Complaints Officer

Job Title: Compliant Officer

Location: Tameside Hospital OL6 9RW

Hours: Full Time

What you’ll be responsible for:

· Escalating to relevant divisions and managers on behalf of patients and their representatives when problems and concerns are highlighted.

· Exploring patient/staff needs by using sensitive questioning, active listening and counselling skills in order to solve problems, overcoming barriers to understanding in order to achieve positive outcomes, build rapport and provide emotional support throughout.

· Providing advice to patients and/or their representatives on all aspects of the NHS complaints procedures.

· Identifying when consent is required in order to investigate and respond thoroughly to a complaint, taking appropriate action to achieve this and seeking advice from the PALS and Complaints Manager when required.

· Receiving and communicating complex, sensitive and/or contentious information, agreement or co-operation required, to patients and their representatives or groups of people and in highly emotive, distressing and challenging circumstances.

· Responding appropriately to all requests for verbal/written information received through a variety of avenues.

· Ensuring that there is effective communication with other departments, patients and external agencies.

· Providing support to staff prior to their attendance at meetings with complainants and participate in such meetings.

· Collating and providing data in relation to departmental activity to the PALS and Complaints Manager.

· Providing advice and support to all staff on the NHS complaints procedures.

You’ll learn the following whilst working at the trust:

1. An in depth understanding of the roles and responsibilities involved in working within the NHS

2. Knowledge of the systems used, to effectively complete your role to the highest standard at all times

3. A sense of teamwork, gained through working alongside and supporting colleagues from all levels, within the organisation

You’ll have the following skills/experience:

· Aware of role of Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) and NHS Complaints Procedure

· Good understanding of the PHSO procedure

· Understanding of data protection and confidentiality

· Managing complaints

· Talking to distressed and upset members of the public on the telephone and face to face.

· Experience of resolving disputes at a local level

· Experience of complaint response writing

· Knowledge of Ulysses or similar database

· NHS or equivalent health and social care experience.

· Good understanding of grammar and punctuation

· Ability to prioritise competing demands