ISBL Professional Standards

Human Resources

Developing a workforce strategy to maximise resources through effective talent management that meets regulatory and legal compliance and ensures delivery of the school's or trust’s strategic priorities and plans.

Notes for use:
This is an interactive version of the Professional Standards - for a PDF copy please download this from the Professional Standards page. Tasks and responsibilities associated with each function are set out below by practitioner level.  To identify the associated knowledge and skills click the downward arrow symbol next to the descriptor.

Function: People strategy

Foundation Practitioner

  • [4.1] Understands the preparation and assessment methods of performance to evaluate strategic plans.

Associate Practitioner

  • [4.2] Understands the value of strategic planning and uses data, systems and a range of tools to monitor and evaluate performance.

Lead Practitioner

  • [4.3] Demonstrates a good working knowledge of data analysis approaches and systems to monitor and evaluate performance to identify opportunities/ risks.

Strategic Practitioner

References

CIPD (2022), The CIPD Profession Map. [Online] Available from: https://peopleprofession.cipd.org/profession-map#gref

 

Acknowledgements

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Forbes Solicitors LLP
Humber Education Trust
MOL Learn
Stone King LLP
Veale Wasbrough Vizards LLP (VWV)

  • [4.4] Uses strong analytical skills in the interpretation of data to evaluate performance and influence strategic plans. Seeks external advice as required.

Function: Workforce planning

Foundation Practitioner

  • [4.5] Understands the roles that people play in embracing or obstructing change and uses this knowledge to engage and communicate with managers and staff.

  • [4.13] Can support the recruitment process.

Associate Practitioner

  • [4.10] Provides evidence and advice on staff resourcing, including EDI and protected characteristics.

    [4.50] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Knows how to identify any potential risks.

  • [4.14] Can conduct effective interviews with candidates applying for more junior positions.

Lead Practitioner

  • [4.7] Understands the school's or trust’s culture in which they operate and the leadership approaches that encourage successful change implementation.

  • [4.11] Has experience of staff resourcing and legal considerations when restructuring to support resource optimisation. Seeks external advice as required.

    [4.51] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Knows how to propose mitigations against any potential risks.

  • [4.15] Can tailor recruitment and selection approaches to appeal to different candidates.

Strategic Practitioner

  • [4.12] Has expertise in developing robust strategic staff planning within budget requirements and to meet school or trust strategic plans and priorities.

    [4.52] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Is experienced in identifying and resolving risks.

  • [4.16] Can assess stakeholder feedback on the recruitment and selection process when developing future processes and strategies.

  • [4.17] Understands how to monitor induction processes.

  • [4.18] Understands how to support and develop others in the use of a variety of induction processes.

  • [4.19] Understands how to build and use a process of induction and assess the value it offers.

  • [4.20] Understands how to assess the value and impact of staff induction and can identify improvements to processes.

  • [4.9] Collaborates with colleagues and managers to collect relevant HR data and information, within specific deadlines.

    [4.49] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes.

  • [4.6] Understands the key stages in change management and how school or trust culture can enable or obstruct this.

  • [4.8] Understands the school's or trust’s culture in which they operate, including the legal capacity and resource constraints to evaluate the need for change.

  • [4.21] Understands the legal, regulatory and policy parameters that guide recruitment, including GDPR, SCR completion, KCSIE and any other future equivalent statutory requirements.

  • [4.22] Understands relevant employment law and agreed policy in relation to recruitment, including GDPR, SCR completion, KCSIE and any other future equivalent statutory requirements.

  • [4.23] Understands relevant employment law, regulations and policy affecting recruitment, including GDPR, SCR completion, KCSIE and any other future equivalent statutory requirements.

  • [4.24] Has a deep understanding of relevant employment law, regulations and policy affecting all school or trust-wide recruitment issues, including GDPR, SCR completion, KCSIE and any other future equivalent statutory requirements. Seeks external advice where needed.

  • [4.25] Understands the benefits of offering, where possible, alternative working practices, including flexible working.

  • [4.26] Understands non-financial incentives to improve attraction and retention of staff, including alternative working practices.

  • [4.27] Understands and has experience of using non-financial incentives to improve attraction and retention of staff, with consideration for alternative working practices and budgetary constraints.

  • [4.28] Understands and can analyse the impact and benefit of non-financial incentives to improve attraction and retention of staff, with consideration for alternative working practices and budgetary constraints.

  • [4.29] Understands the school's or trust’s need to collate leaver information in mitigation of future risks.

  • [4.30] Understands how to support exit processes for leavers and identify any significant trends.

  • [4.31] Understands how to conduct exit processes for leavers and identify any significant trends for reporting to senior management.

  • [4.32] Understands the principles of effective strategic workforce planning based on effective data analysis to meet current and future school or trust requirements.

  • [4.33] Understands the process of job evaluation as part of workforce planning.

  • [4.34] Understands the importance of accurate job descriptions in relation to equal pay.

  • [4.35] Understands the importance of a regular school or trust job evaluation process to support appropriate pay and progression structures.

  • [4.36] Is experienced in establishing pay and progression structures that support the school's or trust’s strategic plans.

Function: Performance management (PM) and continuing professional development (CPD)

Foundation Practitioner

  • [4.37] Understands elements of pay and reward and can produce detailed, accurate and timely reporting.

Associate Practitioner

  • [4.42] Can analyse and propose relevant CPD opportunities to meet identified needs.

Lead Practitioner

  • [4.39] Understands the design of overall pay and reward programmes and can assess the school or trust approach against national data and benchmarks.

  • [4.43] Has experience in developing and/or organising whole-school or -trust CPD to meet identified needs.

Strategic Practitioner

  • [4.44] Can evaluate the impact of CPD and its associated costs, including how this links to strategic planning.

  • [4.41] Understands the process of collecting and analysing data to inform CPD needs.

  • [4.38] Understands the school or trust pay and reward procedures, policies and systems.

  • [4.40] Understands the design of overall pay and reward programmes, including local and national factors in the attraction, motivation and retention of staff. Has a sound understanding of equal and gender pay obligations.

  • [4.45] Understands the importance of CPD and can offer learning advice to individuals and managers.

  • [4.47] Can support and coach managers to build leadership competence. Can propose and evaluate CPD opportunities and impact.

  • [4.46] Can support managers to understand training needs analysis and opportunities for their employees.

  • [4.48] Is experienced in planning, implementing and evaluating training and development to meet specific strategic priorities.

  • [4.46] Can support managers to understand training needs analysis and opportunities for their employees.

  • [4.47] Can support and coach managers to build leadership competence. Can propose and evaluate CPD opportunities and impact.

  • [4.48] Is experienced in planning, implementing and evaluating training and development to meet specific strategic priorities.

  • [4.45] Understands the importance of CPD and can offer learning advice to individuals and managers.

Function: Human resource management

Foundation Practitioner

  • [4.49] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes.

Associate Practitioner

  • [4.54] Understands HR issues and risks and has experience of implementing policies and procedures.

Lead Practitioner

  • [4.51] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Knows how to propose mitigations against any potential risks.

  • [4.55] Is experienced in the development and implementation of policies and procedures, including knowledge of review cycles and adherence checks.

Strategic Practitioner

  • [4.56] Is experienced in strategic reviews of HR practice and organisational culture to identify risks and opportunities. Can report strategic recommendations based on risk analysis.

  • [4.53] Understands elements of HR practice and the need to keep policies and procedures up to date.

  • [4.50] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Knows how to identify any potential risks.

  • [4.52] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Is experienced in identifying and resolving risks.

  • [4.37] Understands elements of pay and reward and can produce detailed, accurate and timely reporting.

  • [4.39] Understands the design of overall pay and reward programmes and can assess the school or trust approach against national data and benchmarks.

  • [4.38] Understands the school or trust pay and reward procedures, policies and systems.

  • [4.40] Understands the design of overall pay and reward programmes, including local and national factors in the attraction, motivation and retention of staff. Has a sound understanding of equal and gender pay obligations.

  • [4.54] Understands HR issues and risks and has experience of implementing policies and procedures.

  • [4.55] Is experienced in the development and implementation of policies and procedures, including knowledge of review cycles and adherence checks.

  • [4.56] Is experienced in strategic reviews of HR practice and organisational culture to identify risks and opportunities. Can report strategic recommendations based on risk analysis.

  • [4.53] Understands elements of HR practice and the need to keep policies and procedures up to date.

  • [4.49] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes.

  • [4.51] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Knows how to propose mitigations against any potential risks.

  • [4.50] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Knows how to identify any potential risks.

  • [4.52] Understands relevant and current employment (including diversity) and data protection law and any proposed changes. Is experienced in identifying and resolving risks.

  • [4.58] Understands and can support staff wellbeing and mental health needs.

  • [4.59] Understands and has experience of managing a wellbeing strategy to support staff wellbeing and mental health needs.

  • [4.60] Is experienced in leading and developing a wellbeing strategy to support staff wellbeing and mental health needs.

  • [4.57] Has an awareness and understanding of the importance of staff wellbeing and mental health needs.

  • [4.53] Understands elements of HR practice and the need to keep policies and procedures up to date.

  • [4.55] Is experienced in the development and implementation of policies and procedures, including knowledge of review cycles and adherence checks.

  • [4.54] Understands HR issues and risks and has experience of implementing policies and procedures.

  • [4.56] Is experienced in strategic reviews of HR practice and organisational culture to identify risks and opportunities. Can report strategic recommendations based on risk analysis.