Trainee HR Officer

Job summary

The Vacancy

Working pattern: Hybrid working

Travel: Nationwide travel required

Note: Due to travel and training requirements, applications will only be considered from candidates based in the West or East Midlands

Start Your HR Career Where It Truly Matters

At Cafcass, we are united by one purpose – to be the voice of children and young people in the family court.

We are looking for a motivated and ambitious Trainee HR Officer to join our HR Business Partnering team. This is an excellent opportunity to build a meaningful career in HR while supporting an organisation that makes a genuine difference to children and families.

Job description

About the Role

As a Trainee HR Officer, you will join a national HR Operations / People Services function, supporting managers across a complex organisation.

This structured development role will provide hands-on experience across the full employee lifecycle and prepare you to progress into a HR Officer role.

You will work under the supervision of an HR Manager and HR Business Partner / Officer, gaining exposure to both operational HR activity and project-based work.

Person specification

What You’ll Be Doing

• Support the delivery of a high-quality HR service across employee relations and HR operations.
• Assist with employee relations casework, including sickness absence, conduct, capability and grievances.
• Attend meetings, support investigations, take notes and assist with drafting HR correspondence.
• Maintain HR systems and analyse data to produce reports and insights.
• Support workforce planning through the analysis and presentation of HR management information.
• Contribute to restructuring and organisational change activity.
• Undertake project-based work including research, data analysis and stakeholder engagement.
• Support organisational initiatives including wellbeing, engagement and learning and development.

About You

• Degree level qualification and/or working towards a CIPD qualification (minimum Level 3 with ambition to progress further).
• Experience in an administrative or HR environment, ideally supporting a range of HR activities.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to analyse and interpret data to identify trends and make recommendations.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and databases.
• Resilience, strong interpersonal skills and a proactive, professional approach.
• A clear commitment to developing a long-term career in HR.

Location & Travel Requirements (Important)

This role is Midlands-based, with hybrid working.

Nationwide travel will be required to support operational and development needs.

Applications will only be considered from candidates located within the West or East Midlands due to travel and training requirements.

Why Join Cafcass?

Be part of an organisation that makes a real difference to children and families, offering flexible hybrid working supported by strong wellbeing initiatives, an inclusive and diverse working environment committed to equality and representation, and the opportunity to work on high-impact organisational change and workforce challenges.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Local Government Pension with an employer contribution of 13.7%
• 28 days holiday (including three for Christmas) rising to 33 days with five years continuous service, which could include your current employment

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Next steps / timelines

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If and when you are ready to apply, our application process is straightforward and quick to complete. You don’t need to complete your application in a single visit, you can start it and come back and amend your responses / update your CV, just make sure you come back before the closing date to submit.

Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.

Closing date:

7th June

Telephone interview:

Ongoing

Work-related assessment via Teams. :

TBC

Final Interview and work-based assessment in person:

TBC

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Kathryn Alston
• Email : Kathryn.Alston@cafcass.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Priya.Kadara@cafacss.gov.uk