Part Time 30 Hours Per Week

Looking for a new challenge? We are looking for a compassionate and motivated individual to join our Customer Services team, as a Customer Services Officer. The role is integral to the customer services function at the Trust, in supporting service users, carers and members of the public who provide feedback in the form of concerns, complaints and compliments.

The role of Customer Services Office is imperative to facilitating the speedy and effective resolution of issues, including complaints resolution and providing a compassionate and empathetic response.

Main duties of the job

The role works in collaboration with staff (both clinical and non-clinical) across the Care Groups, teams and services within the Trust and works to support service users and staff in ensuring a balanced and thorough approach to complaint investigations and the resolution of concerns, complaints and feedback.

The team works as part of the wider Directorate of Nursing, Quality and Professions, which provides oversight of quality and governance for the Trust. The Directorate also includes safeguarding, infection prevention and control, quality improvement, regulatory oversight, and patient safety.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

The Customer Services function provides a single point of access to service users, carers, members and the public in accessing information about the Trust and its services. Customer Services signposts enquiries as appropriate, and facilitates the speedy and effective resolution of issues, including complaints resolution. This is done in collaboration with staff in the Care Groups (formally Business Development Units).

The team support service users and staff in ensuring a balanced and thorough approach to the investigation and resolution of concerns and complaints. The team supports the organisation to gather insight regarding service user experience and to use that feedback to enhance and improve the service offer.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

• Provide information to service users, carers, members and the public about Trust services and to signpost to other organisations and support networks as appropriate.

• Liaise with and refer people to independent and statutory advocacy services.

• Publicise and promote the Customer Services function to people using Trust services, carers, trust staff, members and the general public.

• Support staff to promote the Customer Services function in their area of work.

• Support the Customer Services Manager in the delivery of training for staff and induction of new starters in the Trusts Customer Services ethos and best practice.

• Support staff working in the care groups and other support functions to value feedback, to encourage local resolution of issues, to respond effectively and efficiently and to look to embed learning in future practice.

• Respond to enquiries following established Customer Services practices. Liaise effectively with complainants to agree desired outcomes, to manage expectations and to negotiate and agree time frames for response.

• Facilitate the resolution of issues working with staff in appropriate services, including support at meetings with complainants.

• Maintain regular contact with complainants and staff until complaints are resolved satisfactorily.

• Draft response letters from the information within the Trusts complaints investigation toolkit.

• Ensure clear and concise record keeping in accordance with Customer Services practice. Record all contact activity in the appropriate electronic database (currently DATIX).

• Manage own case load and provide timely reports on workload activity to the Customer Services Manager

• Identify and report any immediate risk issues to the appropriate service manager and the Customer Services Manager in a timely manner

• Support internal and external reporting regarding Customer Services activity, issues and trends, promoting an improved service user experience.

• Inform the Trusts communications team of any issues with the potential to attract media interest.

• Liaise with the Trusts Equality and Engagement team to promote wider involvement in membership to people who take the trouble to provide feedback on their experience of using services.

• Support the Trusts commitment to progressive employment practices and Investors in People (liP) Standards.

Trust Values:

The Trust is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care and treatment and expects that all staff treat people e.g, service users, their carers, relatives, friends, colleagues, visitors etc, with dignity and respect at all time. The post holder must all time act in accordance with the Trusts Values:

Honest, open, transparent

Respectful

Person first and in the centre

Improve and be outstanding

Relevant today, ready for tomorrow

Families and carers matter

Safeguarding:

Report any concerns regarding the safety or well-being of children, adults service users, members of their families etc, in accordance with Trust Policy.

Prevent and respond appropriately to abuse and understand own role in this by undertaking Safeguarding training.

Trust policies and commitments to be read in line with the relevant Trust Policy:

All staff employed by the Trust must comply with the Trusts policies and procedures, undertake appropriate training required for their role and commit to:

ensure they are aware of the Whistle-blowing Policy and how they raise concerns

maintain confidentiality, in line with the Trusts Confidentiality Policy and Code of Conduct

understand their personal responsibilities with regards to data quality for any information which they create, use or process in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and Trust Data Protection policy

comply with the provisions of The Trusts Health and Safety Policy and Protocol. Ensuring their own safety and that of colleagues, service users and visitors. Know the action to be taken in the event of a fire and must undertake fire training annually

receive supervision in line with the Trusts Supervision Policy and an annual Appraisal in line with the Trusts Appraisal Policy, during which mandatory, role specific and personal development needs should be identified and agreed

understand their responsibilities under the Trusts Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy and ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the policy

recognise, respect and support the equality diversity of staff, colleagues, service users, carers and the public. Contribute to a working environment which promotes and responds positively to difference and diversity

ensure they carry out their duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 years, as issued under Section 11 of The Children Act 2004, by being familiar with and adhering to Trust safeguarding policies and participating in relevant training

comply with their professional responsibilities to develop their practice and deliver care through a Clinical Governance framework (i.e. CPD, Audit, Supervision)

demonstrate, through practice and practical understanding, the importance of the continual development of individual, team and service wide quality improvement

abide by relevant codes of professional practice, with the organisation taking action when codes of conduct are breached

work flexibly to meet the needs of the service/organisation, whilst working within a culture of progressive employment practices and commitment to the Investors in People (IiP) Standards.

adhere to the Trusts smoke free policies, which prohibits smoking anywhere on Trust grounds

being socially responsible by complying with measures that support the Trust in reducing or offsetting our environmental impact

Identify and report risks, hazards, incidents, accidents and near misses promptly

In addition to the Trusts own responsibilities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance, for your safety, ALL staff (and contractors) are responsible for ensuring their work adheres to this Code in the delivery of safe patient care.

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The post holder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the band as directed. The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the post holder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience working in Financial Services sector, HR, Complaints or clinical governance, which includes experience of the following -
• Demonstrate and understanding of organisational change.
• Evidence of working with the public.
• Experience of dealing with potentially volatile situations.
• Experience of using Datix Computerised Systems or equivalent system.
• Experience of developing and maintaining effective internal and external networks.
• Ability to maintain accurate electronic and paper records.
• Experience in report writing and ability to analyse information and identify key issues.

Desirable

• Experience of delivering presentations and or training information.

Special Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of the NHS complaints procedure.
• Knowledge and understanding of the role of the Patient Advice and Liaison service.
• Practical understanding of confidentiality issues, including both patients and staff aspects.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong investigative and analytical skills.
• Excellent letter and report writing skills.
• Demonstrable ability to analyse national policy issues and to present advice and guidance in an easily understood way.
• Well organised with attention to detail.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise workloads.
• Effective keyboard skills and experience of using database applications and office software packages.

Desirable

• Ability to identify requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
• Ability to identify Vulnerable adults issues.
• Ability to identify child protection issues.

Physical Attributes

Essential

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
• A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairnes
  Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.
  
  C9378-QA01158