PALS Administrator

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

This job is now closed

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Patient Advice Liaison (PALS) Team.

You will be the first point of contact to Patients, Carer's and families contacting the PALS office by telephone and email, this role will also be supporting the Complaints team in the handling of cases through our local complaints process.

Every aim is to resolve concerns at the first point of contact, this will involve liaison with clinical staff/ trust staff with an overall aim to provide a satisfactory outcome for the patient.

Main duties of the job

To be the first point of contact for enquiries, concerns, compliments from patients, their carers or families, members of the public and staff and to resolve appropriately.

Act as a triage for concerns, to allocate appropriate stage for effective and efficient complaint handling.

Log concerns onto the PALS database, if unable to resolve to pass to the relevant Divisional Complaints Facilitator for further investigation.

Working to a KPI of 80% ensuring that concerns are dealt with promptly and closed down to avoid further escalation.

Weekly monitoring and reporting of concern themes to the Head of PALS & Complaints.

To provide information on how to use the NHS complaints procedure and the advocacy services.

To represent the department in a professional manner when responding to enquiries, ensuring that an appropriate response is made and that any messages are passed on speedily and accurately. This may require initiative when enquiries are urgent and when individual managers are not available.

About us

Our STAR values are at the heart of everything we do. You can expect to see them in the way we act andthe way we treat each other. Our values make us who we are.

Service We will put our patients firstTeamwork We will work togetherAmbition We will aspire to provide the best serviceRespect We will act with integrity

Date posted

22 August 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£22,816 to £24,336 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

249-5575333

Job locations

The Great Western Hospital

Marlborough Road

Swindon

SN3 4BB

Job description

Job responsibilities

To signpost and advise patients, their families, visitors and callers appropriately.

Ensuring IR1s are completed for all calls of an abusive nature or vexatious complainants and ensuring the security policy is adhered to.

To liaise on a daily basis with a wide range of staff both internal and external on a range of issues such as meeting arrangements, dealing with enquiries and passing on relevant information.

Communication will be both written and verbal in the form of letters, emails, telephone calls and face-to-face contact. Some of this communication requires independent judgement, for example determining if passing on information is appropriate in terms of confidentiality.

To open and distribute departmental mail on a daily basis, ensuring any urgent matters are brought to the attention of the appropriate manager.

To establish efficient filing systems (electronic and hardcopy) so as to enable easy storage and retrieval of documents/files.

To update and retrieve information from PALS/complaints databases, as and when required.
To participate in the activities of the PALS service where necessary including, meeting patients/complainants as a visit to the department with an aim for a prompt resolution.
To monitor and respond to e-mails received via various in-boxes and distributing to the relevant Complaints Facilitators when needed
To monitor levels of stationery stock within the department and order when required.

Full duties can be found on the attached JD.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To signpost and advise patients, their families, visitors and callers appropriately.

Ensuring IR1s are completed for all calls of an abusive nature or vexatious complainants and ensuring the security policy is adhered to.

To liaise on a daily basis with a wide range of staff both internal and external on a range of issues such as meeting arrangements, dealing with enquiries and passing on relevant information.

Communication will be both written and verbal in the form of letters, emails, telephone calls and face-to-face contact. Some of this communication requires independent judgement, for example determining if passing on information is appropriate in terms of confidentiality.

To open and distribute departmental mail on a daily basis, ensuring any urgent matters are brought to the attention of the appropriate manager.

To establish efficient filing systems (electronic and hardcopy) so as to enable easy storage and retrieval of documents/files.

To update and retrieve information from PALS/complaints databases, as and when required.
To participate in the activities of the PALS service where necessary including, meeting patients/complainants as a visit to the department with an aim for a prompt resolution.
To monitor and respond to e-mails received via various in-boxes and distributing to the relevant Complaints Facilitators when needed
To monitor levels of stationery stock within the department and order when required.

Full duties can be found on the attached JD.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
Conflict Resolution
Customer Service Experience

Desirable

NVQ in Customer Care level 2
Business and Administration level 2
PALS/Complaints Experience

Experience

Essential

Experience with talking to the public and able to resolve concerns/complaints on the spot.
Dealing with a wide variety of people at all levels.
Awareness of the principles of good and effective communication.
Complaint handling process.

Desirable

NHS Experience
Careflow (Medical Records)

Skills

Essential

Customer Relations Skills.
Good communication skills.
Word processing.
Able to listen and respond empathetically.
Ability to be helpful and constructive.

Desirable

Advocacy skills
Negotiation skills.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
Conflict Resolution
Customer Service Experience

Desirable

NVQ in Customer Care level 2
Business and Administration level 2
PALS/Complaints Experience

Experience

Essential

Experience with talking to the public and able to resolve concerns/complaints on the spot.
Dealing with a wide variety of people at all levels.
Awareness of the principles of good and effective communication.
Complaint handling process.

Desirable

NHS Experience
Careflow (Medical Records)

Skills

Essential

Customer Relations Skills.
Good communication skills.
Word processing.
Able to listen and respond empathetically.
Ability to be helpful and constructive.

Desirable

Advocacy skills
Negotiation skills.

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