Complaints Officer

NHS Band 3 Salary: £25,760 - £27,476 per annum Hours Per Week: Full time 37.5 hrs Contract Type: Permanent Job summary - To provide an excellent standard of customer care support to patients and relatives who have raised concerns about the treatment provided at the Trust. - To work as part of a team on behalf of the Chief Executive in achieving the statutory requirements of complaints handling within required deadlines. - To help provide a high standard of administrative support to the complaints team, including maintaining database system (Datix), scanning and photocopying. - Provide advice and support to patients, relatives, visitors, MPs, advocates, external NHS organisations and Trust staff on the handling of formal complaints and PALS concerns. - Provide support in the production of timely and accurate reports on formal complaints, identifying any emerging trends or themes, and ensuring these are escalated to the Complaints Manager. - Provide advice and support to all visitors and dealing with telephone and email enquiries. Specific Core Functions - Provide support in the day to day management of concerns and formal complaints, identifying the areas/departments of the Trust involved, clarifying the key questions and concerns, drafting various letters and referring to the formal complaints process when appropriate. - To prioritise new cases for action and ensure that patients and/or relatives are kept informed of the progress at all times. - To act as a point of contact for the Trust’s complaints team for patients, relatives, visitors, MPs, advocates, external NHS organisations and Trust staff. - Support the team to ensure that national targets with respect to complaint handling are met (acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt and within agreed timescales). - Assist with the collation and supply of information (e.g. copies of files, chronology of events) as and when requested by the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) if local resolution has not been achieved. - To provide advice, support and assistance to clinical and service managers in the investigation of complaints including clarifying concerns and the outcome the complainant wishes to achieve. - Assist with arranging local resolution meetings between patients/relatives, medical/nursing staff and the complaints manager. Support the complaints manager as necessary with these. - To ensure accurate maintenance of database (Datix system) and computer (G drive) files to a consistently high standard allowing easy retrieval of information relating to all cases. - Support with the provision of accurate and relevant Datix information to ensure there is a robust system for producing accurate and timely reports and comply with Trust Information Governance policy and Data Protection Act. - To work with Trust staff to encourage and promote a culture of openness, honesty and learning from feedback from service users, carers and the public. For full job details and person specification please refer to enclosed job description. Essential - Educated to GCSE level (or equivalent) - NVQ Customer Services (Level 3) - Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, Excel and databases Experience Essential - Experience of working in a busy customer service environment or complaints handling environment - Experience of working within an NHS or Social Care environment - Excellent verbal, telephone, and written communication skills - Excellent administrative skills Skills and Knowledge Essential - Ability to work using own initiative, deal with competing priorities and have a high level of accuracy in recording information - Excellent verbal, telephone, and written communication skills - Excellent administrative skills - Knowledge of NHS Governance and Risk Management - Knowledge of Data Protection Act or Freedom of Information Act legislation - Demonstrate tact and diplomacy when dealing with highly sensitive issues and maintain confidentiality - Time management skills with the ability to prioritise own workload - Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands