People Partner

Job summary

We at Athena Care Homes are looking for a warm, proactive and solutions-focused People Partner to join our People Team and support our Home Managers and their teams to deliver exceptional care.

About Athena Care Homes:
Athena Care Homes is an award winning, family-owned business operating seven residential nursing homes in East Anglia where care and compassion runs through to our very core. 

At Athena we celebrate everyone as an individual. Whether that’s delivering authentic care, supporting our team to make moments for our residents and their loved ones, or whether that’s learning and growing together.

About the role:
As a People Partner, you’ll be a trusted advisor to our care homes, offering practical, hands-on HR support across the full employee lifecycle. You’ll build strong relationships with each home’s leadership team, guiding them through employee relations matters, championing best practice, and ensuring our approach is fair, consistent, and aligned with both legislation and our values.

You’ll play a key role in shaping a positive and engaging workplace culture by supporting talent development, driving People Team initiatives, and helping deliver strategic projects that strengthen how we work and grow together.

This is a regional role, offering variety, autonomy, and the opportunity to make a real difference across multiple homes.

Hours:
37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday - 9am to 5pm. 

Salary:
Circa £50,000 per annum plus a £3000 car allowance.

Location:
This will be a regional position, based from the care home closest to your home address. You will be expected to travel to all sites in the group.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Employee Relations & Manager Support

• Provide timely, expert guidance on complex ER matters, including disciplinary, grievance, performance and absence.
• Coach managers through sensitive situations with empathy, clarity, and confidence.
• Ensure our practices reflect employment legislation and our commitment to fairness and integrity.

HR Partnering & Strategy

• Work closely with Home Managers to understand their priorities and shape people-focused solutions that support operational success.
• Contribute to workforce planning, organisational change, and talent development activities.

Shaping Our People Experience

• Support or lead strategic projects across areas such as reward and recognition, talent management, DE&I and leadership development.
• Champion initiatives that help strengthen our culture and enhance team effectiveness.
• Use HR data and insights to guide decision-making and continuously improve our employee experience.

Operational Excellence

• Promote consistent application of People policies and ensure accurate HR data and documentation.
• Support change management processes with clarity and compassion.

Training, Skills & Experience Required:

Essential:

• CIPD Level 5 (Level 7 highly desirable)
• Proven experience as a People/HR Business Partner, experience in the care sector or a multi-site environment would be a real advantage.
• Strong track record of managing complex ER cases end-to-end
• Confident knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle

You’ll also bring:

• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach
• Empathy, resilience and a calm, professional manner
• The ability to balance day-to-day support with strategic thinking

What we can offer:

• A warm and thorough induction to help you feel confident, connected, and supported from day one.
• A competitive salary, reflecting the value and expertise you bring to our team.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, giving you time to rest, recharge, and enjoy what matters most.
• Free Blue Light Card membership with access to a wide range of discounts and savings.
• A generous Refer-a-Friend scheme, because great people know great people and we love welcoming them to Athena.