The Human Resources Directorate is responsible for delivering a high quality Human Resource Service and providing advice, guidance and recommendations to staff, managers and the Board of the Health and Social Services Department.

The overall role of the HR function is to enable the organisation to achieve its objectives by taking initiatives and providing guidance and support on all matters relating to its employees. The basic aim is to ensure that organisation has the skilled, committed and well-motivated workforce it needs to meet its business objectives.  This includes ensuring that management deals effectively with everything concerning the employment and development of people and the relationship that exists between management and the workforce.

One of the largest organisations in Guernsey, we employ over 2100 staff from a variety of clinical and non-clinical disciplines.  The Department strives to create an environment which enables people to make the best of their capacity and realise their potential to the benefit of both the organisation and themselves. The Department is committed to employing best practices in the management and development of its staff, as we believe this will result in higher standards of care for our service users. Amongst other things, this includes continuously looking at ways of developing employee friendly policies to enhance our ability to recruit and retain staff.

The key activities carried out by the HR Directorate include:

• Recruitment and Selection;
• Advising on Terms and Conditions of Employment;
• Advising on interpretation and implementation of Human Resource Policies and Procedures;
• Advising on organisational design, including job and role design;
• Improving the quality of the employment relationship by creating a climate of trust;
• Advising on human resource planning and succession planning;
• Assisting with performance management and people management;
• Advising on industrial relations issues including maintaining formal and informal relationships with trade unions and their members;
• Employee involvement and participation including consulting employees on matters of mutual interest.

The HR Directorate is also responsible for the maintenance and  allocation of 312 units of accommodation in 30 different locations and currently provides on or near site accommodation for overseas nurses, housekeeping staff and locums.

The Human Resources Directorate is also responsible for delivering an  Occupational Health Service that screens recruits, helps to maintain a healthy workforce and minimises staff absence and occupational health risks. A confidential staff counselling service is available to staff, for both personal and work-related issues.  Staff  can self-refer or may be encouraged to do so by their managers, Human Resources or Occupational Health staff.

The Institute of Health and Social Care Studies

The Institute is responsible for pre registration nurse training for adult and mental health branches of nursing up to and including first level degree.

It also prepares nurses for specialist parts of the professional register by offering degree programmes and also a Post Graduate (Hons) degree for health and social care staff.

The Institute manages all the mandatory training for the HSSD including management of aggression, lifting and handling, fire, child protection, life support, infection control and Corporate Induction.

The library has a large range of written and electronic resources available to all staff.