Job Description

Band 6 AFC - Associate HR Business Partner based at Prospect Park Hospital - Reading , support our mental health inpatient operation. Fixed term contract until 31 st March 2026.



We are now seeking a CIPD qualified, experienced HR practitioner to join our team to support in the Adults Mental Health division.



We are looking for someone who has a generalist HR background, particular ly employee relations as y ou will be working closely with the HR Advisor and oversee ing the full range of the employee relations casework within the Mental Health Services Division . It is essential that you are able to demonstrate your experience of advising managers on complex employee relations casework up to an d including dismissal , HR policies and organisational change .



This role will provide opportunities to work more strategically in supporting your services with workforce planning, change management and transformation, engagement and building leadership capability.



As a Trust we are big on staff development and "grow your own" and can in return offer you a wealth of both inhouse and external development opportunities including the opportunity to do Affina Team Coaching.



You will report to the mental health services people business partner and work in partnership with the inpatient's leadership team supporting the delivery of employee relations casework and the development of the inpatient team's knowledge, capability and confidence in managing their teams HR processes.



Provide professional HR advice to all levels of managers across the full range of employee relations issues



Oversight and supervision of band 5 HR Advisor



Build and maintain credible relationships with Service Managers within the division ensuring complex or sensitive information is communicated in a confident way



Act as a point of contact for managers and staff seeking advice on various policies , a nalys ing queries to offer solu tions



Advise managers on recruitment processes, providing advice on the writing of job descriptions and person specifications



Work closely with your People Business Partner to ensure that the services within your division are delivering their "people priorities ".



Interview will be held on 1st Dec 2025



Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

Caring for and about you is our top priority



Committed to providing good quality, safe services



Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions



Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:



Flexible working options to support work-life balance



27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell



Generous NHS pension scheme



Excellent learning and career development opportunities



'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles



Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services



Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants



Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality



Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave



Free parking across Trust sites

The "must haves" for this role:

Degree or equivalent experience



Working towards or holding a CIPD Level 7 qualification (or equivalent experience in a generalist HR role)



E xperience working in a generalist HR role with Employee Relations in a multi-skilled professional and unionised environment



Ability to travel to multiple sites with minimal impact on daily productivity



For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.



We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.



We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed .



We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact : Fran Langan on francisco.langan@berkshire.nhs.uk or Mike Thomas on mike.thomas@berkshire.nhs.uk who'll be delighted to help.



Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.