Band 5 Complaints Officer (CCH)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Purpose of Role

The Collaborative Commissioning Hub (CCH) complaints team provides a complaints resolution service to all seven Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in the South West of England, for primary care services including general practice, dental, pharmacy and optometry.

The Complaints Officer will manage a caseload of formal complaints ensuring compliance with the Local Authority Social Services and NHS Complaints Regulations 2009. Working with both the complainant and service providers, the Complaints Officer will seek resolution to formal complaints in a timely way, including drafting the final response to the complainant. This will include:

Liaising with the complainant and offering them a discussion on the handling of their complaint.

Being the named contact for the complainant throughout the complaints process keeping them updated in a proactive way.

Liaising with the provider(s) and securing their full and detailed investigation / response within appropriate timeframes.

Working with colleagues in contracting and clinical advice to ensure the commissioner adds value to the complaints it manages.

Preparing appropriate and well written responses for individual ICB sign off.

Ensuring that the response addresses all of the issues raised in the complaint and is presented in a format suitable to share with the complainant.

Managing consent, safeguarding and patient safety concerns arising in complaints escalating to the Complaints Manager and / or wider team as and when required.

Ensuring all complaints within their own caseload are accurately and contemporaneously documented on the complaints management system.

The Complaints Officer may be required to attend face to face meetings on and off site with patients, complainants and providers in order to facilitate local resolution.

Communications and Relationships

The CCH team has positive and engaging relationships with key stakeholders including ICBs, NHS England and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and the Complaints Officer will continue to work to nurture and maintain those relationships:

Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to provide a quality complaints service to our customers.

Operate effectively in a flexible and demanding environment and proactively engage with key stakeholders.

Communicate and provide highly complex information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders (verbal, written and numerical) through briefings and reports.

Manage challenging situations, which could include complainants who are angry or frustrated.

Be able to lead multi-agency complaints investigations, supporting partners to the investigation to provide information in a timely and responsive way.

Autonomy / Freedom to Act

Be able to prioritise and re-prioritise in the face of fluctuating volumes of work, managing deadlines in accordance with key performance indicators.

Analytical / Judgement Skills

Work with members of the team to support development of systems that will provide accurate and timely information and data for reporting purposes.

Be able to extract pre-arranged case management and performance reports from the complaints management system to ensure effective day to day management of workflow.

Planning and Organisation

Comply with governance requirements, including management of confidentiality.

Contemporaneously record information within the complaints management system.

Maintain administrative and information resources.

Contribute to effective information management within the team.

Support implementation of project and / or service initiatives through timely and relevant information analysis and administrative support, in accordance with the agreed priorities of the team.

Organise meetings or events and assist in the diary management requirements of individuals in connection with portfolio of work.

Patient and Client Care

Ensure that all contact with complainants, and others, is of highest professional standard.

Support patient and public involvement within the CCH.

Realise the opportunity to learn from every complaint in order to minimise the possibility of a similar situation happening in the future.

Uphold organisational policies and principles on the promotion of equality.

Create an inclusive working environment where diversity is valued, everyone can contribute, and everyday actions ensure we meet our duty to uphold and promote equality.

Be resilient in challenging, difficult and / or sensitive situations (conflict or bereavement for example).

Service Development / Policy Review

Support the organisations ways of working, model its values and champion the NHS Constitution.

Contribute to the review and development of existing systems and processes and contribute to the development of new and improved ways of working.

HR / Responsibility for Training and Recruitment

Provide advice and support to others on own area of responsibility.

Support training and induction of new staff into the team.

Supervises administrative staff on their day-to-day activities, where requested.

Participate in the recruitment of staff, where requested.

Ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff within the department.

Research and Development

Undertake auditing of projects, services and initiatives, as necessary.

Carry out web based and publications research.

Actively support and contribute to the development of key performance indicators for the successful assessment of performance.

The job description is not exhaustive, and the Complaints Officer is expected to carry out other tasks as delegated and appropriate.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification or equivalent previous proven experience.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of managing complaints.
• Understand information governance including data protection requirements.
• Work within an environment where confidentiality is paramount.
• Skills in information analysis and data management.
• Ability to pull together comprehensive draft reports, data and letters.

Desirable

• Previously worked in similar position within the NHS or other public sector organisation.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Good understanding of the NHS complaints regulations.
• Knowledge of administrative procedures, and use of complaints management systems.
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritise and re-prioritise.
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills.
• Negotiating, networking and persuasive skills.
• Advanced keyboard skills, use of a range of software including Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Desirable

• Project management skills.

Personal Statement / Motivation for Applying

Essential

• Please use this section to explain how you meet the additional criteria in the Personal Specification including your reasons and motivation for applying.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board

Address

NHS Somerset ICB

Wynford House, Lufton Way

Yeovil

Somerset

BA22 8HR

Employer's website

https://nhssomerset.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)