PALS Support Officer

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS Trust in Wakefield is seeking a motivated individual to join their Patient Advice and Liaison Team. The role involves managing inquiries and complaints, ensuring fast resolutions and maintaining databases while providing excellent customer service. Strong communication skills and the ability to handle sensitive information are essential. Enjoy benefits like an NHS pension plan, a generous holiday allowance, and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

NHS pension plan

Generous holiday allowance

Employee health and wellbeing services

Onsite nurseries

Childcare vouchers

Car lease schemes

Carer-friendly policies

Qualifications

• Ability to handle sensitive information confidentially.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with public and colleagues efficiently.
• Manage PALS enquiries from the public promptly.
• Maintain effective PALS database adhering to guidelines.
• Log complaints accurately and ensure timely responses.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to work independently

Assertive and persuasive communication

Adaptable and flexible under pressure

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and enthusiastic person to join our Patient Advice and Liaison Team. This role involves providing support, guidance and advice for people who have concerns and complaints about various aspects of care. You will be required to liaise with Trust staff to achieve fast resolution of concerns and support the Trusts formal complaints processes. The successful candidate will be a person who enjoys the challenge of resolving concerns whilst working with patients and families in this fast-paced role.

Responsibilities

• Communication with the public and colleagues via telephone, email and face to face.
• Manage PALS enquiries from the public in a timely manner.
• Be responsible in ensuring incoming mail is received and distributed accordingly. Making sure all complaint correspondence is dealt with promptly.
• To maintain an effective PALS database ensuring that the data is kept in a secure manner adhering to Caldicott guidelines/GDPR at all times.
• To act as the front line patient advice and liaison service dealing with enquiries as they arise, efficiently, sympathetically, professionally as well as promptly.
• To resolve concerns and complaints wherever possible ensuring all activity is logged on the PALS database (DATIX).
• To ensure that all PALS enquiries/complaints are logged onto the formal complaints Datix database. To ensure complaints are logged and acknowledged within 3 working days of receiving the complaint.
• Provide a first line of response to enquiries received by telephone, email or in person ensuring that these are handled confidentially, confidently in a professional manner.
• Exchanging confidential, sensitive or contentious information with senior managers/matrons/patients/carers which requires assertive and persuasive communication skills.
• To maintain accurate records, a comprehensive filing system and efficient information retrieval system and to ensure this is kept up to date.
• The post holder must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, adaptable and flexible to pressures, and be able to use own initiative.

Benefits

We are an acute trust caring for over one million people in Wakefield and Kirklees. Our 10,000 staff members work in patients homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield). Committed to continuous improvement, we prioritise our people and values so we can deliver excellent patient experience. Our team is friendly, passionate and always seeking better ways to work through research and innovation. We support work-life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs. Our staff networks offer safe spaces for honest conversations and to share ideas, thoughts and concerns so we can increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion. As a member of the team, you will have access to the NHS pension plan, a generous holiday allowance, employee health and wellbeing services and extensive benefits and support. These include onsite nurseries, childcare vouchers, car lease and home electronics schemes, working carers support, carer‑friendly policies, and more.

If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join the MY team to make a difference every day.