2838 - Complaints Investigator

Barnsley Hospital; Barnsley; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnsley Hospital is seeking a highly experienced Complaints Investigator to manage a caseload of complex patient complaints. You will work with Clinical Business Units to identify learning, develop actions and oversee their delivery with a focus on patient safety and service improvement.

You will lead investigations, ensure rigorous root-cause analysis, and communicate outcomes to families and staff while maintaining high professional standards in a pressured NHS environment.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in project management and/or customer complaints handling.
• Experience of complaint investigations.
• Experience of undertaking complex investigations and producing high quality reports.
• Previous NHS experience.
• Experience of undertaking serious incident investigations.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and respond to a caseload of complaints within the Trust, collaborating with Clinical Business Units to implement learning and actions.
• Conduct detailed investigations into complaints, including complex and high-risk cases.
• Identify root causes and lessons learned; devise SMART actions and monitor implementation.
• Critically assess findings and diplomatically challenge staff where needed.
• Ensure findings are communicated to complainants and feedback provided to staff.
• Maintain timely investigations in line with Trust performance indicators.
• Record complaints data accurately in Datix and support wider quality initiatives.

Skills

Project management

Complaints handling

Investigation skills

NHS experience

Serious incident investigations

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Continuing professional development

Professional registration

Leadership training

Tools

Datix system

Job description

As part of a centralised Patient Advice and Complaints team, our Complaints Investigators manage and investigate a number of often complex complaints across all of Barnsley Hospitals services.

As a Complaints Investigator you will be responsible for continual high quality communication with service users and their families whilst liaising with clinical and non-clinical staff at all levels of the Trust to investigate events and identify relevant learning and actions. You will be responsible for ensuring that all complaints are handled in accordance with the NHS Complaints Regulations and the Complaints Standard Framework. The role also includes line management of a Caseload Officer.

This role would suit someone with a background of complaints handling/investigation or extensive experience of working at a senior level in customer service. You will require the ability to question and challenge clinical information and facts, and analyse information in a reasoned and structured work. You will require excellent organisational skills, and the ability to work in a high-pressure environment whilst handling a number of competing deadlines

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for investigating and responding to a caseload of complaints that occur within the Trust working collaboratively with the Clinical Business Units to ensure learning and actions are effectively implemented.

You will work collaboratively with the Patient Advice & Complaints Manager and CBU leads to complete detailed investigations into complaints, this will include complex and high risk complaints.

Ensure each complaint is investigated appropriately, root causes and lessons learned are identified and that SMART action plans are devised and implemented

To critically assess the findings from complaint investigations and be able to diplomatically challenge staff regarding their statements/conclusions.

Ensure the findings of complaint investigations are given to the complainants and staff receive feedback on the outcome.

Ensure investigations are completed in a timely manner in line with the Trusts key performance indicators.

Monitor the quality and timeliness of complaint investigations and ensure there is escalation of delays or quality issues.

You will be required to ensure that there is accurate and timely recording of complaints data via the Datix system and will be required to work collaboratively with the wider team to ensure that all reporting deadlines are achieved.

Support wider quality and improvement initiatives relating to complaint outcomes, including training, audit and policy/procedure development

About us

Barnsley is a place of real warmth and communityspirit. With a proud industrial past, the town offers affordable living, greattransport links, rich culture and many green spaces. Barnsley punches above itsweight and has recently seen economic growth, substantial regeneration anddigital ambition, whilst leading the way in healthcare innovation andemployability.

At Barnsley Hospital, we are a close-knit,ambitious team delivering outstanding care in the heart of South Yorkshire. Ouraim is to be the best place to work and we have been consistently rated by ourpeople as being amongst the very best Trusts in the country in areas such ascompassionate leadership, teamwork and supporting colleague wellbeing.

We offer a friendly working environment where youwill be recognised and valued for what you do, led with compassion andintegrity and have your career and wellbeing supported.

BarnsleyHospital NHS FT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and fairtreatment to all applicants.

Forindividuals who require sponsorship under the skilled worker or health &care visa route please use the link on the right hand side of the advert tocheck your eligibility.

The cost ofthe DBS (criminal records check) for Band 6 and above roles will only be met bythe successful candidate(s) through salary deduction.

Please notewe reserve the right to close positions early

Job responsibilities

Job Description forComplaints Investigator

Please refer to the attachedJob Description and Person Specification for full details of the role andresponsibilities.

SupportingDocuments

Please refer to thevalues-based recruitment guidance and associated documentation.

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant experience in project management and/or customer complaints handling
• Experience of complaint investigations
• Experience of undertaking complex investigations and producing high quality reports
• Previous NHS experience
• Experience of undertaking serious incident investigations

Knowledge and Awareness

• Knowledge of clinical risk issues
• Knowledge of the NHS complaints procedure and legislation
• Understanding of the principles of root cause analysis techniques

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
• Evidence of a commitment to continuing learning
• Professional registration
• Recognised management or leadership training or equivalent

Personal Attributes

• Good written, telephone and face to face communication skills especially during emotional situations
• Ability to deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing and emotional circumstances and to determine facts in highly sensitive situations
• Flexible
• Ability to maintain a calm approach in highly stressful situations

Trust Values

• Please describe in around 100 words: What Equality & Diversity means to you and why they are important.
• Please describe in around 100 words: How do you ensure you contribute to a well functioning team?

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.