Overview
The post holder will work within the Patient Experience Team and will be responsible for contributing to the management of the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) as a member of the team. This involves providing an efficient and confidential day-to-day advice and co-ordination of responses to service users, carers, stakeholders and others who contact the Trust as well as managing and manning the PALS telephone and email systems. There will be daily interactions with patients and other members of the public via telephone and email which will require exceptional customer care skills and expertise. There is a notice that the vacancy may be closed at any point after 8th September 2025 if a high number of applications are received.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
* Be a point of contact in the Trust's PALS team to receive service users' complaints.
* Use sensitive questioning techniques to obtain information, clarify understanding, identify needs and expectations, accurately record and communicate/escalate these appropriately to managers.
* Support and maintain systems to enable the acknowledgement and management of complaints, support the investigator/managers and monitor progress to ensure timelines are met in line with the Trust policies.
* Take proactive steps to encourage and assist in local resolution of complaints by setting up and co-ordinating meetings for service users and their carers to meet with the services as part of the resolution process.
* Liaise and work with the Trust's Resolution and Complaints Manager in logging formal complaints to meet the Trust's required standards and timeframes as set out within the Trust Complaints Policy.
* Draft complaint plans and complaint response letters demonstrating communication skills and attention to detail.
* Provide complaint investigator training and support.
* Act as a source of information and ensure the role of PALS is widely promoted and both service users and staff know how to contact the service to gain support.
* Contribute and propose changes during the review, updating and drafting of policies and procedures relating to patient experience to ensure they meet patients and services.
* Organise, prioritise and manage own workload to meet deadlines and avoid diary conflicts.
* Contribute to the production of all Patient Experience and quality reports around patient experience information and data analysis of themes and trends relating to surveys and concerns.
* Provide general administration and project support for the Patient Experience Team, including covering the phones and designated email accounts.
* Lead on the updating of the Patient Experience information pages on the Trust's staff intranet and the public facing website pages.
* Provide cover for other members of the Patient Experience Team during short periods of absence.
Communication
* Receive calls from service users, their carers and representatives sensitively and confidentially, taking messages and liaising with service leads and managers to assist in gaining answers or leading on resolutions. Raise any serious concerns as a priority with safeguarding leads or senior managers as required.
* Communicate effectively and appropriately with all internal departments at all levels and external organisations.
* Contribute to the production and analysis of reports for the Board and Senior Management Team by recording complaints and PALS data on Trust Datix and IQVIA IT systems.
* Build awareness and knowledge of other local NHS Trusts and stakeholders and develop and implement methods of engagement and communication with these third parties verbally on the phone and in writing through emails.
People Management
* Support Trust staff on the patient experience databases (Datix/IQVIA) through demonstration and guidance on procedures.
* Maintain own professional development and participate in appraisal and KSF process.
Clinical and Practice Governance
* Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
* Handle data taken/shared as part of a phone call or transported, faxed or transferred electronically in line with the Trust's Information Governance and Information Security policies.
* Adhere to the Trust's risk assessment and risk management processes.
* Adhere to the Trust's Infection Control Policies and Procedures.
* Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.
* Participate in clinical and safeguarding audits as required.
* Provide patients and their families/carers with information on standards they should expect from the team.
* Participate in relevant emergency preparedness processes for the team.
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident: A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.
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