Complaints Officer

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust; Basildon; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Complaints Officer to manage and support the complaints process. This role involves liaising with service users and ensuring high-quality resolution standards are maintained for all complaints. The successful candidate will be part of a committed and compassionate team aiming for excellence in patient care.

Benefits

Flexible working opportunities

Employee assistance programme

Commitment to equality and diversity

Wellbeing support network

Qualifications

• Experience in complaint handling is essential.
• Basic IT skills and experience are required.
• High standard of professionalism in public and patient contact.

Responsibilities

• Assess and manage individual caseload of complaints.
• Provide guidance on the complaints process to patients.
• Maintain high standards in responses to complaints.

Skills

Communication skills

Critical appraisal skills

Ability to prioritize workload

Education

Degree or Equivalent relevant experience

NVQ Level 2 or Equivalent Standard of Literacy and Numeracy

Tools

Risk Management Software

Job description

Social network you want to login/join with:

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Complaints Officer to work in liaison with the PALS & Complaints Manager,

The Post holder will act as as point of contact for patients, service users, their families and carers. They will assess complaints and allocate to the appropriate service .

Will monitoring a individual caseload to ensure timescales are monitored, Ensure all public and patient contact is of highest professional standard; • Provide high-quality guidance and support to directorates on resolving complaints .

Main duties of the job

To Support and inform patients, service users on the Trust complaints process; be responsible for your individual caseload to ensure timescales are monitored. Ensure all public and patient contact is of highest professional standard. Provide high-quality guidance and support to directorates on resolving complaints .

Working for our organisation

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

High Cost Area Supplement

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,258 to a maximum of £2,122).

We continue to encourage all staff to ensure that they have been double vaccinated and received their booster. We recognise that taking the vaccine provides the best defence against COVID 19 for our patients, our staff and their families.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

In liaison with the PALS & Complaints Manager, ensure all complaints received, whether in writing, by email, by telephone or in person, are processed in line with national guidance.

• In liaison with service leads and where appropriate apply the local resolution approach.
• Ensure Being Open principles are applied in all aspects of role.
• In liaison with the PALS & Complaints Manager, approach investigating officers, through an agreed process, providing relevant documentation to enable the complaint to be investigated appropriately.
• Ensuring all complaints responses are dealt with professionally and in line with Trust Policy
• Ensuring all complaint responses are of a high standard
• Maintain the complaints database including key themes and investigation outcomes.
• Provide advice on complaints handling as required
• To establish and maintain effective communication and positive working relationships with staff in the Trust and relevant external agencies including the Health Service Ombudsman, local HealthWatch organisations, local service user and advocacy services such as ICAS
• To ensure sensitive, emotionally charged, and complex situations that may arise with complainants are dealt with appropriately
• Support the collation of informal concerns, compliments data and maintain database
• Ensure information for Freedom of Information requests is provided within agreed timescales
• Is expected to travel across NELFT sites as required, to support services deal with Complaints and offer drop-in sessions to Investigative Officers (IO) as required
• To foster a strong working relationship between the locality and the Complaints Team
• Regularly attending the locality leadership team meetings to give update on the numbers of complaints and any issues
• In liaison with the PALS & Complaints Manager, provide data for management reports within agreed timescales
• Work on own initiative and prioritise workload to ensure deadlines are met
• Represent the PALS & Complaints Manager at various meeting as required

Use of AI

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Candidate must have degree or Equivalent relevant experience
• NVQ Level 2 or Equivalent Standard of Literacy and Numeracy
• Experience of Complaint Handling

IT Skills

• Basic Awareness of IT & IT skills
• Experience of using Risk Management Software

Professional Capabilities

• The ability to demonstrate critical appraisal skills
• Ability to work as effectively with a team
• Ability to prioritise own workload

Other Skills

• The Postholder will be expected to evidence how they implement the Trust Values in their day to day work
• Commication skills both verbal and written
• able to maintain confidentiality and handling of sensitive information

We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:

• A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
• A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
• Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
• Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.