employees and managers.

As an employee of the organisation, the postholder may be asked to move within their service area in response to service needs.

This job description gives a general outline of the post and is not an exhaustive list of duties. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties appropriate to the role and level of responsibility. The job description will be reviewed regularly and any changes will be discussed with the postholder.

The postholder is expected to comply with all relevant organisation policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of providing accurate administrative support in a busy office environment.
• Experience of maintaining accurate records and handling confidential information with discretion, and an understanding of basic data protection responsibilities.
• Knowledge of effective office systems and record-management processes.

Desirable

• Previous HR Experience
• Experience of HR systems, recruitment administration or payroll administration.
• Knowledge of NHS terms and conditions of service.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent in Maths and English

Desirable

• A Level/NVQ level 3 in business administration or equivalent qualification
• CIPD Level 3 qualification, working towards this qualification, or equivalent relevant experience.

Skills

Essential

• Able to prepare accurate correspondence and reports, and format and update policies and other documents under guidance.
• Proficient in the use of MS Office, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel Database skills (e.g. use of Excel), able to input, manipulate and extract data e.g. sort, filter and produce basic graphs.
• Able to approach tasks in a systematic and methodical manner.
• Able to follow instructions and procedures and recognise the importance of procedures to the job role.
• Able to respond to routine HR queries from managers and employees using approved policies and guidance and recognise when a matter falls outside their knowledge or authority and needs to be referred.
• Excellent oral/written communication skills and professional telephone manners.
• Ability to promote and foster good working relationships
• Able to explain routine terms and conditions and employment policies clearly, referring more complex questions to the HR & Office Manager.
• Numerate - able to calculate correctly, salaries and annual leave entitlements.
• Able to organise and prioritise conflicting demands, meet deadlines and adapt to changing priorities, using initiative and seeking guidance where necessary.
• Highly effective interpersonal and customer care skills, able to deal with irate members of the public/staff/employees in a diplomatic and tactful manner, reassuring and responding in a timely fashion.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• High Standard of accuracy and attention to detail.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Waltham Forest Federated GP Network

Address

500 Larkshall Road

Highams Park

London

E4 9HH

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://wfgpfednet.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)