1. JOB IDENTIFICATION
Job Title: NHS Lothian Junior Complaints OfficerResponsible to: NHS Lothian Complaints Manager
Department(s): NHS Lothian Complaints Team
Directorate:
Operating Division: NHS Lothian
Job Reference: L-NHSL-COHL
No of Job Holders: 1 wte
Last Update: June 2011
2. JOB PURPOSE
To advise and provide operational and complaints process knowledge support to the clinical teams (CMT and CHP) of NHS Lothian in handling complaints.To ensure that complaints information is gathered accurately, numerically and qualitatively and provides a comprehensive, accurate and succinct audit trail to inform departments inside and outside the organisation with the data they require to address issues both immediately and after the issue has been addressed.
To provide supportive resource for complainants and NHS Lothian employees providing support, advice and information to enable the correct departments to be furnished with the appropriate information to enable the complaint to be addressed.
To provide the information and efficiency to enable National and Local response and acknowledgment targets to be achieved
The post holder will liaise with clinical and quality systems to link the Patient Experience, Patient Safety and Clinical Governance Agendas ensuring systems are developed to minimise risk, learn lessons and prevent recurrence and improve the experiences of patients.
The post holder will assist in the delivery of basic training in the use of the complaints process, team and trend information within the organisation.
3. DIMENSIONS
The Complaints Team provide support to
· All 27,000 directly employed NHS Lothian Staff
· Independent contractors (GPs, dentists, opticians, community pharmacists and their staff) across Lothian numbering in excess of 2,500
· People who use the complaints service to provide the organisation with different types of feedback (Complainants). For the period 1st April ’08 – 31st March ’09 this was 2407 contacts
NHS Lothian provides primary care, community, and secondary services for the Lothian population of approximately 850,000 from 22 hospital sites, 65 clinics and health centres as well as from privately owned GP surgeries. Tertiary services are provided for South East Scotland and NHS Lothian participates in a number of SE Scotland-wide Managed Care networks (MCNs). To support some of the wider strategic initiatives this will also involves a number of external agencies including voluntary organisations, local authorities, Scottish Health Council, Scottish Public Service Ombudsman and Scottish Government. NHS Lothian has a budget of £988m.
The Junior Complaints Officer will work with staff from Independent Advocacy & Support Services, Citizen’s Advice Bureau to ensure speedy resolution to complainant concerns.
4. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION
5. ROLE OF DEPARTMENT
The NHS Lothian Complaints Team provides support and facilitation to all areas across the organisation ensuring all types of complaints related information (complaints, comments and compliments) are actioned, investigated and responded to in a timely manner and in line with national and local performance targets. The Complaints Team will support the “single point of contact” for complainants and members of the public to provide the organisation with feedback.The Department is focussed on providing an advisory and administrative service focussed on providing a quality response to complaints and other queries within the National and Local target times for acknowledgement and responses.
The Complaints Team will have a key role in the management of complaints related information to ensure it is recorded consistently, systematically and timely within the DATIX system so that up to date information and reports are available to the different management teams across the organisation to build on sharing this learning and experiences to prevent recurrence.
The Complaints Team will work directly with the clinical management / operational teams to ensure local ownership and management.
The Complaints Team will work with other teams and service across the organisation, in particular Patient Experience, Clinical Governance Support Team and Patient Safety to contribute to the successful delivery of the corporate objectives. Following the introduction of the forthcoming Patients Bill of Rights (and any other relevant initiatives) the complaints team will evolve their role in light of any further legislative and national requirements.
6. KEY RESULT AREAS
· Under the guidance of the Complaints Officers will lead the management of an identified contacts caseload (concerns, complaints, concerns and compliments), providing basic support to the senior management and operational teams (UHD all CMT’s, REAS, CH(C)P’s and to NHS Lothian Board.
· Assist the investigative leads in progressing the complaint review, analysing information received to ensure an appropriate response, development of action plans for improvement, their implementation and subsequent monitoring by providing information on trends and timelines for delivery of information to both complete the audit trail, meet target deadlines and complainant expectations.· To be aware of the workload outwith their allocate sphere and offer assistance to other members of the team where this is required. The post-holder is also expected to highlight their own workload when pressures are such that targets and complaint expectations will be breached without additional practical assistance.
· To deputise for the Complaints Officers in aspects as required sometimes attending meetings, conferences and events where complaints will be on the agenda.
· To quality assure recorded data used to inform responses, for self and peers to ensure consistency and high quality.
· To liaise, negotiate and advise complainants, their families, carers and / or their advocates providing support to both complainants and staff during the complaints process to facilitate best outcomes.
· To work directly with management teams to scrutinise available data and prepare information for inclusion on a Lothian matrix of regular reports, adapting same to meet the needs of varying audiences e.g. The Board, quality and governance groups. The post-holder is expected to take responsibility for writing reports on their own workload.
· To assist in implementing systems for improved and effective patient feedback, working with other colleagues across the organisation to ensure easier access for members of the public to provide the organisation with feedback in particular the development of web-based forms and the internet and intranet sites.
· To analyse complaints trends with the guidance of the Complaints Officers as they relate to the allocated management team and work with the wider team and clinical management group to implement change.
· To participate in the reporting of complaints relating to Independent Contractors and Family Health Services to build on reporting, organisational systems for learning from experiences, improving the patient journey across the whole of the organisation and enhance the intermediary role (previously known as the Honest Broker) with the independent contractors.
· To enhance the awareness of advocacy services (e.g. Independent Advocacy Support Services) in particular raising awareness amongst staff, patients and complainants of this key function.
· To assist in scoping, planning and delivering educational training packages for allocated management team on the delivery of complaints trends, policy and procedure.
· Responsible for ensuring that the audit trail for dealing with a complaint is full and comprehensive containing letters, minutes and records of meetings and conversations with dates and times included. Facilitate the meeting of organisation staff with complainants and or their representatives taking and transcribing the minutes of meetings or attending to advise on complaints process or as support for either staff member or complainant.
· To receive Ombudsman reports and progress action as directed by the Board / Complaints Manager ensuring that target time-scales are met.
· To link with key (and linked) services, in particular litigation and fatal accident inquiries so that early escalation of complaints can be better linked to potential future actions under the guidance of the Complaints Officers and unsupervised in uncomplicated complaints.
· Responsible for meeting complaints response and acknowledgement targets within allocated sphere of complaints – HEAT targets, SPSO and MSP time-scales or CEO dead-lines. Responsible for escalating in good time when these time targets will not be reached.
· Responsible for ensuring that responses are appropriate and taking appropriate steps to addressing this. Ensuring that patient has given consent to their clinical detail being given to others, that information can be understood by a layman, if information is detrimental to other members of staff, spelling is correct.
· Responsible for ensuring that complaints are escalated to the senior members of the team when required and that issues such as Child Protection, Protection of Vulnerable Adults, disciplinary issues, confidentiality, legal, Press or other similar issues are escalated to the Senior Complaints Officer/Complaints Manager for advice
· To deputise for the Complaints Officer when required.
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7a. EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY
The post holder is expected to be able to use a range of office equipment, this will include:Desktop / laptop computer, printers, photocopiers, scanners, telephone system (including the hospital paging system and the call centre technology), fax machine and data-projector.
7b. SYSTEMS
The post holder will be required to have:
· Excellent IT skills, in particular in the comprehensive use of the DATIX system, Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook
· Internet / Intranet (including the use of SharePoint)
· Patient Tracking Systems e.g. TRAK (or equivalent systems)
8. ASSIGNMENT AND REVIEW OF WORK
The post holder will work autonomously with minimal day to day supervision with responsibility for managing own workload and taking action as required. Work will be self-directed and prioritised by the post holder working within broad guidelines to meet the required performance targets.The majority of the workload will be generated through the operational management of complaints handling. However work may be delegated by the Senior Complaints Officer/Complaints Manager where complaints information / projects may be required to be undertaken.
Performance and review of work will be undertaken in conjunction with the Senior Complaints Officer/Complaints Manager through the identification of individual objectives (supporting the wider team objectives) and the development of a personal development plan. This will be done via regular meetings with the Senior Complaints Officer/Complaints Manager and feedback from the relevant management teams.
9. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
The post holder will work autonomously within a range of principles, in particular the Complaints Policy and associated operational procedures, prioritising their own workload.
· The post holder will be expected to make decisions on escalation of complaints to Complaints Officer/Complaints Manager when issues arise such as Child Protection, Protection of Vulnerable Adults, disciplinary issues, confidentiality, legal, Press or other similar issues.
· To deputise for the Complaints Officer when required.
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The post holder will be required to report, support or respond to staff from any level from within the organisation’s management teams at anytime. Judgement will be required on issues which may require escalation to the Complaints Manager and in particular when performance may fall below the national and local targets and the post holder will be expected to anticipate and proactively identify appropriate response.
The post holder must develop good working relationships with their nominated management teams to ensure that local ownership of the complaint remains with them and encourages early resolution of the complaint.
The post holder will be required to highlight to relevant management teams where there are significant delays in the complaints process and to seek early resolution to their inability to meet both local and national targets.
The post holder will be required to analyse and interpret information, some of which can be sensitive and contentious.
Ensure evidence from reliable sources to form an effective reply to complainants. Ensure that there is a robust audit trail including notes of meetings and telephone calls
Maintaining confidentiality is essential. Post-holder must be fully aware and cognisant with policy and procedure and carry this out stringently
Employee Relations Policy’s, Protection of Vulnerable Adults, Child Protection, legal claims, Equality and Diversity, Press, MSP, VIP – must be fully aware of policy and legislation surrounding these issues and highlight issues within complaints to senior Complaints Officer colleagues for guidance in escalation.
Must have a corporate awareness to advise or escalate issues which may reflect poorly against the organisation and escalate these appropriately with guidance from Senior complaints officer colleagues
10. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB
The post holder must be able to prioritise a caseload where there will be competing demands, often on a, daily basis. This will involve the successful delivery of reports on both local and national targets to ensure NHS Lothian becomes one of the top 25 healthcare organisations worldwideThe post holder is required to accommodate unexpected and unpredictable workload demands. Problem solving and developing creative ways of dealing with challenges and obstacles, in particular working to fixed timescales, this will involve negotiating with senior management e.g. Directors of Operations, Chief Nurses, where required.
The post holder is expected to provide working knowledge and support to their nominated management teams. The post holder is also expected to provide peer support to their colleagues in the complaints teams. They will also need to support complainants as part of the complaints process or angry or vexatious complainants.
The NHS Lothian Complaints Team will provide a support service to all areas of the organisation and this will involve some travel between different locations and time away from the office.
11. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPSThis post holder will have excellent communications and develop strong relationships internally across NHS Lothian
· Teams working within NHS Lothian Headquarters, in particular the
· Communications Team.
· University Hospitals Division
· 4 Community Health (and Care) Partnerships
· Royal Edinburgh and Associated Services
· Hosted Services
· Other non clinical services e.g. catering or logistics
· Employee Relations
· Partnership
· Independent Contractors
Dealing with enquires for support from clinical and non-clinical staff at all levels in the organisation.
Attendance at meetings to provide complaints advice, information or guidance to contribute to service / quality improvement programmes relating to their nominated management teams. Take a participating role in educational events relating to complaints management, quality improvement and patient safety, specialty or professional away-days or annual in-house staff educational events.
External communications and relationships may include
· Members of the public who use the services of NHS Lothian (Complainants)
· Scottish Public Service Ombudsman
· Scottish Health Council
· Citizen Advice Bureaus / Independent Advocacy and Advice Service
· Scottish Government
· Other external groups e.g. NCPAS
· Professional / Regulatory Bodies e.g. NMC, GMC, GDC, Royal Colleges
12. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
Physical:
The post holder will be required to travel across all the different sites of the organisation. There will be a requirement for the post holder to spend periods at the computer where they will need excellent key board skills for report writing and the accurate recording of complaints data into the DATIX system.
Mental:
There will be a requirement to spend long periods at the computer for report writing, ensuring data / information is accurate, reliable and valid, this is in line with senior managers who are responsible for service delivery within a large and complex organisation in particular the quarterly reports. The post holder will also be required to work to difficult, challenging and fixed timescales that are out with their control. High level of concentration required interpreting investigation reports and complainant interviews with frequent unplanned interruptions.
Emotional:
The post holder will be in frequent and at times daily risk from irate, angry or bereaved members of the public. There will be considerable emotional stress dealing with the (negative) contents of the complaints. There is a high risk of the post holder being faced by verbal or physical aggression due to the nature of this post.
Environmental:
The post holder will be required to travel across all of the sites of NHS Lothian (including those Independent Contractors) however the job itself will be office based.
13. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB
Education· Educated to degree level or working towards
· Evidence of further education
Knowledge
· Knowledge of national and local complaints policy and processes
· Knowledge of working to targets and systems for monitoring
Experience
· NHS experience essential
· Evidence of complaints handling experience is advantageous
· Evidence of delivering training / educational packages
· Customer care experience essential
· Evidence of working with many professions and seniority of staff
· Evidence of delivering training and/or education advantageous
Skills
· Excellent level of IT skills – especially with databases and Excel
· Excellent negotiating skills essential
· Excellent communication skills essential
14. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
A separate job description will need to be signed off by each jobholder to whom the job description applies.
Job Holder’s Signature:
Head of Department Signature: / Date:
Date:
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