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Detailed job description and main responsibilities
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
To work as a senior member of the Patient Experience, Complaints and PALS (Patient Advise Liaison Service) team and assist the Patient Experience Lead/PALS/Complaints Manager to further develop and promote the Complaint and PALS services. Focus on patients, relatives, carers and visitors to the Trust:
The post holder will use initiative and discretion in their day to day working as they will be handling sensitive and sometimes contentious issues with people that may be angry or upset. They will:
Be responsible for listening, understanding and analysing problems being presented by patients, relatives and carers and assessing individual situations to identify the most appropriate way of resolving the problem ensuring that they are handled confidentially and confidently in a professional manner.
Ensure that investigations undertaken and written complaints responses provided are appropriate, thorough and compliant with both trust and national policies
Ensure information is disseminated to relevant departments work closely with staff and managers to resolve PALS enquiries/complaints/comment's in a timely and efficient way.
Asses the most appropriate approach to a solution through negotiation with the patient and staff involved using knowledge of the trust structures and operational procedures whilst aiming to achieve timely local resolution.
Support the line manager in the assessment of individual situations to differentiate between issues that can be resolved informally and those that warrant further formal investigations.
Contribute new ideas to developing patient feedback review and management within the trust and the work of the wider team.
Share management of the team's complaints caseload, liaising with CSL staff who are responsible for providing investigation reports and complaints responses. This involves supporting staff and reviewing responses to ensure that cover all aspects of the original complaint, including any statutory requirements
Provide non-clinical advice to patients/clients and be responsible for escalating a concern or complaint where patient safety appears to be at risk.
Support line manager to log complex data relating to complaints and PALS activity.
Exercise initiative and discretion on a day to day basis, working with issues which are likely to be sensitive or contentious, or whilst dealing with angry and upset service users.
Monitor and advise on staffing rotas, ensuring appropriate levels of cover are maintained within the corporate Complaints office, and PALS team.
Lead and advice team members in the handling of highly emotive and occasionally distressing interactions with upset, angry or grieving service users.
Liaise with representatives from the parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and other Ombudsmen services (PHSO), special service, general professional councils, advocacy services and other relevant external parties as necessary.
Actively promote the work and role of the complaints and PALS team within the trust through design, development, and dissemination of publicity materials.
Maintain records of complaints, concerns, compliments and comments using the trust Inphase risk management system.
Understand when there is a need to escalate any concerns to the Patient Experience & Engagement and PALS/Complaints Manager.
Provide advise and support directly to patients and service users, ensuring that they are directed on to the appropriate clinical departments as required.
Offer practical support and advice to team members providing PALS Services when required.
Contribute to the production of high quality information about trust services, care and treatments, etc. and provide information to patients, services users and/or carers and the public relation to support and other organisations as appropriate.
Understand when there is a need to escalate PALS matters to the complaints and PALS team leader, or the complaints and legal services manager.
In order to meet the need of the service you may be required to work on the Bedford site
Communication
Develop and maintain effective working relationships with clinical and non-clinical staff across Clinical Service Lines (CSL) and departments.
Demonstrate a helpful and proactive approach to cross cover and team work so that patients and visitors are provided with a helpful, compassionate and sensitive service across all aspects of the PALS team.
Build and maintain constructive working relationships with other PALS services, statutory organisations, advocacy services, voluntary services and other stakeholders in the local health economy
Work with the wider patient experience team on developing patient information based on the themes elicited from the activities and issues raised through the PALS/Complaints service.
Alert the Communications team, the Head of Patient, Carer and Public Engagement and the PALS Manager of any matters raised through PALS that might attract adverse media coverage.
Analysis and management reporting
Contribute to collecting, reporting, monitoring analysis and evaluation of complaints clusters. Themes, trends and concerns, social media concerns raised on Twitter and Facebook, highlighting problem or apparent risk areas and any subsequent changes in or improvement practice that have taken place. This will include monthly report writing and dashboards for the clinical service governance, Quality and safety meetings.
Contribute to weekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, and annual reports for the attention of the trust executive board, including trend analysis, highlighting risk and influencing service improvement.
Respond to, and support with Legal Services queries, including claims and FOI requests.
Management
To liaise with the CSL's with PALS and Complaints caseloads.
To provide sound leadership and motivation for staff. Be actively involved in recruitment and staff development reviews. Facilitate orientation and training programmes.
To act as team representative at local and wider meetings.
Support the PALS and Complaint manager with maintaining staff records e.g. sickness, appraisal and annual leave.
Work within the boundaries of governance as defined by the Trust.
To respond appropriately to a rapidly changing environment whilst maintaining the status quo
Accountability for all actions and recognise limitations of the role
Attend and actively contribute to team meetings.
Service Development
To be a catalyst for change and improvement by providing feedback on issues raised to influence the development of more patient centred services.
Professional Responsibility
To be approachable and available for staff to discuss any personal/professional problems
To participate in service training/continuing education
To undertake managing performance process with staff under supervision from PALs and Complaints manager.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Educated to diploma/degree level or equivalent experience
* Minimum grade C or above GCSE English
* Administration experience, including use of MS Office/Excel
Desirable criteria
* Advocacy/Managerial qualification or equivalent experience
* Postgraduate level qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
* Experience of working in the NHS
* Knowledge/ experience of the Patient Experience agenda
* Experience of working with senior clinicians/service providers and challenging them on behalf of the patient /client where appropriate
* Ability to prioritise and work under pressure utilising safe practice and escalation skills
* Experience of dealing with distressed, angry and unhappy service users
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Able to managing own work load, and prioritising tasks
* Experience of computer and data base work
* Evidence of experience in problem solving situations
Personal Skills
Essential criteria
* Confident telephone manner and good interpersonal skills
* Ability to adapt to changing needs of an organisation with reporting requirements
* Works effectively as part of a team and independently
It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.
You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
* Job Description (PDF, 248.6KB)
* Person Specification (PDF, 40.5KB)
* Functional Aspects of this post (PDF, 176.4KB)
* L&D Hospital site map (PDF, 96.8KB)
* Disclosure & Barring Information and Recruitment of Ex-Offenders (PDF, 78.5KB)
* Staff Diversity Network (PDF, 140.3KB)
* Information for Disabled Applicants (PDF, 98.7KB)
* Staff Benefits (PNG, 1.6MB)
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