ROLE

Head of People / Deputy CEO

HOURS OF WORK

37

SALARY RANGE

£53,866-£60,694

REPORTING TO

Chief Executive

DATE OF ISSUE

October 2025

About The Stable Family Home Trust

The Stable Family Home Trust is a values-led organisation where people always come first.
Our main purpose is to support adults with learning disabilities to develop the skills and
confidence that enable them to live their lives as independently as possible; to participate in
their local communities and be valued for the extraordinary contribution they make to our
society. We run a varied and exciting day services programme from our three sites in
Christchurch, Ringwood and Southbourne, and run supported living and residential living
services in Southbourne and Ringwood.

The Trust is a Registered Charity established in 1980 by a group of families whose young adult
children had learning disabilities - we now support over 100 people every year.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

People are the foundation of our society, and we believe that everyone has a role to play in its
success, and our commitment is to support people with learning disabilities to be recognised
for their contribution.

OUR VISION
Our vision is a world where people with a learning disability have the same rights as everyone
else, have access to the same opportunities as everyone else and receive the support they
need, in the way they need it, so that they can live happy, healthy, productive lives as
independently as they can.

We believe that every person who uses our services should be supported to achieve their
ambitions in a way that celebrates their individuality and uniqueness. Our person-centred
approach is inclusive of all and gives our service users the skills and confidence to be
ambitious and participate in new opportunities that broaden and enhance their lives.

Our core values and shared objectives are rooted in our belief that every person we support is
a valuable member of our society and are equal to everyone else within it.

OUR VALUES

•  Choice – giving everyone the information they need to make good choices
•  Collaboration – with our communities to increase participation and achievement
•  Respect – an environment where everyone is seen, heard and valued

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•  Safety – safe services run by safe people in an environment where everyone is able to

speak out without fear

•  Trust – embracing accountability, honesty and openness at every level across the

organisation

About the Role

The Head of People role is essential to the future development and transformation of the
Trust to ensure its long-term future. The role requires someone who is forward looking and
embraces change and is willing to adapt their approach and management style to make sure
that everyone is able to fulfil their job role confidently and provide the best possible support
to the people who use our services and enable them to live their most independent lives.

In this role you will work closely with the Chief Executive as a trusted deputy and thought
partner and in their absence step in to make key decisions relating to all aspects of the
organisations operations and provide a consistent leadership approach in the Chief
Executive’s absence that reflects the organisation's business plan and strategy.

About You

As a modern people leader, you bring fresh thinking to people development and management
and can inspire trust within the team. You consistently model our organisational values in
your behaviours and your work, and are a confident decision-maker who is able to
communicate decisions clearly, some of which may not be popular, and justify the reason for
your decision.

As Head of People with a visible presence across the Trust and an open-door policy you are
able to support Managers to respond quickly and effectively to employee issues. You are not
afraid to challenge unacceptable attitudes and behaviours at every level across the
organisation and are able to manage all employee relations issues effectively, ensuring that
the appropriate outcome is reached in a timely fashion.

You are a champion of data-led decision making and are confident with using digital
platforms and systems to enhance service delivery.

You will be part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and will have significant involvement in
the development of the Trust across all areas and future workforce and succession planning.

You will have line management responsibilities for the HR team and will be responsible for
ensuring they are meeting their deadlines and targets.

Key Responsibilities

1.  Continue the work we have done so far relating to our organisational culture to ensure
that it truly reflects our values and continues to be a safe and inclusive organisation
that promotes continuous improvement and development and values its staff team.

2.  Oversee the development, implementation and ongoing monitoring of our people
management polices to ensure they are effective and remain compliant with
employment legislation.

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3.  Work with the Chief Executive and the Board of Trustees on future workforce planning,
organisational change and leadership development as part of the long-term strategy
for future proofing of the Trust.

4.  Work with Managers to ensure that that services are staffed appropriately to maintain
delivery of 1:1 and core hours and reduce reliance on the use of agency workers.
5.  Oversee the Trust’s recruitment processes, ensuring that our recruitment processes

are fully inclusive and onboarding of new staff is consistent.

6.  Ensure that information, guidance and training is provided to Line Managers relating to

all aspects of employee relations management.

7.  Lead on the response to any employee relation issue that requires a formal

intervention, including supporting Managers to carry out investigations, setting up and
chairing meetings and hearings or supporting Managers to do this, and following up on
any appeals against the outcome of any employee relations process.

8.  If necessary, represent the Trust at any external appeal settings, such as Employment

Tribunals.

9.  Keep oversight of training and development needs across the organisation to ensure

that the training provided by the Trust is effective and sustains our high-quality service
provision.

10. Work with colleagues on the SLT to ensure that our Wellbeing Strategy reflects the

Trust’s commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion and that the strategy is fully
embedded in every aspect of the Trust’s operation.

11. Act as Organisational Champion for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and ensure
that EDI is given due consideration when any new job role is created and when any
organisational change is being considered that may impact employees.

12. Monitor the competitiveness of the Trust’s compensation and benefits package

against local market data with similar organisations within the sector to help inform
changes to our employment offer that will help attract new employees and retain
current employees.

13. Attend Board meetings as and when required to keep Trustees abreast of any difficult
employee relations issues that could leave the Trust exposed to legal processes.

14. In collaboration with the Chief Executive, continue to monitor and develop the

organisation’s strategic aims and objectives and the financial environment in which
the Trust operates to ensure that the Trust maintains its position within the sector.

15. Participate in setting the annual budget and actively participate in monitoring

expenditure against budget.

16. In the absence of the Chief Executive assume responsibility for the safe and effective
running of the Trust, including making necessary financial decisions, and provide
consistent leadership in line with the values of the Trust.

General Responsibilities

1.  Be responsible for your own health and safety and contribute to the overall management

of health and safety requirements across the organisation and comply with all the
requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in relation to your responsibility
for the health and safety of others.

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2.  Comply with all the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data
Protection Regulations 2018 to ensure the appropriate management of personal and
sensitive personal data.

3.  Comply with all safeguarding policies and procedures in relation to reporting

safeguarding concerns and follow all safety plans that are implemented to manage
safeguarding concerns to ensure the safety and wellbeing of service users.

4.  Proactively promote the Trust’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy to ensure inclusion

and equity for all of our people.

5.  Respect the right to privacy and the confidentiality of all people using our services,

including their families and carers, and maintain appropriate levels of confidentiality
relating to colleagues, volunteers and any other person involved in the work of the Trust.
6.  Support fundraising events and activities to support the development of the services the

organisation delivers when required – this may include evenings and weekends.

7.  Positively promote the work of the Trust when attending external meetings, events, and

training courses.

8.  Attend all training and development opportunities provided by the Trust to support you in

your role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

A - Application (used for shortlisting); I – Interview

Essential Experience
Extensive experience in a senior management/leadership role
Extensive experience of leading and managing teams and setting
departmental goals and targets
Experience of using and adapting HR policies and practice to create an
inclusive working environment for all
Significant experience of managing and advising on complex HR and
performance issues
Experience of managing legal processes and tribunals that occur as a result
of an employee taking action over dismissal
Experience of change management and organisational transformation.
Using IT systems and software to manage personnel records, create reports
and develop strategies
Experience of using digital platforms and systems to improve recruitment,
training and people management
Experience of working collaboratively as part of a team but also of working
independently to meet organisational objectives and targets
Experience of setting and managing budgets, monitoring expenditure
against budget and making high level financial decisions
Partnership working with external agencies, local authorities and social care
Essential Knowledge/Skills
Qualified to CIPD Level 7 or equivalent experience
A comprehensive knowledge of UK employment law
Ability to make key decisions in relation to managing employee relations and
performance issues independently

A/I
I

A/I

A/I

A/I

I
A

A/I

A/I

A/I

A/I

A
A/I

I

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Knowledge of quality assurance processes in relation to demonstrating
effectiveness of employee development and compliance with job
requirements
Excellent communication skills, both verbally and electronically at all levels
Excellent time management skills and ability to work under pressure to
meet deadlines and key targets
Extensive knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion and ability to engage
at all levels to ensure inclusivity across the organisation

Desirable Knowledge/Skills

Experience of supporting  employees working in environments where people
with complex vulnerabilities are the key focus of their work
Knowledge of the Care Quality Commission’s Regulatory Standards

I

A/I

I

A/I

A

A

Competencies

•  Collaboration: Ability to develop and maintain working relationships internally and

externally

•  Communication: Ability to communicate information clearly in different formats to

•

service users and colleagues
IT Literacy: Ability to use IT systems for the purposes of email and data management,
and to use basic software packages including Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel,
PowerPoint)

•  Line Management: Ability to provide, fair and motivating line management and

support to people

•  Proactive: Self-motivated with a reliable approach to timekeeping, a positive
approach to problem-solving and able to work independently or with minimal
supervision when required

•  Systems driven: Ability to improve processes and develop systems to improve

efficiency

Other Information

We are committed to promoting diversity within our staff team and particularly welcome
applications from people with disabilities and from different ethnic, socio-economic and
educational backgrounds.

Safer Recruitment: Safe recruitment is central to the safeguarding of our service
users. As part of recruitment, we carry out a vetting and barring check for those
successful at interview, but this does not necessarily exclude applicants with convictions.
The DBS check for this role will be at Enhanced with Barred check level. Failure to
declare any relevant information that is later provided by the Disclosure and Barring
Service, may result in any offer of employment being withdrawn.

Your main place of work will be The Stables, Bisterne, Ringwood, however you are
required to have a regular presence at our different sites to ensure that HR has a visible
presence and is accessible to all staff, therefore you will need to have access to a vehicle
that you can use for work purposes.

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