Concerns and Complaints Manager

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

This job is now closed

Job summary

PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT APPLY

The Concerns and Complaints Manager will work closely with Senior Management across the Trust including the Head of Patient Safety & Experience and Associate Director of Quality and Governance in delivering the Trust's quality and assurance agenda.

Main duties of the job

The Concerns and Complaints Manager will:

o Be responsible to lead, develop and monitor the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) ensuring the service is effective, adaptable and is accessible to patients, carers and their families.

Identify and ensure the Trust is able to respond to new obligations or duties arising from various sources and ensure that revision to the Trust's complaints policies and procedures reflect all new developments and statutory requirement

Be responsible for ensuring there are systems in place to support the planning and handling of all open complaints to ensure a timely response and support the governance and monitoring of complaints and that there are mechanisms in place to capture and disseminate learning from complaints across the trust.

Have substantial and wide-ranging knowledge to be able to exercise significant autonomy and discretion and independently manage complaints within time frames set out in the NHS Complaint Procedure.

Be responsible for the liaison with and cultivation a culture of co-operation with all Corporate and Clinical Divisions within the Trust and external agencies such as the Care Quality Commission, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and ICAS (independent complaints advisory service).

Be responsible for the operationally management of the PALS and Complaints team.

About us

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
Improving the experience of staff with disability
Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
Making equalities mainstream

Date posted

19 December 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£43,742 to £50,056 a year per annum plus HCA

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working, Compressed hours

Reference number

197-HF4576-A

Job locations

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Stadium Road

Woolwich

SE18 4QH

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will work closely with the Divisions and directorate management teams in responding to complex complaints and concerns advising on further engagement to achieve effective local resolution.
The post holder will also work closely with Corporate and Clinical Divisions and will support the Divisions by advising on improvement and change processes to increase performance on turnaround and response times.
The post holder will liaise and work with Divisions/Departments across the Trust to analyse complaints and PALS data to identify trend, themes and ensure action and improvement plans are developed to address these.
The post holder will respond to requests for information or investigations / inspections by the Care Quality Commission, PHSO or other departments such as legal, Information Governance or Patient Safety team.
The post holder will maintain and keep up-to-date electronic complaints files (including the complaints database, Ulysses), in compliance with Trust policy and Data Protection law.
The post holder will be required to liaise with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) with regards to complainants who wish to pursue their complaint through this route and keep a continuously updated record of all complaints open with the PHSO.
The post holder will be required to communicate highly sensitive and contentious information to patients, relatives, and members of staff in response to complaints.
The post holder will support the Trust around the patient experience agenda and helping support patient engagement events that involves complainants and opportunities to gain feedback and share learning.
The post holder will develop and implement robust systems for monitoring and reporting on compliments and positive service/carer outcomes.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will work closely with the Divisions and directorate management teams in responding to complex complaints and concerns advising on further engagement to achieve effective local resolution.
The post holder will also work closely with Corporate and Clinical Divisions and will support the Divisions by advising on improvement and change processes to increase performance on turnaround and response times.
The post holder will liaise and work with Divisions/Departments across the Trust to analyse complaints and PALS data to identify trend, themes and ensure action and improvement plans are developed to address these.
The post holder will respond to requests for information or investigations / inspections by the Care Quality Commission, PHSO or other departments such as legal, Information Governance or Patient Safety team.
The post holder will maintain and keep up-to-date electronic complaints files (including the complaints database, Ulysses), in compliance with Trust policy and Data Protection law.
The post holder will be required to liaise with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) with regards to complainants who wish to pursue their complaint through this route and keep a continuously updated record of all complaints open with the PHSO.
The post holder will be required to communicate highly sensitive and contentious information to patients, relatives, and members of staff in response to complaints.
The post holder will support the Trust around the patient experience agenda and helping support patient engagement events that involves complainants and opportunities to gain feedback and share learning.
The post holder will develop and implement robust systems for monitoring and reporting on compliments and positive service/carer outcomes.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Master level or equivalent experience within a similar role.
Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

European Computer Driving License (ECDL) or equivalent.
Management qualification.
Advocacy or mediation training
Quality Improvement Training

Knowledge, training, and experience

Essential

Significant experience in the field of patient complaints and or/PALS within the NHS.
Experience as a leader of a team with an operational or customer care focus.
Extensive working knowledge of the NHS complaints procedures, current legislation, and the role of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Experience of influencing and working across organisational boundaries in the development of healthcare services
Experience of writing letters to patients or the public
Experience of handling distressing situations

Desirable

An understanding of Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act
Experience within patient experience and/or Quality Improvement
Change or project management
Experience of teaching, presentational skills and mentoring

Skills and abilities

Essential

Experience of using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Knowledge of handling confidential information.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Master level or equivalent experience within a similar role.
Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

European Computer Driving License (ECDL) or equivalent.
Management qualification.
Advocacy or mediation training
Quality Improvement Training

Knowledge, training, and experience

Essential

Significant experience in the field of patient complaints and or/PALS within the NHS.
Experience as a leader of a team with an operational or customer care focus.
Extensive working knowledge of the NHS complaints procedures, current legislation, and the role of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Experience of influencing and working across organisational boundaries in the development of healthcare services
Experience of writing letters to patients or the public
Experience of handling distressing situations

Desirable

An understanding of Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act
Experience within patient experience and/or Quality Improvement
Change or project management
Experience of teaching, presentational skills and mentoring

Skills and abilities

Essential

Experience of using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Knowledge of handling confidential 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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