Head of People - Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

Location: Westgate Healthcare Head Office, Chester Road, Borehamwood, Herts, WD6 1NA

Job type: Full time, permanent

Salary: Competitive, depending on experience

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Annual Leave: 25 days plus bank holidays

Come and make a difference with the team at Westgate Healthcare! #CareWithUsAtWestgate

Westgate Healthcare is an award-winning, family-run care home operator.

We have 8 care homes across London, Essex, Herts and Bucks with three more developments underway.

With around 700 employees, we are seeking a Head of People to lead and manage our HR function and people strategy across the group.

We value our employees, listen to their ideas, celebrate achievements, and strive to create a positive, friendly work environment.

We are looking for a dynamic and innovative leader who can take full ownership of our HR function.

The ideal candidate will be proactive, passionate and adaptable, with the ability to respond quickly to the changing needs of the business.

You should be highly organised, detail-oriented and have a knack for problem-solving.

As a growing family-run business, we need someone who is willing to be hands-on with day-to-day tasks while also working strategically.

Relevant experience, strong IT skills and excellent verbal and written communication abilities are essential.

Being in the care sector, this role is in a highly regulated industry so requires a candidate with the experience and skills to implement strong processes and governance and to understand and comply with our regulatory requirements, such as those that fall under the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Home Office.

The company also holds several Sponsorship Licenses to bring overseas staff to the UK.

Therefore, the Head of People will be expected to manage the compliance aspects of this with guidance from the Authorising Officer.

The Head of People will lead the Head Office HR team, collaborate closely with our care homes and work directly with the senior management team.

Please note that the role will require you to work from our Head Office in Borehamwood (Hertfordshire) and be flexible to travel to all our care homes as required.

A car-driver is therefore essential.

About the role:

• Drive the HR function across the group, leading the HR team, care homes and guiding senior management
• Oversee HR generalist areas such as recruitment, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, policy implementation, compliance (CQC and Home Office), mentoring, employee engagement, retention, succession planning, and learning and development.
• Develop and implement plans to positively impact key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Audit key HR processes and compliance areas in the group
• Take accountability for compliance checks in regards to Sponsorship Licenses
• Optimise the use of technology to enhance HR efficiencies
• Balance hands-on daily tasks with strategic HR planning
• Prepare board reports for the Directors
• Regularly review and update HR policies and procedures in line with changes in practice or legislation
• Lead and implement projects, including developing company values and value-based recruitment tools
• Be an ambassador for Westgate Healthcare

About you:

• Possess a full CIPD HR qualification (Level 7 preferred) or a higher HR qualification
• A-Level educated (minimum) with a university degree preferred
• Relevant experience with a proven track record in leading an HR function and delivering positive results
• Experience in the care industry is advantageous but not essential
• Up to date knowledge of employment law
• A caring, flexible and responsive attitude, with the drive to take accountability, innovate and achieve results
• Have strong attention to detail and the ability to independently write comprehensive reports and create documents for business use
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel)
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills with the ability to effectively engage with a range of stakeholders
• Ability to meet deadlines, prioritise workload and thrive in a fast-paced environment

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we receive suitable applications, therefore, an early submission is encouraged. Due to a high volume of applications, if you do not hear from us within 5 working days, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Westgate Healthcare is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.

WGHROB