Sarah Cooper

HR Manager

Our HR support comprises the following:

For the Academies:

The Human Resources support provided by the Trust’s HR Business Partner encompasses the following:

• A dedicated and experienced HR expert, offering telephone and on-site advice and guidance
• Access to our helpdesk Monday to Friday 
• Local and National Terms and Conditions advice
• Performance Management and remuneration support
• Up to date knowledge of appropriate legislation
• Development of policies and supporting documents in line with best practice and legislation
• Equality and Diversity advice and guidance
• Union and Professional Associations consultation and negotiation
• Access to template HR letters
• Casework advice and support relating to discipline/conduct, grievance, capability, harassment and ill health cases etc, including advice on conducting investigations, the preparation of a case, the drafting of letters and managing the process to its conclusion
• Attendance at any meeting/hearing as required, including providing procedural and technical advice on the conduct of a hearing
• Attendance at Governing Committee meetings as required
• Managing employee complaints, including formal grievances and allegations of harassment and bullying
• Access to legal advice (quoted and charged for separately depending on complexity and requirements)
• Ill health retirement guidance and processing of the application
• Liaison with your preferred Occupational Health provider for referrals including assistance in writing the referral report and advising on the contents of the health consultants reports
• Updates on Safer Recruitment Legislation (‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’)
• Updates, audit and training relating to the Single Central Record
• Advice and guidance regarding the pre-employment requirements for all new appointments
• Support with Personnel reporting and data collection
• Advice on staffing structures and associated salaries
• Absence management
• TUPE advice, guidance and support
• Reorganisation, restructure and redundancy support
• Recruitment advice and guidance
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to Occupational Health Services
• Advice on informal support plans, information gathering and conversion to formal capability programmes
• Right to Work in the UK checks and DBS guidance and updates
• Advice and guidance on handling allegations of abuse made against teachers and staff