PALS & Complaints Officer

Job Title: PALS & Complaints Officer

Location: Home working predominantly, with some occasional meetings at London House, Bracknell, RG12 2UT

Hours: 30 hours per week across Monday - Friday between 8.00am – 5.30pm (6 hours per day)

Trust: Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Role type: Temporary for 7 months with possibility of extension

Reference: 91231

Role details

The Complaints and PALS Officer will play a key role in ensuring that patients, carers and stakeholders have access to a responsive, compassionate and effective complaints and Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

Duties & responsibilities

* Act as first point of contact to Service Users, their Relatives or Advocates who may wish to raise concerns about services or care and treatment provided to the Service User via the complaints or PALS procedures.

* Ensure all referrals are dealt with in a person-centred manner and to maintain a calm professional approach in response to complainants who may be extremely distressed, angry or aggressive.

* Determine whether issues raised by the complainant indicate an immediate need or risk to the Service User or others in addition to the management of a complaint and where necessary to be able to record accurate information on the case and liaise with the appropriate clinical service to alert and escalate to them.

* Have full knowledge and understanding of the Local Authority & NHS Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 in order to determine whether issues raised by potential claimants can be managed through the complaints process and where this is not the case to be able to explain this in a sensitive manner, recognising the complainant may be in distress, and signpost individuals to the appropriate organisation.

* Ensure that the Trust works within the legal requirements of the Local Authority & NHS Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 in maintaining the confidentiality of Service Users and to explain the issues of consent in a calm and professional manner to complainants who may find this difficult to acknowledge or accept and become angry.

* Provide a high level of support to Trust staff who seek advice and information on the management of complaints or PALS queries.

* Develop an awareness of Independent Advocacy Services that are available in order to support complainants to access Advocacy Services.

* Ensure the management of the complaints process in accordance with the requirements of the Local Authority & NHS Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 acknowledging complaints to complainants on behalf of the Chief Executive and opening complaints files to investigation with Locality Service Managers.

* Attend consultation meetings with complainants when required by the Complaints Manager or Investigating Officers, where the information may be highly complex, sensitive or distressing and to take accurate notes of meetings. To transcribe these notes and other notes taken by the Complaints Manager or Investigating Officers. To provide notes of consultation meetings to complainants and their representatives and where amendments are requested by the complainant to liaise with the Complaints Manager or Investigating Officer.

* Develop and maintain a database to manage the day-to-day management of complaints and PALS cases and ensuring that investigation reports are received from Investigating Officers within required timeframes to enable the Complaints Manager to prepare a response to the complainant for the Chief Executive to consider.

* Prepare responses for less complex complaints as designated by the Complaints Manager or PALS Manager and to support these Managers with more complex responses.

* Maintain the complaints module of the DATIX system and ensure that all data is accurately recorded. To run reports from the DATIX system for weekly, monthly and quarterly reports and in response to other requests from Senior Managers.

You’ll learn the following whilst working at the trust:

* An in depth understanding of the roles and responsibilities involved in working within the NHS

* Knowledge of the systems used, to effectively complete your role to the highest standard at all times

* A sense of teamwork, gained through working alongside and supporting colleagues from all levels, within the organisation

You’ll have the following skills/experience:

* Previous demonstrable experience or knowledge of working in a busy office or customer care environment

* Excellent communications skills and the ability to demonstrate empathy, sensitivity and adaptability to the needs of others to navigate or deescalate difficult conversations.

* Ability to use practical problem-solving approach in everyday situations.

* Basic IT skills and the ability to navigate around and use various IT systems such as RiO, Outlook, Excel

* Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to reprioritise own work and that of others to deliver tasks on time and to statutory deadlines.

* Able to participate in meetings and where necessary transcribe good quantity notes and actions in a manner which is accurate and concise.

As a member of NHS Professionals, you have fantastic benefits:

* Competitive pay rates- work this week, get paid next week

* Essential support when you need it- 24/7 365 days- call us anytime

* Multi locational- work across neighbouring Trusts

* Manage your shifts and timesheets on the go- access your “My Bank” shift portal anywhere, anytime online or through your smartphone

* Varied working options to suit your lifestyle- access to the Bank gives you options of ad hoc shifts or longer-term placements

* Training and development opportunities- Keep up with the essentials and more

* Build holiday allowance for every shift you work- your work life balance is important to us

* Stakeholder pension scheme available- a flexible future for you and yours

Who are NHS Professionals?

We specialise in putting people in place to care. Every year we help thousands of dedicated candidates and highly skilled NHS workers enjoy better career opportunities, access to more shifts and a healthier work-life balance, giving more choice and control to our members.

As an equal opportunities’ organisation, NHSP is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective Bank members and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender reassignment, or marriage and civil partnership. We believe there is a strong case for the Equality, Diversity and inclusion agenda and we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants form a range of backgrounds to apply.

Apply Today

By joining us you can look forward to a choice of flexible Bank shifts across any of our client Trusts in England, as well as the ability to develop professionally and gain experience in several wards or areas.

Disclaimer

Please note, you will be contacted by email throughout the recruitment process, so please check your emails, including your junk/spam regularly. We regret we cannot contact everyone who is not selected for an interview, therefore if you do not hear from us within 21 days after submitting your application, please assume you have not been successful on this occasion.

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