Job Summary:
1. Manage all formal complaints and concerns received by the Trust in accordance with the NHS Complaint Regulations and the Trust’s Complaints Handling Policy and Procedure.
2. Ensure the Trust’s Complaints & PALS Services are fully integrated and responsive to the needs of the public accessing services at the Trust, facilitating early resolution of concerns and feedback to the organisation on the complaints handling process.
3. Produce activity reports for individual services, committees and the Board Performance report, highlighting where lessons can be learnt and improvements made to service delivery.
4. Liaise with Complainants, Directors, Senior Managers, outside agencies such as the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Office and provide ‘in-house’ training on all aspects of complaint handling.
5. Act as line manager for the Complaints and PALS team.
The main duties and responsibilities of the role are to:
- Ensure that the management of complaints and PALS activity is fully compliant with The NHS Complaints Standards 2022 and the Trust’s Complaints Handling policy and procedure
- Contribute to the development of a patient safety culture in which the Trust’s governance and performance management processes are supported by robust complaints and PALS policies and procedures.
- Facilitate improved patient experience by monitoring the actions arising from the investigation of complaints, providing feedback to clinical services and key governance groups.
- Provide advice on all matters relating to complaint & PALS activity, exercising responsibility for ensuring that the Trust complies with its statutory and regulatory obligations.
- Act as the day-to-day operational line manager for the Complaints & PALS Officers
- Develop and maintain the Datix database ensuring that the Trust retains comprehensive records on complaints and PALS activities.
- Routinely liaise with members of the Executive or Divisional Directors to facilitate the smooth running of the complaints handling process.
There’s never been a more exciting time to join TeamQEH. We’re working on a once in a generation opportunity to build a new state-of-the-art hospital due to open in 2031/32 and we are also carrying out on one of the biggest pieces of digital transformation work we’ve ever undertaken.
Our new electronic patient record (EPR) will replace paper-based patient records from 2026 and will lead to better, safer, joined-up care at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and beyond.
At The QEH we provide a comprehensive range of specialist, acute, obstetrics and community-based services to around 331,000 people across west and north Norfolk, North Cambs and South Lincs.
We are an ambitious organisation that upholds our values of kindness, wellness and fairness. We strive for continuous quality improvement, recently demonstrated in our 2024 CQC maternity inspection rating our services as ‘Good’, and we are proud to be a place to learn and grow through recognised learning and apprenticeships.
We recognise and reward our 4,000 staff and volunteers, priding ourselves on a community atmosphere and positive team spirit. We have approx. 530 beds across 33 wards and have newly built education and training facilities, a range of modern award-winning centres alongside a talented team of people ready to give you a warm welcome. We love working here and think you will too.
CORE DIMENSIONS
1 COMMUNICATION
1.1 Assist and respond appropriately to patients, families and carers, both on the telephone and in person in a tactful, compassionate and confidential manner.
1.2 Provide non-clinical advice to patients, relatives and carers regarding the NHS Complaints process (this will include directing complainants to appropriate legal advice should the complainant be seeking compensation by way of redress).
1.3 Provide a ‘front-line’ problem solving facility by:
- Meeting complainants face to face and discussing their concerns either independently or as part of a conciliation meeting.
- Communicating effectively with the public and staff alike at all levels.
- Deciding which issues can be passed to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service to be dealt with outside the formal complaints procedure.
1.4 Advise complainants of the options open to them when making a complaint, including referral to ICAS or arranging for an appropriate member of staff to deal with the complaint ‘on-the-spot’.
1.5 Engage in communication directly with external support agencies on both operational matters and the development and implementation of regional and/or local policies.
1.6 Review the Trust’s information on the complaints and PALS services for patients, the public and staff and to update as and when necessary.
1.7 Attend committees when required to table any Departmental reports and to comment on any other aspect of committee business as appropriate.
1.8 Liaise on a daily basis with the CEO, Executive Directors and Senior Managers in relation to the management of complaints.
1.8 Take action as appropriate when dealing with complaints.
2 PERSONAL AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
2.1 Contribute to developing and delivering a training programme, including participating in the induction and mandatory update programmes when required and arranging individual training session for specific Departments as requested.
2.2 Work with all bands and disciplines of staff throughout the Trust to raise their awareness of the formal complaints procedure and how they can resolve informal concerns by using good complaint handling techniques.
2.3 Develop proactive working relationships with other staff employed within the Patient Experience Directorate to support and facilitate improvements in patient experience.
2.4 Support the Complaints & PALS Assistants in exercising their responsibilities and by increasing their knowledge and skills to recognise in order to manage the daily issues in the work place.
2.5 Undertake recruitment and the annual appraisal of the Departmental staff in accordance with the requirements of Agenda for Change, ensuring that they developed their personal knowledge and skills in order to deliver outstanding quality in their respective services.
3 HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY
3.1 Ensure that all Departmental staff operate in a safe environment, particularly when meeting complainants face-to-face or when facilitating conciliation meetings.
3.2 Support the Departmental Risk Champion in all aspects of Departmental Health & Safety activity.
4 SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
4.1 Develop the policies and processes to meet the standards as outlined in the Health Service Ombudsman’s ‘Principles for Good Complaint Handling’.
4.2 Ensure that any changes to practice or lessons learned as a result of complaints are reported and shared in order to support organisational learning and service improvement.
5 QUALITY
5.1 Monitor the effectiveness of the Trust’s handling of complaints and PALS Activity through trend analysis, audit and surveys of complainants and service users.
5.2 Ensure that any changes to practice or lessons learned as a result of complaints are recorded on the Complaints Datixweb Database and communicated to the Divisions.
1.3 Support improvements in all aspects of complaints handling, providing clinical staff with information, training and advice.
5.4 Support other patient experience initiatives that can be facilitated via the Complaints and PALS office
6 EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
6.1 Apply the Trust's personnel policies and procedures with consistency and equity.
6.2 Deal with interpersonal issues openly and directly and proactively handle conflict.
6.3 Respect the cultural, social and religious differences within society.
6.4 Report any concerns about possible adult or child abuse in accordance with Trust policy.
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS
7 INFORMATION PROCESSING
7.1 Ensure that all information relating to complaints and PALS activity is recorded accurately onto the Datixweb Database.
8 INFORMATION COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
8.1 Produce weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports and disseminate them to the appropriate internal or external Department as appropriate in a timely manner.
8.2 To ensure that the annual Department of Health Complaints KO41a return is completed accurately and submitted within the timeframe.
General
- The post holder must at all times carry out his/her responsibilities with due regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
- Be aware of the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors and staff and attend all relevant health and safety training.
- Ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard.
- The post holder will carry out annual performance reviews with each member of their staff
- The post holder will agree annual personal development plans with their staff and support them with any training or development requirements in order to fulfil their role
- The post holder will attend all relevant management training in health and safety, risk assessment etc
