PALS & Complaints Officer

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and forward-thinking individual to join our team as a PALS & Complaints Officer.

We are seeking a motivated individual with excellent communication, interpersonal and organisational skills. As part of the team, you will ensure that concerns raised by patients and members of the public are recorded accurately and directed to the appropriate hospital services for prompt and effective resolution. The feedback gathered through this process helps to inform learning and improve patient experience across the Trust.

Working with patients, relatives and staff, you will manage sensitive and sometimes complex situations with compassion, professionalism and discretion. PALS & Complaints Officers play a key role in sharing patient insight, supporting continuous improvement and contributing to the delivery of safe, high-quality care and an excellent patient experience.

The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, resilient and committed to delivering a responsive and compassionate service. You will demonstrate sensitivity and tact, sound judgement, and the ability to communicate confidently and respectfully with a wide range of people.

Main duties of the job

As a PALS & Complaints Officer, you will provide an accessible first point of contact for patients, relatives and members of the public who have questions, concerns or complaints about Trust services. You will listen carefully, record information accurately and ensure cases and associated records are updated promptly and clearly.

The position provides guidance to service users and staff on the appropriate processes for resolving concerns and complaints, working closely with clinical and non-clinical teams across all Divisions and with external organisations. This varied and rewarding role requires empathy, professionalism and resilience, particularly when offering reassurance and support to people who may be distressed or facing emotionally challenging circumstances.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details about this varied and rewarding role, please see attached job description.

We look forward to your application.

Please be aware that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a suitable number of applications.

Unfortunately, there is no Visa Sponsorship available for this role. Whilst we are able to employ candidates on a graduate Visa, we are unable to offer sponsorship once the graduate visa expires.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Professional/vocational qualification to diploma level or equivalent Maths and English
• Customer Care Training/experience
• Level 3 qualification/apprenticeship

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of NHS Complaints procedure
• Knowledge of Microsoft packages (word, excel, outlook)
• Excellent and proven written communication skills (such as letter writing)
• Experience of complying with tight deadlines in line with organisational policies or procedures

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of MSE Trust structures / Acute Trust experience

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of dealing with PALS/complaints, ideally in a health care environment
• Substantial experience of working in a customer service environment
• Significant experience working in an administrative role

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in an NHS PALS or complaints department
• Experience in using NHS computer systems (MSE preferable)

Skills

Essential criteria

• Previous experience handling telephone calls and extracting/recording relevant details/information

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of writing concerns/complaints responses

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.

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