People Partner

Five Rivers Child Care is a Social Enterprise with a clear purpose: turning children’s lives around. We provide high-quality fostering, children’s homes, education and clinical services that help children and young people fulfil their potential.

We’re looking for an experienced People Partner to join us on a 12‑month maternity cover contract, supporting our Children’s Residential Service.

You will partner with operational leaders and managers to provide practical, values‑led people support across our residential children’s homes.

You will support managers build strong, child‑focused teams by advising on employee relations, absence, performance, engagement, workforce planning and organisational change.

You will be based at our head office in Salisbury, and your time will be split between head office and nationwide travel to our homes.

• Providing trusted people advice and coaching to managers and senior leaders.
• Supporting employee relations casework, including absence, conduct, capability, grievance and performance matters.
• Helping managers take a fair, consistent and values‑led approach to people management.
• Using people data to identify workforce trends, risks and opportunities.
• Supporting recruitment, retention, engagement and workforce planning.
• Contributing to change projects, policy implementation and continuous improvement.

You will be a confident HR professional with strong employee relations knowledge, sound judgement and the ability to build trusted relationships in a fast‑paced, regulated environment.

Experience in children’s residential care is not essential, but you will need to understand the importance of safeguarding, resilience and values‑led practice when supporting services for vulnerable children and young people.

• Experience in an HR Advisor, HR Business Partner, People Partner or similar role.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment legislation and employee relations.
• Experience advising managers on complex people matters.
• Excellent communication, coaching and influencing skills.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to support multiple locations.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent experience.

• 25 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays