Complaints Investigator ACMHS
Closing date: 16 November 2025
This is a great opportunity to get involved with patient experience and will appeal to those who have an eye for detail, an enquiring nature, great communication skills, and a passion for improving care. This role sits very centrally in our leadership teams.
Responsibilities
* Formally investigate concerns brought to the attention of the Trust, ensuring that all facts are considered and to communicate the response in a timely and sensitive manner in line with policy.
* Organise, co‑ordinate and attend relevant meetings, representing complaints and disseminating information as appropriate.
* Ensure that data is entered accurately and in accordance with agreed deadlines.
* Participate in training about legislation or changes in practice which influence the work within the team in relation to complaints, cascading information and training as necessary.
* Act as an expert resource in the use of computer equipment and software packages, in liaison with the IT Department, e.g. developing spreadsheets and databases and preparing presentations and reports as required.
* Have sufficient knowledge of and be able to advise service users on principal issues in delivery of mental health services.
* Facilitate a high-quality and professional complaints function for service users, carers and others who are expressing concerns and complaints relating to ACMH services provided by HPFT, considering the needs of service users, carers and the public as well as national standards and statutory procedures for complaints.
* Contact complainants to discuss their concerns, understand the issues, investigate and draft a timely response letter.
* Work closely with Service Line Leads, Team Managers and Clinical staff to support the complaints process and ensure that complaints and concerns are investigated and responded to appropriately, enabling continuous improvement of services.
* Support Local Team with the complaints process to ensure that complaints and concerns are investigated and responded to appropriately, learning from the process for service improvement.
Main Duties
* Record, in writing, complaints raised, initiate and oversee their investigation and resolution in line with the Complaints Procedure.
* Ensure the timely processing and response to complaints according to the Complaints Procedure and Departmental performance requirements, in liaison with managers.
* Oversee and support managers and staff in the investigation of complaints and production of timely, appropriate complaint responses for the Senior Service Line Lead.
* Record telephone calls and meetings with complainants and produce accurate and concise reports.
* Manage the complaints database effectively and produce statistics and complaint reports as required by the Trust and external agencies.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission. The Trust aims to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country, delivering care across community and inpatient settings for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities.
Person Specification
Knowledge, Training and Experience
* Degree or relevant experience.
* Educated to A‑level standard or equivalent.
* Excellent written and verbal English.
* Professional qualification e.g. health and safety qualification.
* Demonstrate an understanding of a range of relevant work, procedures and practices which require expertise, underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience in complaints.
* Understand cultural and diversity issues including ethnicity, age, gender, religion, disability and social exclusion.
* Ability to manage own workload and delegate where appropriate.
* Confidence to be assertive whilst demonstrating empathy and tact; sensitive to the feelings and attitudes of staff, service users, carers and the public.
* Initiative and ability to work unsupervised to achieve results.
* Knowledge of external organisations and their influence, e.g. Care Quality Commission, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
* Good knowledge of the clinical governance framework within the NHS, including learning from complaints, comments and incidents.
* Knowledge of client consent and data protection issues.
* Knowledge of service user and carer involvement to influence quality development.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check to confirm no previous convictions.
Employer
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Salary
£32,602 to £39,686 per annum, pro rata (inclusive of 5% HCAS)
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