Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Complaints Officer

The closing date is 06 January 2026

Job summary

The management of complaints is an essential element in determining where our services need to improve. Having the right people in the process is equally important to ensuring a good outcome for patients who make a complaint.

This role provides support in ensuring that all complaints, whether formal or informal, verbal or written, are responded to in accordance with Trust Values, the Duty of Candour and NHS complaints regulations. The aim is to ensure patients' concerns are heard; that all complainants receive a clear and adequate explanation in response to their complaint and that lessons are learnt from identified failings.

The successful candidate will have experience of working in the NHS, knowledge and understanding of the NHS Complaints Procedure, good written and verbal communication skills, good organisational skills, excellent keyboard skills and telephone manner, together with the ability to work under pressure.

Main duties of the job

Specifically the post-holder will work in designated directorate/s to

provide advice and support to the investigation process

liaise with complainants as required

monitor time-scales and support timeliness of complaints investigations

monitor completion of action plans

provide support to embed learning from complaints

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

We're Kind
We're Fair
We Listen
We Care

Date posted

30 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£44,485 to £52,521 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7696774-CORP

Job locations

Pinewood House

Pinewood Place

Dartford

DA2 7WG

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

Work with and keep the senior managers (Associate Directors/Service Managers) regularly appraised of developments with concerns and complaints, highlighting serious cases at the earliest opportunity,

Work closely with complainants to clarify issues to be investigated, their desired outcomes and to agree time-frames

Ensure that formal complaints are acknowledged within three working days

Ensure that complainants are given advice and guidance on the complaints procedure, including the role of independent advocacy and the Ombudsmans Office

Following discussion with complainant upload details of the complaint onto DatixWeb and ensure that complaint is directed to the appropriate Service Director

Keep the Complaints and PALS Manager regularly apprised of developments with complaints and concerns, highlighting serious cases at the earliest opportunity

Working in partnership with the Investigating Officer, monitor the progress of complaints investigations, providing advice and support where necessary

Liaise with external organisations and patient representatives with regard to individual complaints

Maintain contact with the complainant in protracted investigations

Review the response from the Investigating Officer to ensure that issues raised by the complainant have been fully addressed

Draft final response to the complaint on behalf of the Chief Executive

Liaise with Ombudsmans office regarding 2nd Stage Complaints

Attend Directorate PEG meetings

Develop resources and work with services to ensure that service users, carers and members of the public are aware of the Trusts complaints process

Keep up to date on legislation, national guidance and good practice relating to complaints

Office systems

To ensure complete, confidential files are kept of all cases handled by:

Maintaining the database (DatixWeb) of complaints raised, both formal and complaints dealt with locally, including actions taken from upheld complaints

To ensure timely input to enable the production of reports

To work with other Datix users in the Trust to ensure consistency of information coding and collation

To uphold records standards in accordance with Trust records management policy and guidance

Reporting and learning lessons

To identify where there is an element of risk - clinical, child protection or vulnerable adults and act in accordance with national and Trust policy

To provide a regular case briefing to the Service Director

Compile regular complaints reports, highlighting trends, action taken and compliance with performance targets

Working relationships

Working in designated directorate/s the post holder will provide advice and support to the investigation process, monitor time-scales for investigation reports and the completion of action plans, and provide support to embed learning from complaints

Working as a member of the Complaints Team the post holder will:-

Liaise with the Complaints and PALS Manager and with other team members

Develop and maintain excellent communication links and good working relationships with all staff groups, patients, carers and external agencies.

Management responsibilities

Be responsible for maintaining direct contact and good working relationships with staff at all levels across the Trust

Participate in induction and training provided to staff on complaints management/handling as required.

Leadership

The post holder is responsible to the Complaints and PALS Manager

Contribute to writing, implementing and supporting policy and procedures relating to complaints

Research and development

Undertake surveys and audit as necessary to facilitate the development of the complaints service

Other roles

To provide cover for team colleagues in agreement with line manager

Provide regular updates for team meetings.

Take part in regular individual supervision, including annual appraisals.

Perform any other duties commensurate with the grade and in line with the requirement of this post, contributing to the variety of work streams that underpin the Trusts patient experience agenda.