Senior Complaint Handler

Davies; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Davies Innovation Lab

Leadership training programme

Funding for professionalQualifications

Wellbeing centre

25 days holiday

Flexible working

Cycle to Work

Lease car scheme

Job summary

Davies in Preston is seeking a Senior Complaint Handler to lead investigations into complex insurance complaints and ensure fair, evidence-based outcomes. You will balance regulatory requirements with customer care, escalating where needed and coaching peers to raise the quality of responses.

You will work within a collaborative Customer Relations team focused on continuous improvement, governance and learning from feedback to reduce future complaints.

Qualifications

• Significant experience handling complaints within regulated environments such as insurance/financial services.
• Strong understanding of FCA complaint handling requirements, notably DISP.
• Proven ability to investigate complex complaints and reach evidence-based decisions.
• Experience dealing with Financial Ombudsman Service referrals and investigations.
• Knowledge of redress principles, customer impact assessments and fair outcomes.
• Excellent written communication with the ability to produce high-quality complaint responses.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of complex, sensitive and high-profile complaints across insurance products and services.
• Conduct detailed investigations using policy documents, claim files, call recordings and evidence.
• Identify complaint elements and assess evidence to establish fair outcomes.
• Draft clear, customer-friendly complaint responses and recommend appropriate redress.
• Ensure complaints are resolved within FCA and business timescales.
• Represent the business during FOS investigations and referrals.
• Provide coaching and guidance to junior complaint handlers on investigation techniques and decision making.

Skills

Complaint handling

Regulatory knowledge

Written communication

Analytical thinking

Investigation

FCA DISP

Job description

Senior Complaint Handler

Department: Claims Management

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Preston

Reporting To: Suzanne Wilcock

Description

Customer Relations & Customer Experience Preston Be the Expert. Champion Fair Outcomes. Influence Positive Change.

Every complaint tells a story.

Sometimes it's a customer who feels let down. Sometimes it's an opportunity to put things right. And sometimes, it shines a light on how we can improve as a business.

We're looking for an experienced Senior Complaint Handler to join our Customer Relations team and help us deliver fair, balanced and customer-focused outcomes across complex insurance complaints.

This is more than a complaint handling role. You'll be a trusted technical specialist, supporting colleagues, driving quality standards and helping the business learn from customer feedback. Working at the heart of our customer experience function, you'll play a key role in ensuring we meet the highest standards of regulatory compliance whilst always doing the right thing for our customers.

If you're passionate about customer advocacy, regulatory excellence and making a real difference, we'd love to hear from you.

#INDUKI

What will your day look like:

As a Senior Complaint Handler, you'll manage complex, high-risk and escalated complaints from investigation through to resolution.

You'll use your technical expertise and regulatory knowledge to make fair, evidence-based decisions while ensuring every customer receives the consideration, empathy and support they deserve.

Alongside your own caseload, you'll act as a technical mentor within the team, providing guidance, sharing best practice and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the customer experience and reduce future complaints.

Your insight and expertise will help shape how we deliver better outcomes for both customers and the business.

What You'll Be Doing

• Manage a portfolio of complex, sensitive and high-profile complaints across a range of insurance products and services.
• Conduct detailed investigations using policy documentation, claim files, call recordings, correspondence and supporting evidence.
• Identify all complaint elements and assess evidence objectively to establish fair and reasonable outcomes.
• Draft clear, well-reasoned and customer-friendly complaint responses.
• Calculate and recommend appropriate compensation, redress and remedial actions where required.
• Ensure complaints are resolved within FCA and business timescales.
• Represent the business during Financial Ombudsman Service investigations and referrals.

• Put customers at the centre of decision making whilst balancing regulatory and commercial considerations.
• Assess customer vulnerability, distress, inconvenience and individual circumstances.
• Ensure complaints are handled with empathy, professionalism and integrity.
• Support the delivery of consistently fair and positive customer outcomes.

• Serve as a subject matter expert for complex complaint investigations and regulatory interpretation.
• Provide coaching and support to Complaint Handlers on investigation techniques, decision making and complaint writing.
• Share knowledge and best practice to improve capability and consistency across the team.
• Support quality assurance reviews and calibration exercises.
• Assist management teams in developing colleague knowledge and competency.

You'll be responsible for applying and interpreting:

• FCA Complaint Handling Requirements
• DISP Rules
• Consumer Duty Principles
• Financial Ombudsman Service approaches and expectations
• Insurance industry best practice
• Vulnerability guidance and customer outcome frameworks

You'll also identify potential conduct, compliance or operational risks and ensure appropriate escalation where required.

• Analyse complaint data, trends and emerging themes.
• Conduct root cause analysis to identify opportunities for business improvement.
• Make recommendations that improve customer experience and reduce repeat complaints.
• Support initiatives aimed at reducing complaint volumes and Financial Ombudsman referrals.
• Help create a culture where customer feedback drives positive change.

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Significant experience handling complaints within insurance, financial services or another regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of FCA complaint handling requirements, particularly DISP.
• Proven ability to investigate complex complaints and reach evidence-based decisions.
• Experience dealing with Financial Ombudsman Service referrals and investigations.
• Knowledge of redress principles, customer impact assessments and fair outcome frameworks.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to produce high-quality complaint responses.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Benefits

Career & Purpose

• Davies Innovation Lab
• Leadership training programme
• Funding for professional qualifications
• Thrive at Davies; learning opportunities

Environmental & Social

• The Davies Foundation
• Local charity funding
• Pennies To Heaven
• Employee Resource Groups
• Employee volunteering programme

Financial Health

• Pension, 5% employee and 5% employer contribution
• My Choices at Davies provides; High Street discounts and Financial wellbeing hub
• Life assurance: x4
• Refer a Friend
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Lease car salary sacrifice
• Davies Incentive Plan
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

Mental, Physical & Emotional Wellbeing

• Wellbeing centre; move, munch, money & mind focus
• Discounts with 100's of UK retailers
• EAP; 24/7 confidential helpline
• 25 days holiday, increases to 26 days after 5 years and 27 after 10 years
• Flexible working
• Dress for your day
• Inclusive employment policies eg. Menopause, fostering friendly, fertility, sabbatical policy and baby loss and miscarriage
• Flexible benefits include; holiday purchase plan and a opportunity to purchase heath cash plan and BUPA dental plan