Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic individual to join the Trust within the Quality and Risk team as a PALS officer. This role involves providing support, guidance and advice for people who have concerns about various aspects of care or who want general information about our Trust services. The successful candidate will be a person who enjoys the challenge of resolving concerns whilst working with patients and families in this front facing customer services role.
The post is predominantly based at Whiston Hospital but there may be occasions when you may be required to travel and work across Trust sites.
The successful candidate will have experience of working within the NHS, have excellent written and verbal communication skills and be required to use numerous computerised systems such as; DATIX, Careflow and Microsoft Office systems.
Interview date: 12th January 2024
Main duties of the job
To provide support, guidance, advice and information to patients, relatives, carers and staff, in a timely and efficient manner. To act as a liaison point for people contacting the service in order to resolve issues raised.
Please see the attached job description and person specification for this role for full details.
Please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated, should a sufficient number of applications be received, you are therefore advised to apply at your earliest convenience.
About us
The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.
From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.
The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.
Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:
- CAREthat is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
- SAFETY that is of the highest standards
- COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
- SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
- PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients
Our achievements include:
- Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- To support individual patients, relatives and carers in order to obtain answers to queries and resolve problems and concerns quickly and efficiently which may be received from various sources. Be accessible with a visible presence in the Trust
- Work collaboratively with staff and service managers to ensure that any concerns or problems raised by service users, carers and their families can be resolved as quickly as possible
- Communicate with people who may be in complex and sensitive situations and who may be highly emotional, aggressive or anxious. This involves using communication skills on a daily basis to help service users/carers to clarify concerns and provide/identify options
- Respond to diverse, sensitive and sometimes complex enquiries and concerns raised by the public, services users and carers about St Helens and Knowsley Hospital NHS Trust services referring to any applicable Trust policies, procedures and guidelines
- Negotiate timely and appropriate resolution of concerns with service users or carers and staff
- To take an instrumental role in supporting PALS users, arranging meetings between service users and clinicians and occasionally supporting service users at these meetings in what can be highly complex and sensitive circumstances, in an efficient manner in order to reach satisfactory outcomes
- Understand the Trusts Managing Complaints and Concerns Policy, and refer to the complaints team/Independent advocacy if appropriate. Provide advice and guidance to those who wish to make a formal complaint when issues cannot be resolved within PALS
- To ensure all PALS issues are recorded on the DATIX system and ensure that PALS activity is communicated to the appropriate personnel throughout the Trust
- Assist PALS in local acute and community trusts and other stakeholders who are trying to resolve issues that span across organisational boundaries
- To provide support to patients, carers and families when accessing specialist advocacy or other voluntary and statutory services
- To build and maintain good relationships with key stakeholders and the local community.
Education and Development
- Ensure colleagues across the Trust are aware of the role of PALS, through regular feedback with appropriate staff groups, including attendance at clinical governance meetings
- Participate in raising awareness of PALS within the Trust, internally and externally, and with other statutory, voluntary & community organisations; including preparation & delivery of presentations
- Contribute to the delivery of corporate induction as required
- To ensure personal development plans are identified, maintained and followed to ensure all relevant mandatory training is undertaken
- Demonstrate role to new starters.
Clinical Governance
- To work in close collaboration with staff from Complaints and the Quality and Risk departments, ensuring that effective communication is maintained in respect of PALS activities.
Communication
- Act as a resource for up-to-date information on Trust services for all patients, relatives, and carers
- Utilise empathetic and effective communication skills to decipher complex information from service users to understand and resolve concerns
- Provide and identify support and appropriate signposting to those contacting PALS
Personal Responsibilities
- To maintain own personal development following participation in annual appraisal
- Maintain and extend personal knowledge with regard to current and changing issues within the Trust and wider NHS on an on-going basis
- To maintain health and safety standards which ensure the wellbeing of patients, public and work colleagues
- To undertake required mandatory training required for the post
- To manage own workload, work unsupervised as appropriate, escalating any concerns to the line manager
- To observe and maintain data protection & confidentiality as appropriate
- To maintain a personal professional appearance
- The above responsibilities are not an exhaustive list and are subject to change as the post develops
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- To support individual patients, relatives and carers in order to obtain answers to queries and resolve problems and concerns quickly and efficiently which may be received from various sources. Be accessible with a visible presence in the Trust
- Work collaboratively with staff and service managers to ensure that any concerns or problems raised by service users, carers and their families can be resolved as quickly as possible
- Communicate with people who may be in complex and sensitive situations and who may be highly emotional, aggressive or anxious. This involves using communication skills on a daily basis to help service users/carers to clarify concerns and provide/identify options
- Respond to diverse, sensitive and sometimes complex enquiries and concerns raised by the public, services users and carers about St Helens and Knowsley Hospital NHS Trust services referring to any applicable Trust policies, procedures and guidelines
- Negotiate timely and appropriate resolution of concerns with service users or carers and staff
- To take an instrumental role in supporting PALS users, arranging meetings between service users and clinicians and occasionally supporting service users at these meetings in what can be highly complex and sensitive circumstances, in an efficient manner in order to reach satisfactory outcomes
- Understand the Trusts Managing Complaints and Concerns Policy, and refer to the complaints team/Independent advocacy if appropriate. Provide advice and guidance to those who wish to make a formal complaint when issues cannot be resolved within PALS
- To ensure all PALS issues are recorded on the DATIX system and ensure that PALS activity is communicated to the appropriate personnel throughout the Trust
- Assist PALS in local acute and community trusts and other stakeholders who are trying to resolve issues that span across organisational boundaries
- To provide support to patients, carers and families when accessing specialist advocacy or other voluntary and statutory services
- To build and maintain good relationships with key stakeholders and the local community.
Education and Development
- Ensure colleagues across the Trust are aware of the role of PALS, through regular feedback with appropriate staff groups, including attendance at clinical governance meetings
- Participate in raising awareness of PALS within the Trust, internally and externally, and with other statutory, voluntary & community organisations; including preparation & delivery of presentations
- Contribute to the delivery of corporate induction as required
- To ensure personal development plans are identified, maintained and followed to ensure all relevant mandatory training is undertaken
- Demonstrate role to new starters.
Clinical Governance
- To work in close collaboration with staff from Complaints and the Quality and Risk departments, ensuring that effective communication is maintained in respect of PALS activities.
Communication
- Act as a resource for up-to-date information on Trust services for all patients, relatives, and carers
- Utilise empathetic and effective communication skills to decipher complex information from service users to understand and resolve concerns
- Provide and identify support and appropriate signposting to those contacting PALS
Personal Responsibilities
- To maintain own personal development following participation in annual appraisal
- Maintain and extend personal knowledge with regard to current and changing issues within the Trust and wider NHS on an on-going basis
- To maintain health and safety standards which ensure the wellbeing of patients, public and work colleagues
- To undertake required mandatory training required for the post
- To manage own workload, work unsupervised as appropriate, escalating any concerns to the line manager
- To observe and maintain data protection & confidentiality as appropriate
- To maintain a personal professional appearance
- The above responsibilities are not an exhaustive list and are subject to change as the post develops
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
Desirable
- RSA 2 in Typing / Word processing or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel between hospital sites
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, including listening and negotiating skills, face to face and over the telephone
- Able to problem solve
- Able to use own initiative
- Work well under pressure whilst prioritising a diverse workload with competing priorities within a busy environment
- Work individually or as part of a team
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the function of PALS
- Experience of working within a customer care environment in an advisory capacity
- Experience of working towards deadlines
- Experience of providing information in a clear and concise manner
- Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office and other applications
- Experience of dealing with conflict
- Fully aware of the need to maintain confidentiality and how this is achieved
- Experience of inputting data
Desirable
- Knowledge of NHS complaints procedures, GDPR, clinical governance, health & wellbeing issues, acquired through training and experience
- Experience in a similar role or equivalent knowledge
- Experience of dealing with external NHS stakeholders
- Experience of Datix system
- Experience of working within the NHS or Healthcare Setting
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
Desirable
- RSA 2 in Typing / Word processing or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel between hospital sites
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, including listening and negotiating skills, face to face and over the telephone
- Able to problem solve
- Able to use own initiative
- Work well under pressure whilst prioritising a diverse workload with competing priorities within a busy environment
- Work individually or as part of a team
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the function of PALS
- Experience of working within a customer care environment in an advisory capacity
- Experience of working towards deadlines
- Experience of providing information in a clear and concise manner
- Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office and other applications
- Experience of dealing with conflict
- Fully aware of the need to maintain confidentiality and how this is achieved
- Experience of inputting data
Desirable
- Knowledge of NHS complaints procedures, GDPR, clinical governance, health & wellbeing issues, acquired through training and experience
- Experience in a similar role or equivalent knowledge
- Experience of dealing with external NHS stakeholders
- Experience of Datix system
- Experience of working within the NHS or Healthcare Setting
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.
