Complaint Facilitator | East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

The Complaints Facilitator will assist the Complaints Team Lead to provide a great complainant experience; contribute in the drive for improvement in quality of complaint resolutions; reduce returning concerns; work with service/clinical leads to identify actions, learning and outcomes; meet complaint timescales and milestones; and meet the all regulations, CQC and PHSO NHS Complaint Standards.

To provide advice and guidance to Trust staff to resolve concerns and complaints, via local resolution, in the most appropriate and reasonable way. To assist in the encouragement of a culture of openness, honesty and learning from feedback from patients and the public.

Use skills of influence, mediation and negotiation to prevent concerns escalating into a formal complaint. Exercise personal rigor to ensure investigations and responses are conducted in a robust, independent, unbiased and non-judgemental manner, in line with the Trust's blame free reporting culture.

Ensure that processes are followed and you are responsive and transparent in managing complaints.

Responsible for ensuring the maintenance of timely and accurate complaints files and records, along with updating the Trust complaints database, working to relevant governance and regulatory standards.

Ensure colleagues identify trust wide learning from when things go wrong is transferred into practice and future developments.

Manage your own caseload, including investigations and response writing, across a wide range of specialities within the Trust. Co-ordinate responses for complaints, ensuring that each client is listened to, understood, complaints are properly considered, appropriately responded to and learnt from.

You will need to build and maintain relationships with trust staff and key stakeholders to support their management of individual complaint investigations.

Escalate complex and/or high-profile patient complaints, or risk concerns to the Complaints Team Lead.

Report any significant risks or developments concerning complaints, seeking guidance, support or further action.

Ensure familiarity of the Trust complaint database, being able to input and progress cases and meet audit requirements.

To be aware of NHS complaints regulations, Complaint Management policy and processes, and other relevant guidelines to ensure compliance.

Liaise with care groups to ensure achieved desired outcomes from PALS and complaints, in sometimes difficult situations, using influencing and persuading skills.

Ensure complaint cases are recorded and managed, to meet the requirements of any Parliamentary Health Services Ombudsman investigation.

To assist in the improvement of complaint delivery and working to exceed the PHSO NHS Complaint Standards.

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa applying for roles Band 5 and above.

Assist in raising the profile and awareness of complaints and PALS within the Trust, attending service/ward team meetings, when required, to discuss complaints and PALS.

You will need to be focussed on your performance against key targets; delivering responses against deadlines and other KPI's within the team.

Manage your own caseload, including investigations and response writing, across a wide range of specialities within the Trust. Co-ordinate responses for complaints, ensuring that each client is listened to, understood, complaints are properly considered, appropriately responded to and learnt from.

You will need to build and maintain relationships with trust staff and key stakeholders to support their management of individual complaint investigations.

Escalate complex and/or high-profile patient complaints, or risk concerns to the Complaints Team Lead.

Report any significant risks or developments concerning complaints, seeking guidance, support or further action.

Ensure familiarity of the Trust complaint database, being able to input and progress cases and meet audit requirements.

To be aware of NHS complaints regulations, Complaint Management policy and processes, and other relevant guidelines to ensure compliance.

Liaise with care groups to ensure achieved desired outcomes from PALS and complaints, in sometimes difficult situations, using influencing and persuading skills.

Ensure complaint cases are recorded and managed, to meet the requirements of any Parliamentary Health Services Ombudsman investigation.

To assist in the improvement of complaint delivery and working to exceed the PHSO NHS Complaint Standards.