PALS Officer

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1.0 PALs Case Management

To support, respect and actively listen to individual patients and carers, to resolve problems and concerns, by being an accessible and visible presence within the Trust.

To work with General Managers, Clinicians and Matrons and others to facilitate speedy resolutions and solutions that will improve the patient experience.

To use facilitation skills to influence staff groups and support patient groups under the PALS agenda.

To record the nature of all enquiries to the PAL service, the action taken and the outcomes onto the Trust Risk Management Database (DATIX).

To monitor the data entered onto DATIX, identifying, and reporting on themes and trends to inform and influence service improvements.

To assist the patients pathway through the Trust, advising them of their rights and the standards they can expect of the services available to them.

To provide practical advice and support to patients, their carers and families. This could mean arranging and co-ordinating internal and external services to assist patients, writing letters and/or making telephone calls on their behalf.

To provide advice and information about the Trusts formal complaint procedure and provide a seamless service for the patient or carer who has concerns so they are dealt with through the most appropriate route.

To access information for patients on all aspects of the Trusts services.

To be aware of language, communication and/or special needs and respond appropriately to the specific requirements to access services.

To be aware of and promote the use of interpreting services that can be accessed by staff members across the Trust.

To identify opportunities to enhance the role of the PALS team with the Trust.

To work as a member of a team and develop professional relationships with all staff and others during the course of your work.

To offer emotional support as appropriate to patients and families who have concerns about the Trusts services.

Provide a safe environment for patients/carers to express their concerns and to register these with the appropriate Trust staff using skills in handling of difficult situations as and when necessary.

To advise, support and mentor new PALS Officers and Administrators.

To use own judgment based on information available and to seek advice when necessary.

To understand the issues that have an impact on the lives of people with special needs and the ability to support and empower individuals.

To support the PALS Manager in any aspect of the service, deputising as required.

2.0 Quality Improvement

Assist in ensuring patients and the public have access to high quality information and advice from the Trust via a variety of channels

Support clinical and management teams to ensure each Site is inclusive of all patients, including patients with protected characteristics and able to meet the Accessible Information Standard for key groups

Collaborate with clinical and non-clinical colleagues proactively building a culture of continually improving services

Support the feedback from staff on the services provided by their departments, identifying and promoting examples of good practice relating to the handling of patient and carer concerns and complaints

Support the achievement of the departments annual work plan and objectives.

General

The Group is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and expects that all staff will share in this commitment. The Group is clear that all staff have a responsibility to be aware of children and adult safeguarding policies and procedures and that each member of staff, clinical and non-clinical, will attend child or adult safeguarding training that is provided at an appropriate level to suit their role. The Trust has the additional expectation that all staff will be able to identify concerns and know what action to take.

General Management duties

To have responsibility for the Health, Safety and Welfare of self and others and to comply at all times with the requirement of the Health and Safety Regulations

To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and its amendments

To work in accordance with the Group Equality and Diversity policy to eliminate unlawful discrimination in relation to employment and service delivery

To promote at all times equal opportunities for staff and patients in accordance with the Trusts policies to ensure that no person receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of: age; disability; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race (ethnicity); religion or belief; sex (gender); gender reassignment or sexual orientation

To ensure skills are up-to-date and relevant to the role, to follow relevant Group and Trust policies and professional codes and to maintain registration where this is a requirement of the role

To be trained in and demonstrate fair employment practices, in line with Group and Trust policies

To comply with the Group and Trusts No Smoking Policies

To undertake such duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the grade and the needs of the service.

This job description is not an exhaustive document but is a reflection of the current position. Details and emphasis may change in line with service needs after consultation with the postholder.

Person Specification

IT Skills and Applications

Essential

• Good knowledge of Microsoft products - Word, Excel, Power Point,outlook
• Good knowledge of a range of database tools

Desirable

• Cerner experience

Experience

Essential

• Administrative experience
• Customer service skills
• Organisational Skills: The ability to prioritise workload, and to quickly re - prioritise own workload

Desirable

• Experience of complex care pathways with a hospital (such as cancer care)

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Knowledge and experience of office management
• Knowledge of requirements of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act

Desirable

• Understanding of clinical priorities within cancer care and within mental health services

Qualifications & Training

Essential

• oNumerate and literate
• oClinical/ IT qualification

Desirable

• AMSPAR Diploma (or equivalent business and admin NVQ)

Skills

Essential

• Interpersonal Skills: The ability to deal effectively with a wide range of people in a sympathetic manner and efficient manner
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as on own initiative and be proactive
• Organisational Skills: The ability to prioritise workload, and to quickly re - prioritise own workload
• Ability to work in a stressful environment and able to carry out assigned tasks effectively in a busy ever changing environment

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

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Blackshaw Road

London

SW17 0QT

Employer's website

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