Job summary
We are looking for an inspirational and determined leader for our new Complaints and PILS Lead post. The post holder will be responsible for the Complaints function within UHL. A key aim of the role is to develop how the organisation engages with complainants to enable the early satisfactory resolution of concerns helping to embed learning and drive improvement.
We are looking for strong leadership skills to implement the NHS Complaints Standards within University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, promote and support a culture of learning and quality improvement from complaints and concern and to lead the Independent Complaints Review Panel process and ensure any feedback and learning is used to improve the service.
The post holder will also be responsible for the co-ordination and management of all Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) enquiries, investigations and outcomes.
Main duties of the job
In addition to duties documented in the job overview section, responsibilities include:
Responsible for the identification and delivery of CIP plans, in accordance with Corporate targets.
Accountable for the PILS and complaints team staff members.
To line manage the complaint managers, ensuring that all aspects of performance, attendance, conduct, training and appraisal are addressed in accordance with Trust Policy.
Oversee the management of the PILS team staff.
Responsible for the development and implementation of a complaints and early resolution strategy reflecting the NHS complaints standards. Responsible for the updates and any required revisions to the UHL Complaints Policy.
Ensure that UHL processes are in line with best practice national NHS Complaints and PHSO standards
Develop and implement effective communication systems for the CMG/Corporate Areas and external partners in relation to complaints.
Responsible for the production of the annual complaint report.
About us
We are one of the biggest and busiest NHS trusts in the country, incorporating the General, Glenfield and Royal Infirmary hospitals. We have our very own Children's Hospital and run one of the country's leading heart centres.
Our team is made up of more than 17,000 staff providing a range of services primarily for the one million residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
We work with partners at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University providing world-class teaching to nurture and develop the next generation of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, many of whom go on to spend their working lives with us.
Our purpose is to provide 'Caring at its best' and our staff have helped us create a set of values that embody who we are and what we're here to do. They are:
- We focus on what matters most
- We treat others how we would like to be treated
- We are passionate and creative in our work
- We do what we say we are going to do
- We are one team and we are best when we work together
Our patients are at the heart of all we do and we believe that 'Caring at its best' is not just about the treatments and services we provide, but about giving our patients the best possible experience.
About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: (leicestershospitals.nhs.uk)
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY RESULT AREAS
Improvement from complaints
- Maintain and develop close links with external bodies who support complainants.
- Maintain a good relationship with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and take responsibility for the oversight of all PHSO cases for UHL.
- Lead the Independent Complaints Review Panel and ensure there are mechanisms in place to report on feedback and share this within the team and CMGs to improve processes.
- Work with the colleagues in partner organisations to jointly promote and publicise complaints services within the wider community considering accessibility for all.
- Identify trends and themes arising from complaints data and the learning from complaints and act accordingly upon the analysis of such trends. Work closely with the Patient Experience team to triangulate data and feedback themes.
- Develop systems and processes to monitor actions from complaints are followed through to completion.
- Identify experiences that present opportunities for learning and develop these with complainants for sharing, for example, through the telling of Stories at board and committee meetings.
- Maximise opportunities for UHL to develop its learning culture through the appropriate publicity of complaints.
- Develop and implement training that helps staff to become aware of and sensitive to the needs of complainants and to understand the role of the complaints process.
- Work with staff to increase confidence and skill in responding to verbal complaints/concerns.
- Ensure staff in team receive complaint training applicable to their roles.
- Use initiative, within the scope of relevant UHL policies and procedures and in accordance with guidelines set by management, to support the teams aim to promote and support a culture of learning and quality improvement from complaints/concerns.
- Formulate and lead on the development of strategic plans, ensuring delivery and involving patients and the public.
Complaints management
- Responsible for making sure complaints/PILS team manage complaints in line with NHS complaint regulations (2009) and PHSO Complaint Standards and that performance is monitored for acknowledgment and response times.
- Where appropriate for more complex cases meet with complainants/speak with complainants to help resolve their complaints.
- Ensure complaints are actively resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant and at the earliest point possible
- Act promptly and make appropriate decisions regarding where a complaint needs to trigger an investigation or enquiry of an urgent or potentially serious nature.
- Liaise with patient, families and carers as required, communicating traumatic and upsetting information in a sensitive and professional manner.
- Liaise with CMG triumvirates to ensure the team are obtaining appropriate and comprehensive complaint responses in a timely manner.
- Liaise with external organisations to ensure robust processes when team are investigating complaints involving more than one organisation.
- Use the information from Datix Complaints module to produce data and performance reports and thematic reports for Trust Leadership Team Meetings and Quality Committee.
- Coordinate the management of complaints, concerns, compliments and request for information by the Complaints and PILS Team.
- Regularly review a sample of complaint responses for appropriateness, identify gaps and challenge senior staff where the post holder feels changes and improvements to responses are required.
- Ensure responses are written with pitch and tone to reflect the style and language used by the complainant in their letter, ensuring all medical terminology and explanations are represented in a way the patient or complainant can understand and communicate complex and sensitive information in a way such as not to cause distress to the patient or complainant. Consider the empathy and compassion in the responses.
- Ensure all complaints documentation and record keeping is accurately maintained, including the departments electronic database.
- Responsible for the writing of the annual complaints report.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY RESULT AREAS
Improvement from complaints
- Maintain and develop close links with external bodies who support complainants.
- Maintain a good relationship with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and take responsibility for the oversight of all PHSO cases for UHL.
- Lead the Independent Complaints Review Panel and ensure there are mechanisms in place to report on feedback and share this within the team and CMGs to improve processes.
- Work with the colleagues in partner organisations to jointly promote and publicise complaints services within the wider community considering accessibility for all.
- Identify trends and themes arising from complaints data and the learning from complaints and act accordingly upon the analysis of such trends. Work closely with the Patient Experience team to triangulate data and feedback themes.
- Develop systems and processes to monitor actions from complaints are followed through to completion.
- Identify experiences that present opportunities for learning and develop these with complainants for sharing, for example, through the telling of Stories at board and committee meetings.
- Maximise opportunities for UHL to develop its learning culture through the appropriate publicity of complaints.
- Develop and implement training that helps staff to become aware of and sensitive to the needs of complainants and to understand the role of the complaints process.
- Work with staff to increase confidence and skill in responding to verbal complaints/concerns.
- Ensure staff in team receive complaint training applicable to their roles.
- Use initiative, within the scope of relevant UHL policies and procedures and in accordance with guidelines set by management, to support the teams aim to promote and support a culture of learning and quality improvement from complaints/concerns.
- Formulate and lead on the development of strategic plans, ensuring delivery and involving patients and the public.
Complaints management
- Responsible for making sure complaints/PILS team manage complaints in line with NHS complaint regulations (2009) and PHSO Complaint Standards and that performance is monitored for acknowledgment and response times.
- Where appropriate for more complex cases meet with complainants/speak with complainants to help resolve their complaints.
- Ensure complaints are actively resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant and at the earliest point possible
- Act promptly and make appropriate decisions regarding where a complaint needs to trigger an investigation or enquiry of an urgent or potentially serious nature.
- Liaise with patient, families and carers as required, communicating traumatic and upsetting information in a sensitive and professional manner.
- Liaise with CMG triumvirates to ensure the team are obtaining appropriate and comprehensive complaint responses in a timely manner.
- Liaise with external organisations to ensure robust processes when team are investigating complaints involving more than one organisation.
- Use the information from Datix Complaints module to produce data and performance reports and thematic reports for Trust Leadership Team Meetings and Quality Committee.
- Coordinate the management of complaints, concerns, compliments and request for information by the Complaints and PILS Team.
- Regularly review a sample of complaint responses for appropriateness, identify gaps and challenge senior staff where the post holder feels changes and improvements to responses are required.
- Ensure responses are written with pitch and tone to reflect the style and language used by the complainant in their letter, ensuring all medical terminology and explanations are represented in a way the patient or complainant can understand and communicate complex and sensitive information in a way such as not to cause distress to the patient or complainant. Consider the empathy and compassion in the responses.
- Ensure all complaints documentation and record keeping is accurately maintained, including the departments electronic database.
- Responsible for the writing of the annual complaints report.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to master's level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
Experience
Essential
- Good knowledge of NHS Complaints regulations.
- Significant NHS experience in a senior role.
- Experience of investigating and supporting investigations within a healthcare setting.
- Experience in customer care/complaints at management level.
Desirable
- Knowledge of information governance regulations and requirements as they relate to healthcare service providers.
Communication
Essential
- Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
Analytical and judgement skills
Essential
- Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be several courses of action.
Skills
Essential
- Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to master's level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
Experience
Essential
- Good knowledge of NHS Complaints regulations.
- Significant NHS experience in a senior role.
- Experience of investigating and supporting investigations within a healthcare setting.
- Experience in customer care/complaints at management level.
Desirable
- Knowledge of information governance regulations and requirements as they relate to healthcare service providers.
Communication
Essential
- Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
Analytical and judgement skills
Essential
- Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be several courses of action.
Skills
Essential
- Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
