HR, Advice Support and Training

Our Human Resources service is dedicated to working in partnership with headteachers, school leaders and governing bodies to provide a comprehensive and bespoke service support to meet the requirements of your school.

We provide a responsive, flexible range of HR services to all schools including academies, irrespective of their governance arrangements. Our services are underpinned by an extensive knowledge of the workings and requirements of the education sector. In circumstances where your school needs a joint approach, involving other local authority services, we will dovetail our support together with the Payroll Services Team, Education Improvement Service, Occupational Health, Governor Services, Finance, Health and Safety and Legal Services in order to ensure your school receives the best possible joined up support in all of our work with you.

What we offer

An effective HR service that meets the day to day and strategic needs of your school.
A comprehensive and competitively priced HR service
Dedicated professional named HR Business Partners who will work with your school to ensure you have the confidence and necessary support to address the many challenges you and your governing body face.
A team of HR professionals with a wealth and depth of experience to provide high quality, solution focused support, setting out the risks, within a timescale agreed with you.
Comprehensive up to date knowledge of education law, employment law and HR best practice.
Our HR Service has close working relationships nationally with the DfE and the Local Government Association (LGA) to ensure our written policies, guidance and comprehensive toolkit documents are specifically designed to meet the ever changing and complex challenges faced by schools.
Comprehensive practical support and guidance on all employee relations matters including appraisal/competency, grievance, disciplinary, safer working, recruitment, absence, redundancy/reorganisation, industrial action, performance related pay issues and opportunities for apprenticeships.
Workforce planning, including advice on restructuring, job design and employee development.
Advisory and professional support to head teachers and/or the governing body or trust at all formal hearings and appeals at no extra cost.
Specialist advice to produce statements of case/supporting documents in preparation for and outcome letters to confirm decisions taken at formal meetings/hearings and appeals at no extra cost.
Video conferencing and on-site support to manage HR related casework/investigations including access to specialist HR consultants who can undertake complex investigations on behalf of the school.
A range of bespoke training opportunities specifically for you as a head teacher, school leader, school business manager, governor or trust board member.
Expert job evaluation analysis to ensure that your staffing structures are effective and that all posts in your school comply with the School Teachers’ Pay & Conditions Document, Support Staff/Single Status pay structures and equal pay legislation.
The purchase of one of our annual HR Support packages gives you exclusive access to the Nottinghamshire Schools Staff Absence Insurance Scheme.
A choice of two levels of service: Standard or enhanced, details of which are summarised in the packages document below.

Working alongside your school designated HR Business Partner, telephone calls and emails will be responded to within one working day, written enquiries within five working days.

“The service we have received from the HR Team has been of a consistent high quality. Our HR Business Partners build a relationship with the school and work hard to gain an accurate and detailed understanding of our context and the challenges we face. They then provide advice which is clear and rooted in strong policy. This means we have a high level of confidence and trust in the HR Team, as they guide us to support staff within our own school.” - Bagthorpe Primary School, January 2023

“The HR Team are always helpful and professional. If they don't have an answer to my query straight away, they ring back quickly.” – Heatherley Primary School, January 2023

“Our school HR Business Partners have supported the school and myself on several matters; they know the school, staffing and likely situations. This works brilliantly.” - Misterton Primary School, January 2023

“As a new Head Teacher, the HR Service from Nottinghamshire County Council has provided a wealth of experience, knowledge and excellent support, which I could not have done without. Having the HR Duty Desk a phone call away is reassuring and their response is always professional and helpful, explaining situations in a clear and inciteful way. Our named dedicated HR professionals have provided a level of support which has gone above and beyond what I had expected and can only be described as truly outstanding” - Arnold View Primary School, January 2023

Packages

Enhanced and Standard packages are summarised in the below document and we are happy to discuss any additional or bespoke requirements with you.

The enhanced level of service will provide your school with an increased number of on-site visits and face to face meetings ensuring a greater level of in-depth support.

Training

General

Access to a full range of HR related training opportunities for headteachers, senior leaders, business managers, governors and trust board members. We also provide bespoke training for individual schools or groups of schools on request. Please discuss with your named HR Business Partner.

Safeguarding training in Schools

In addition, we also provide Whole School Safeguarding Training and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Training on a pay as you go basis. We have a team of experienced trainers offering training to ensure that schools are compliant with legislation, standards and procedures in safeguarding to fulfil legislation and Ofsted requirements. The training is updated frequently in line with statutory changes and new developments in safeguarding. Please contact safeguarding.training@nottscc.gov.uk or 0115 977 2347 for more information and booking.

Accessing Support

Support and advice is always available from your named HR Business Partner [Word] (requires school's portal log in to view)

Contact can be made by telephone (office and mobile), email and video conferencing. Both packages include access to the HR Helpline available during normal office hours between 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 4.30pm on Friday.

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