Interim PT Complaints Officer/Administrator

Reference no:  Barnet RQ642138

Enhanced DBS disclosure is listed as a requirement for this role

The role is part time, spread over 4 days per week (some negotiation on hours). The role is a mix of remote working with occasional office attendance.

The purpose of the role is to lead on the processing of complaints and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests across Family Services. Support and challenge managers to ensure that complaints and FOIs, including Children Act complaints, are responded to appropriately within statutory timeframes and escalated to Assistant Directors and/or legal when required.

Key responsibilities:

• Advise, promote and monitor best practice in complaints management across Family.
• Services, and ensure policies and practices are developed and maintained in line with the corporate framework.
• Coordinate and track complaints, compliments, member’s enquiries and FOIs to ensure they are responded to appropriately and within timescales.
• Maintain sound performance management systems and track performance indicators to regularly monitor and assess and take the necessary early corrective action to achieve service targets and customer expectations.
• Produce annual report on complaints and liaise with managers across the service, developing an action plan to ensure feedback/learning is used to drive business improvement.
• Put in place strategies to actively encourage user feedback, especially from children and young people (Removed following bulletpoint).
• Identify and work with service areas that have high levels of complaints and/or high risk complaints that could escalate if not addressed appropriately.
• Work with corporate colleagues and across directorates to ensure a consistent approach to complaints, compliments and FOI management and share best practice.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of complaints and FOI legislation and national and local developments.
• Support service areas to develop effective strategies to reduce the likelihood of complaints arising and/or escalating.
• Promote and safeguard the welfare of children, ensuring this principle is embedded in your work.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

***Qualification details and any other experience/skills relevant to the job role to help support your application (and help us to help you!) – please give full details within your CV document.

Knowledge & Experience:

1. Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
2. Recognised relevant qualifications in communications/complaints management/customer relations and/or equivalent experience and training in a related business environment
3. Solid understanding, expertise and experience of the statutory complaints process, including Children Act complaints
4. Confident in processing FOIs in line with the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which governs this process
5. Proven competency to handle confidential/sensitive personal information in an appropriate and secure manner
6. Record of communicating effectively with colleagues across a range of teams and departments

Skills & Abilities:

1. Evidence of ability to communicate potentially complex issues in an effective and clear style.
2. Proven ability to develop and maintain effective professional working relationships with stakeholders and use these relationships to improve the effectiveness of the service.
3. Ability to advise, persuade and influence stakeholders in a professional and effective manner.
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to manage challenging conversations.
5. Ability to communicate accurately and appropriately with members of the public, senior management and elected Councillors.
6. Proven ability to ensure a high standard of customer care (Removed following point).
7. ICT Skills: Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.