Job summary
There is an exciting opportunity for a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Officer role at Pilgrim Hospital.
Are you an excellent communicator, with good listening and people skills? Can you work on your own initiative and be tenacious yet tactful in solving problems? Are you comfortable talking to people who may be distressed? If this sounds like you,United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust is looking for an energetic and committed individual to jointheir PALS Team.
It is vital that you have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Being organised and computer literate are also important attributes. Experience of working in the NHS is desirable but not essential, as is experience of working in a customer service environment. This is a busy role and candidates must be able to work with accuracy under pressure.
Main duties of the job
To provide a welcoming, professional and high quality PALS service and environment encouraging patients, carers and visitors to access the service. Ensure the service is accessible, friendly, compassionate and caring and able to provide the first point of contact for all queries and concerns.
To provide accessible and confidential support to patients, carers and visitors offering advice, support and rapid resolution to service experience concerns through liaison with appropriate managers, staff, service users and carers to agreed outcomes.
To build and maintain good relationships with clinical and non-clinical staff across the Trust and beyond to ensure the speedy resolution of problems.
About us
Our Trust is situated in the beautiful county of Lincolnshire and is one of the biggest acute hospital trusts in England, serving a population of more than 700,000 people. We provide acute and specialist services to people in Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties. We have an annual income of £643 million (20/21) and we employ nearly 8,500 people.
Our Board have recently agreed a new vision statement - "Outstanding Care Personally Delivered" - stating their ambition for our Trust to be among the best.
We also have a five year Integrated Improvement Plan setting out how we will achieve our strategic objectives, for patients, services, people and partners, the last recognising that our future success depends on our ability to ensure the Lincolnshire healthcare system is successful in achieving its ambition to help people live healthier lives and provide care closer to where people live.
Our latest CQC report increased our ratings for being effective and well-led from 'Requires Improvement' to 'Good'. Our rating for caring remained as 'Good'.
This is in recognition of the huge amount of work that our amazing staff have done to improve the quality of care for our patients in recent years.
We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated.
Job description
Job responsibilities
What should you do next?
Have a look at the job description, and if you like what you see, then apply today. Dont miss this fantastic opportunity to work with a great team in a supportive environment within a great institution. Your NHS needs you!
Job description
Job responsibilities
What should you do next?
Have a look at the job description, and if you like what you see, then apply today. Dont miss this fantastic opportunity to work with a great team in a supportive environment within a great institution. Your NHS needs you!
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oDegree or equivalent level of study or equivalent level of experience.
- oECDL qualification or equivalent level of experience.
Desirable
- oTraining or qualifications in NHS Management.
- oClinical qualification.
- oCounselling experience.
Previous Experience
Essential
- oAble to demonstrate recent patient facing experience of working in the health, social care or voluntary sector.
- oExperience of resolving conflict relating to complaints and concerns.
- oExperience of working with and communicating with vulnerable people
Desirable
- oExperience of dealing with complaints, compliments, comments and concerns and learning from the experiences.
- oExperience of delivering training.
- oExperience of conducting audits.
Evidence of knowledge and skills
Essential
- oCan demonstrate awareness, understanding and knowledge of NHS structures, policy, legislation and guidance relevant to concerns, complaints and patient experience; specifically
- o NHS complaints and PALS Procedures.
- o Acute hospitals complaints procedures and risk management policies.
- o Robert Francis and Keogh findings in relation to complaints and PALS.
- oExcellent written and verbal communication skills.
- oExcellent liaison and negotiating skills.
- oProblem solving skills.
- oExcellent computer skills and confidence to cover standard programmes and bespoke databases.
- oGood time management and organisational skills.
- oMotivated to deliver a high quality service which can make a real difference to the health of service users.
- oGood listening skills.
- oTo use and understand health related terminology.
- oTo write reports and letters to a high standard with sensitivity, accuracy and skill.
- oTo prepare information for inclusion in letters and reports for submission to Chief Executive.
- oTo work on own initiative
- oTo demonstrate empathy with both complainant perspectives and staff perspectives and to reach and communicate objective judgement.
- oTo interpret complex information, consider options and make decisions based on highly complicated and sometimes incomplete information
- oTo analyse, interpret and present complex quantitative and qualitative data to a range of audiences.
- oTo communicate to professionals at all levels of seniority.
- oTo work without constant daily supervision.
- oTo work in a team and lead a team.
- oAbility to deal with emotional circumstances and deal with this appropriately
Personal characteristics
Essential
- Empathetic and sensitive to others.
- Ability to comfortably and confidently engage with others.
Additional requirements
Essential
- Ability to work flexibly and in a changing environment.
- Ability to work independently as well as in a team.
Personal characteristics
Essential
- oEmpathetic and sensitive to others.
- oPositive, enthusiastic and 'can do' attitude.
- oSelf-aware.
- oAbility to comfortably and confidently engage with others.
- oFriendly, warm and approachable.
- oProfessional and ability to instil trust and confidence.
Additional requirements
Essential
- oAbility to work flexibly and in a changing environment.
- oAbility to work independently as well as in a team.
- oCommitment to continuing professional development.
- oSelf-motivating and self-disciplined.
- oCan travel occasionally between ULHT sites and infrequently across the East Midlands.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oDegree or equivalent level of study or equivalent level of experience.
- oECDL qualification or equivalent level of experience.
Desirable
- oTraining or qualifications in NHS Management.
- oClinical qualification.
- oCounselling experience.
Previous Experience
Essential
- oAble to demonstrate recent patient facing experience of working in the health, social care or voluntary sector.
- oExperience of resolving conflict relating to complaints and concerns.
- oExperience of working with and communicating with vulnerable people
Desirable
- oExperience of dealing with complaints, compliments, comments and concerns and learning from the experiences.
- oExperience of delivering training.
- oExperience of conducting audits.
Evidence of knowledge and skills
Essential
- oCan demonstrate awareness, understanding and knowledge of NHS structures, policy, legislation and guidance relevant to concerns, complaints and patient experience; specifically
- o NHS complaints and PALS Procedures.
- o Acute hospitals complaints procedures and risk management policies.
- o Robert Francis and Keogh findings in relation to complaints and PALS.
- oExcellent written and verbal communication skills.
- oExcellent liaison and negotiating skills.
- oProblem solving skills.
- oExcellent computer skills and confidence to cover standard programmes and bespoke databases.
- oGood time management and organisational skills.
- oMotivated to deliver a high quality service which can make a real difference to the health of service users.
- oGood listening skills.
- oTo use and understand health related terminology.
- oTo write reports and letters to a high standard with sensitivity, accuracy and skill.
- oTo prepare information for inclusion in letters and reports for submission to Chief Executive.
- oTo work on own initiative
- oTo demonstrate empathy with both complainant perspectives and staff perspectives and to reach and communicate objective judgement.
- oTo interpret complex information, consider options and make decisions based on highly complicated and sometimes incomplete information
- oTo analyse, interpret and present complex quantitative and qualitative data to a range of audiences.
- oTo communicate to professionals at all levels of seniority.
- oTo work without constant daily supervision.
- oTo work in a team and lead a team.
- oAbility to deal with emotional circumstances and deal with this appropriately
Personal characteristics
Essential
- Empathetic and sensitive to others.
- Ability to comfortably and confidently engage with others.
Additional requirements
Essential
- Ability to work flexibly and in a changing environment.
- Ability to work independently as well as in a team.
Personal characteristics
Essential
- oEmpathetic and sensitive to others.
- oPositive, enthusiastic and 'can do' attitude.
- oSelf-aware.
- oAbility to comfortably and confidently engage with others.
- oFriendly, warm and approachable.
- oProfessional and ability to instil trust and confidence.
Additional requirements
Essential
- oAbility to work flexibly and in a changing environment.
- oAbility to work independently as well as in a team.
- oCommitment to continuing professional development.
- oSelf-motivating and self-disciplined.
- oCan travel occasionally between ULHT sites and infrequently across the East Midlands.
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.
