People Advisor

Location: Hybrid working, with frequent travel to our Reading HQ
Contract Type: Full-time - 9‑month fixed‑term contract
Salary: £39,000 per annum
Reporting To: People Business Partner(s)/Head of People

Why Join us?

• 33 holidays days, inclusive of Bank Holidays
• 3 volunteering days to give back to causes you care about
• 3 days grandparent leave for those special family moments
• 24 weeks enhanced maternity leave
• Bespoke training & development opportunities
• Pension & life insurance
• Discounts on high street brands, cinema & holidays via the Perkbox App
• Wellbeing hub & access to employee assistance programme
• Free meals while at work
• Career development & HIT Apprenticeships for all experience levels

We are seeking a proactive and experienced People Advisor to join our People Team on a 9-month fixed-term contract.

This is a predominantly Employee Relations and casework-focused role, providing high-quality HR advice and support across a diverse portfolio of independent school contracts. Acting as a trusted partner to managers, you will manage a varied caseload of employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, absence management, performance, capability, conduct and workplace conflict cases.

Working within a fast-paced environment, you will support managers in applying policies, procedures and employment legislation effectively, coaching them to address people challenges confidently and consistently. You will play a key role in delivering pragmatic, commercially focused solutions that promote positive employee relations, minimise risk and support high-performing teams.

You will be joining Holroyd Howe, one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

The safety and wellbeing of the people we serve is at the heart of everything we do. A key element is effective allergen management; achieved through training, communication, and care, we create mealtimes where every pupil has a safe experience. Our mission is simple: to provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their job and our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

Please note: this role will be offered on a 9‑month fixed‑term contract, which will be reviewed after one year; however, there is no guarantee of extension or permanency.

Key Responsibilities

• Main point of contact for first line advice on ER cases
• Monitor the People team Support inbox and ensure escalation of complex issues to the relevant People Business Partner.
• Support People Business Partners with advising location managers in all aspects of disciplinary, grievance, attendance, performance and, change management (TUPE, restructures etc.) issues. including administrative support on case management.
• Undertake ER administrative activities required to support People Business Partners, location managers where needed, ensuring invite and outcome letter templates are available and up-to-date, and letters being issued are checked for accuracy and completeness.
• Participate in the development and delivery of bite size ER training to location managers.
• Work with the Head of People to analyse and understand trends in people issues across the business and implement appropriate solutions.
• Proactively monitor cases to ensure cases are prioritised and support is provided to managers in a timely manner, with serious breaches being communicated to the People Business Partners and People Director.
• Ensure all relevant hard and soft copy personnel records are maintained and secure, complying with obligations under the Data Protection Act and specific requirements.
• Stay up to date with employment law changes, trends and regulations
• Participate and support people projects focused on continuous improvement.
• Ensure the company's treatment of employees is consistent with its core business values and objectives and fosters constructive employee relations.
• Manage the TUPE process from an administrative point of view from collating to preparing information for due diligence ensuring the TUPE transfer process is carried out to the highest standard and all relevant paperwork/ payroll information are processed in a timely manner.
• Support location managers and People Business Partners with notetaking. 
• Liaise with the WSH Benefits Administrator regarding in scope transferrable benefits prior to transfer.
• Review absence data information on a minimum of a monthly basis. Assist the People Business Partners and Location Managers in effectively managing short and long-term sickness absence, referring relevant cases to the company occupational health consultants.
• Liaise with and support the central HR team on managing the safeguarding and compliance process. 
• Effectively manage data subject access requests and liaise with the People Business Partner and the legal team regarding any potential data breaches.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Has previous experience in an Employee Relations, HR Advisor or People Advisor role.
• Possesses strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Has experience supporting disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance management cases.
• Is confident building effective relationships with managers at all levels.
• Enjoys managing a varied and complex ER caseload, taking ownership of cases through to resolution.
• Possesses strong knowledge of UK employment law and can apply this practically to support business decisions.
• Has experience supporting organisational change initiatives, including TUPE transfers, restructures and consultation processes.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume environment and can balance multiple priorities effectively.
• Is confident handling sensitive, complex and high-risk employee relations matters with professionalism and discretion.
• Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains confidentiality and handles sensitive matters with professionalism and discretion.
• Is proactive, solutions-focused and committed to delivering outstanding people support.
• Holds or is working towards a CIPD qualification (desirable)..
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and keeps up to date with employment law and HR best practice developments.
• Is highly organised, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing deadlines.
• Understands the importance of safeguarding and, ideally, has knowledge of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) within an independent school setting

We pride ourselves on:

People first
We’re a company of individuals, united in doing our best for our clients.

Great food, always
Using only the best ingredients, our food is fresh, authentic and tailored to each school, age group, and specific needs and preferences.

Food education
We educate pupils through food, encouraging them to understand and develop their own personal tastes and make informed food choices.

Respect in everything we do
Our respectful codes of conduct inform how we behave towards our clients and customers, suppliers and business partners, and each other.

Fresh thinking
New ideas for food, service and ways of working help us maintain our position as creative leaders in school catering.

In order to be considered for this role you must be able to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK.

Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe involve regulated activity. It is a criminal offence for individuals barred from working with children to apply for such roles. An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a Barred List check will be required for all successful applicants. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide information about relevant criminal offences and will be subject to an online search of publicly available information. This search helps identify any issues that may affect suitability to work with children.

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.

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