Complaints Officer

Oldham-Council; Oldham; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

LGPS pension

Gym discount

Staff discount scheme

Salary sacrifice

Wellbeing support

Recognition events

Peer support groups

Job summary

Oldham Council is seeking a Complaints Officer to join the Resources, Customer Experience, Customer Operations directorate. You will investigate concerns, coordinate responses and ensure fair, policy-compliant outcomes across a varied caseload.

You will work closely with services to deliver high-quality customer experience, manage communications with residents and representatives, and apply robust problem-solving and analytical skills to achieve positive resolutions.

Qualifications

• Analytical skills to investigate, collate and evaluate varied information.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to explain complex issues clearly, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to manage customer expectations and deliver difficult messages.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information.
• Ability to meet conflicting deadlines and work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Support efficient operation of all complaint policies in line with legislation.
• Be the first point of contact for those wishing to make complaints.
• Monitor progress of complaints and update the team's database.
• Prepare complaint action plans and support investigations with evidence.
• Communicate investigation outcomes sensitively to complainants and representatives.
• Gatekeep the council’s complaints processes and route to other resolutions when appropriate.

Skills

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Expectation management

Confidentiality

Time management

Job description

Directorate: Resources, Customer Experience, Customer Operations

Service: Customer Feedback

Post title: Complaints Officer

Ref: 001684

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Grade 5, £31,536.89 - £34,433.71

Hours per week: 36.66, Full time

Location: Spindles Office for majority of week with some homeworking.

Closing date: Sunday 30th August 2026

Shortlisting and interview dates: Shortlisting: Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th September. Interviews: Wednesday 16th September.

Hiring manager contact details: Kirsty Adderley, [e-mail] and Laura Mortin, [e-mail]

Role overview

Complaints Officers plays a vital role in helping Oldham Council deliver resident focussed services, driving service improvements and maintaining trust with our residents. You will be responsible for working with council services to investigate concerns, coordinate responses and ensure that every complaint is handled fairly, professionally, and in line with corporate policies and procedures and the relevant complaints legislation.

This is an exciting opportunity for a resident focused individual who is passionate about improving services and achieving positive outcomes for residents. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you will use your excellent communication, problem-solving and analytical skills to manage a varied caseload. You will be well‑organised and enjoy working as part of a small, high‑performing complaints team. You will be familiar with the legislation that shapes complaints services. If you are resilient, well‑organised and empathetic and committed to delivering excellent customer experience, we would love to hear from you.

Key responsibilities

• To support the efficient and effective operation of all complaint policies in compliance with multiple complaints management legislation (children’s social care complaints, adult social care complaints and corporate complaints and partner agencies as required).
• To be the first point of contact for those wishing to make complaints, monitoring the team’s mailboxes and telephone lines.
• To monitor the progress of complaints, preparing weekly progress reports and ensuring that information held on the team’s database is up to date.
• To prepare complaint action plans, review service responses and support in the investigation of complaints, critically analysing evidence in order that appropriate resolution and remedy is achieved.
• To ensure information about the complaints process and details of individual investigation outcomes are sensitively and appropriately communicated to complainants and their representatives, including children, young people and vulnerable adults, making reasonable adjustments where necessary.
• To facilitate gatekeeping of the council’s complaints processes and identify where other means of resolution is appropriate, such a children’s services representations and service requests.

Key requirements

• Analytical skills to investigate, collate and evaluate varied information, contributing to decisions based on own findings.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to explain complex issues clearly, sensitively and diplomatically, to a wide range of audiences, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to manage customer expectations and deliver difficult and contentious messages.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work on sensitive issues.
• Ability to complete tasks to regularly conflicting deadlines, working under pressure to reprioritise own work, without direct supervision.

About us

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:

A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.

We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan: Ready for the Future and Oldham Plan for further information.

Our values and behaviours

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are ‘Proud, Ambitious, and Together’, and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.

Our benefits package

At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following:

• 25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10-years’ service
• The option to purchase additional annual leave.
• An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions.
• Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active.
• Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more.
• Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work.
• Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
• Staff recognition and celebration events.
• Peer support groups

Inclusive recruitment

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you have lived or worked abroad for 3 months or more in the last 5 years or 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the last 10 years whilst aged 18 or over, please refer to the link below for details for how to obtain your Certificates of Good Character. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

If you’re an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer, someone who has served in the Armed Forces, or you’ve participated in the GM Elevate Programme, and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme.

Data and privacy

For details of how we use your data please see our Privacy Notice

Important information

Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.

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