Julia Welsh
Longniddry,East Lothian
Summary
I am an experienced People Advisory Manager with a career-long focus on the Scottish public sector. Currently leading a team of six at Qualifications Scotland, I specialise in navigating high-pressure employee relations and complex casework. My approach is both legally robust and pragmatic, grounded in a CIPD Level 7 postgraduate qualification and a Specialist Paralegal Qualification in Employment Law.
I am a strong advocate for "best value" through efficiency. As a Lean Practitioner, I use digital transformation and automation to cut through administrative burdens, freeing HR to focus on people. EDI is equally central to my work; I manage a portfolio of 30 policies, using detailed Equality Impact Assessments to ensure fair treatment is embedded in every process.
I take great pride in a career-long commitment to CPD, ensuring my advice is always aligned with the latest legal and industry benchmarks. I foster this growth within my own team through bespoke development plans and empowerment in their daily work.
With a proven track record of building productive relationships with Trade Unions, I am ready to bring this blend of legal expertise, empathy, and solution-oriented leadership to East Lothian Council as Team Manager.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
12
12
years of post-secondary education
Work history
People Advisory Manager
Qualifications Scotland (formally Scottish Qualifications Authority)
2023.05 - 2026.04
- Lead, manage, and develop a team of Senior People Advisors to ensure consistency of approach in all ER people management processes and to manage workflow effectively
- Lead, manage and own complex employee relations cases to ensure their effective resolution, adherence to policy, and support all conciliatory and tribunal processes managing risks
- Participate in and lead, as appropriate to implementation/conclusion, ER driven projects/ continuous improvement initiatives requiring ER input.
- Upskill, coach, mentor and educate managers on ER matters to become responsible owners
- Maintain and continuously improve KPIs/SLAs to measure service quality and performance of the ER function to ensure services are being delivered on time.
- Provide MI reporting on ER activities to provide ER data insights, and identify trends and opportunities
- Draft, evaluate and implement HR policies and processes to meet organisational requirements ensuring their effective communication
- Work collaboratively with trade union representatives and undertake regular consultation on policy, cases, and other ER related matters
- Identify, drive forward and continually focus on improving the ER function’s effectiveness and efficiency to ensure a modern ER service is provided to all staff.
HR Advisor
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
2017.08 - 2023.05
- Deliver expert practice, guidance, and support on a diverse range of project and case management in all areas of the organisation with a range of internal and external stakeholders. This includes:
- Providing support to managers and employees on a range of employee relations issues
- Consulting with external legal providers in relation to complex employment situations
- Contributing and, where appropriate, leading on HR policy and process development
- Representing HR as an advisor on Project Boards/Teams ensuring HR interests are represented and progressed
- Providing information to inform decision-making within the Directorate and the wider organisation
- Coaching and influencing line managers to adopt and instill SQA values
- Contributing to internal communications campaigns of any HR related changes, initiatives, and services
- Contributing to the continuous improvement of the HR support function.
HR Assistant (Organisational Development and Human Resources)
Midlothian Council
2015.04 - 2017.08
- Facilitated ‘Leadership Pathway’ Manager Development programme
- Delivered Manger training on Maximising Attendance and Performance Management
- Conducted interviews to support service reviews
- Chairperson for Midlothian Councils Healthy Working Lives project to reduce absence and increase employee motivation. We maintained Gold Award level for 3 years.
- Supported employee recognition by managing the annual employee awards project
- Developed OD and HR expertise through involvement in projects and key elements of the People Strategy
- Managed the reduction of both short- term and long-term absences within the service. This entailed a proactive approach to advising managers; providing innovative solutions; and the management of monthly absence reports.
- Provided advice and guidance to Managers and Head Teachers
- Managed Employee Relations Cases (disciplinary, harassment, grievance, capability, fact finding) entailing regular communication with both internal and external investigating officers
- Project manager of the implementation of a new occupational health provider using the Prince2 framework
Employment & Reward Administrator (Employment & Reward)
Midlothian Council
2014.02 - 2015.04
- Managed recruitment cases for Local Government Workers across the Council
- Contributed to development meetings with Lothian Pension Fund
- Calculated monthly pay and benefits of new employees
- Created and review contracts of employment for new employees
- Verified pre-employment checks of prospective employees, including PVG and Occupational Health reports.
HR Support Assistant (Finance and Human Resources Department)
Midlothian Council
2013.10 - 2014.02
- Provided organisational support to the Human Resource Business Partners within Midlothian Council
- Experienced in the recruitment and transactions team advertising positions on the 'my job scotland' portal, process conditional offers of employment and administer contractual changes
- Gained experience in dealing with a variety of payroll and pension queries from both teachers and local government workers
- Contributed to several review meetings discussing and changing the formatting of standard letters
- Lead the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Group Scheme) retrospection project for all current employees in regulated roles.
Support Assistant + Customer Care Assistant (Communities and Well-Being, Home Care Department)
Midlothian Council
2011.03 - 2013.10
- Main duties included customer care with clients of Communities and Wellbeing Division and a wide range of administrative duties as detailed below:
- Organising home carers work diaries; processing invoices; providing wages final documentation to payroll section; staff absence management; customer care with older people, people with disabilities, relatives, and various professionals such as doctors and nursing staff; data recording; ordering supplies; administration of training events
- Trained and supported two new members of staff on how to use OLM care management system, processing orders and invoices.
HR Project Lead (Finance and Human Resources Department)
Midlothian Council
2013.09 - 2013.09
- Carried out a detailed data analysis on casual and zero-based hour contracts within Midlothian Council in order to produce a Corporate Management Team Report
- Examined Government legislation, Council policies, news articles and carrying out various case law research to identify risks and proposed solutions
- Monitored newspapers, employment magazines and academic journals for coverage for information on best practice
- Working alongside the HR Corporate Strategy Manager, I devised, presented and introduced an ‘annualised hours’ contract to the Council as a possible alternative for these workers
- Organised several meetings with service managers in order to negotiate possible business strategies that would prove most effective for their individual service needs
- The outcomes of this report will avoid any potential employment tribunals and make it clear the employment status of all people carrying out work for Midlothian Council
- Developed knowledge around both planning and budget allocation
- Compiled weekly progress reports for Project Sponsor.
HR Assistant (Human Resources Department)
Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh
2012.06 - 2012.09
- In this role I was able to play a significant part in Absence Management; Selection Interviews; Recruitment Drives; Discussions with partner organisations; Training delivery and maintenance of training records; HR advice to Operational Management; Contractual Issues; Processing Annual Leave/Special Leave Requests; Teleconferencing with Trade Unions and Senior Management Teams.
Clerical Assistant (Technical Services/Passenger Transport Dept.)
Scottish Borders Council
2010.06 - 2010.09
- Arranged contracts with taxi companies to transport children with special needs
- Arranged the provision of escorts, including their work schedules
- Maintained up-to-date records on the computerised travel booking system 'Routewise'
- Worked alongside Human Resources Section in obtaining Disclosure Scotland information
- Maintained financial records on spreadsheets
- Customer care with parents and a range of professionals, including Social Workers.
Education
MA Business Studies (Hons) -
The University of Edinburgh
2009.01 - 2013.01
Payroll Technician Certificate -
CIPP (Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals)
2014.01 - 2014.01
Coaching & Mentoring Diploma -
Midlothian Council in-house training
2015.01 - 2015.01
Level 7 Advanced Certificate in HRM -
CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development)
2015.01 - 2016.01
Mental Health First Aider -
Scotland's Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA)
2017.01 - 2017.01
Coaching & Mentoring Qualification -
ILM
2018.01 - 2019.01
Lean Practitioner Training -
Lean Enterprise Academy
2023.01 - 2023.01
Specialist Paralegal Qualification in Employment Law -
CLT
2024.01 - 2024.01
Advanced Highers - English (C)
Selkirk High School
2002.01 - 2008.01
Skills
- Being an inclusive leader
- Carer's leave: the law explained
- Critical thinking
- Data and analytics for people professionals
- Disciplinary procedures: dealing with the unexpected
- Discipline, dismissal and grievance: frequently asked questions
- Diversity and discrimination: frequently asked questions
- Employee experience
- Employment contracts: frequently asked questions
- Employment Rights Act 2025
- Establishing positive culture and behaviours
- Flexible working requests: a case study and the law
- Fundamentals of organisation design
- Fundamentals of organisation development
- How to use AI responsibly in the workplace
- Inclusive workplaces: making changes to better support neurodiversity
- Managing conflict at work: top tips
- Meaningful work and organisational leadership
- Neonatal care leave and pay
- Reasonable adjustments: how to get them right
- Restructuring, reorganisation and redundancy
- Sexual harassment: ACAS in conversation with the Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Situational decision-making
- Valuing people
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Specialist Paralegal Qualification in Employment Law -
CLT
2024.01 - 2024.01
People Advisory Manager
Qualifications Scotland (formally Scottish Qualifications Authority)
2023.05 - 2026.04
Lean Practitioner Training -
Lean Enterprise Academy
2023.01 - 2023.01
Coaching & Mentoring Qualification -
ILM
2018.01 - 2019.01
HR Advisor
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
2017.08 - 2023.05
Mental Health First Aider -
Scotland's Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA)
2017.01 - 2017.01
HR Assistant (Organisational Development and Human Resources)
Midlothian Council
2015.04 - 2017.08
Coaching & Mentoring Diploma -
Midlothian Council in-house training
2015.01 - 2015.01
Level 7 Advanced Certificate in HRM -
CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development)
2015.01 - 2016.01
Employment & Reward Administrator (Employment & Reward)
Midlothian Council
2014.02 - 2015.04
Payroll Technician Certificate -
CIPP (Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals)
2014.01 - 2014.01
HR Support Assistant (Finance and Human Resources Department)
Midlothian Council
2013.10 - 2014.02
HR Project Lead (Finance and Human Resources Department)
Midlothian Council
2013.09 - 2013.09
HR Assistant (Human Resources Department)
Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh
2012.06 - 2012.09
Support Assistant + Customer Care Assistant (Communities and Well-Being, Home Care Department)
Midlothian Council
2011.03 - 2013.10
Clerical Assistant (Technical Services/Passenger Transport Dept.)
Scottish Borders Council
2010.06 - 2010.09
MA Business Studies (Hons) -
The University of Edinburgh
2009.01 - 2013.01
Advanced Highers - English (C)
Selkirk High School
2002.01 - 2008.01