About this role
Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Resolution and Complaints Manager to join our Patient Experience team. This exciting role offers the opportunity to influence change across the Trust and improve patient experiences.
You will have previous NHS or healthcare experience, good knowledge of NHS complaints legislation, guidance and practice, and a strong patient-centred approach.
You will:
Lead and manage the Trust's resolution and complaints process, including all informal and formal complaints. Liaise with, train and support managers and staff to ensure effective and timely resolution. Ensure complaints are fully investigated in line with organisational and national requirements, with learning shared across the Trust to drive sustained improvement in patient care. Develop and maintain systematic processes for timely reporting of resolution and complaints data, identifying learning and service improvements. Work within the Patient Experience Team alongside the Patient Experience and Participation Manager as the overarching complaints management expert. Support staff delivering the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). If you are passionate about quality and want to be at the forefront of improving care for service users and their families, we look forward to receiving your application.
Join us in ensuring every voice matters and every patient experience counts.
Main duties of the job
The post holder has specific responsibility for the management of the resolution and complaints process within the Trust and will lead on the management of all informal and formal complaints within the Trust.
The post holder will manage, liaise, train and support managers and staff across the Trust, to ensure a seamless resolution process for any informal or formal complaints that are raised against the Trust.
The post holder will ensure that all complaints (informal and formal) are fully investigated in line with organisational and national requirements. They will facilitate the sharing of learning from all complaints across the organisation to ensure sustained change and improvement to patient care.
The post holder will be responsible for producing a systematic process for timely reports around data from complaints and will ensure that learning and service improvement is identified.
This role will be part of the patient experience team and incorporates working with the Patient Experience & Participation Manager and being the overarching expert managing all informal and formal complaints. The role will lead the Patient Experience Advisors who support Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on a daily basis.
Should we receive a high number of applications, we reserve the right to close the vacancy after 12/10/2026
About us
Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.
There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.
If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.
Please be aware that East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. All recruitment communications and job applications should only be made through our official careers website and published contact details.
If you receive a suspicious job offer or recruitment-related communication, do not make any payments, share personal information, or provide identity documents. We encourage you to report the matter to your local police or relevant law enforcement agency. Any concerns relating to potential recruitment fraud should also be reported to our Local Counter Fraud Specialist (LCFS) as soon as possible.
Job description Job responsibilities
To lead on building strong relationships, with people who use our services and their carers who raise concerns about our services. To actively promote timely opportunities where complaints (formal and informal), may be resolved quickly to the satisfaction of the complainant. To have primary day-to-day responsibility for overseeing the complaints process for the Trust from receipt within PALS to the final archive. Act as a central point of contact for any external organisations dealing with complaints involving the Trust. To process complaints (informal and formal) in accordance with the NHS Complaints Regulations (2009) and in line with Trust policy for managing complaints and concerns. To maintain the Trusts patient experience database (Datix), ensuring robust and accurate data entry, including evidence of actions being implemented and identified leaning evidenced. To critically assess the findings from complaint (informal and formal) investigations and be able to diplomatically challenge staff regarding their conclusions, while maintaining effective working relationships with those involved. Communicate effectively with all service users/carers recognising and meeting the needs of the individual to ensure the resolution process is available to all. Organising and/or attending meetings with staff to support patients where appropriate. Interpret complex information to support service users in understanding the findings from resolution investigations. Draft complex complaint response letters and reports. To ensure that all written responses are produced to a consistently high standard, meeting quality requirements. To ensure that all learning from complaints is agreed with the Service Manager and that actions arising are allocated onto the Patient Experience Datix record. To ensure that actions are closed inline with Trust procedure and that the completed actions are checked for relevant evidence. To understand and apply the governance responsibilities in relation to the management of complaints and provide guidance as necessary. Ensure that complainants are kept informed of any significant events in relation to the resolution progress of the investigation into their concerns, with particular focus on advising on delays. Monitor the progress of informal/formal complaints investigations and take prompt actions to ensure a seamless and timely resolution management process and take appropriate measures to ensure that the Trusts targets relating to complaints are met. Understand and be able to apply the relevant legislation and policies to maintain patient confidentiality (including Data Protection regulations, Access to Health Records, Freedom of Information). Recognising when further professional support is needed and provide appropriate information and referral to colleagues or external agencies where necessary. Advising patients, other complainants and staff of their options under the NHS Complaints Procedure, referring them to support organisations, e.g. VoiceAbility, where necessary. To lead on the development and delivery of resolution training programme for identified staff across the Trust. Provide training for staff to investigate complaints, to ensure thorough investigation. To work effectively with staff across the Trust and with other healthcare organisations to ensure a timely and robust response to complaints. Lead and manage the completion of statutory returns. Provide regular reports on the status of the caseload (supporting informal complaints) to the Patient Experience & Participation Manager and Assistant Director of Allied Health professionals on a regular basis. Bring to the attention of the Patient Experience & Participation Manager any issues of particular concern or themes that may become apparent. Implement, review, and update relevant sections of the Trusts Patient Experience Policy as required ensuring new legislation is incorporated. Write the PALS and complaints section for the Trusts Annual Report. Interpret and advise on statute, policies and guidelines concerning the Parliamentary Healthcare Services Ombudsman. Write and/or keep up to date the Trusts PALS and complaint standard operating procedures. Deputise for the Patient Experience Manager if required. Contribute to business planning and/or developing practice/protocols in conjunction with other quality team colleagues. Support the Patient Experience & Participation Manager and Assistant Director of Allied Health professionals in achieving national complaints targets by providing appropriate up to date Lead on service improvement issues that have resulted as a consequence of a complaint or review by external organisations e.g. Care Quality Commission, Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman etc. Represent the complaints team and Trust at external meetings as required. Communication Communicate complex patient experience information in order to develop, implement and monitor a relevant and effective system for our service users/carers. Communicate complex, distressing and sensitive information in an appropriate manner in writing, in person and by telephone. Deal with complex concerns which may include investigation, visiting patients, service users and services. Possess the ability to clearly and effectively relay information verbally, in writing or in the form of presentations to internal and external parties. Negotiate with all parties involved in resolution to effectively manage expectations and agree an achievable outcome. Have highly developed communication skills, acting as a facilitator and mediator when required. Possess well-developed interpersonal skills and have the ability to foster good working relationships with all levels of people in particular patients, carers, staff colleagues and external partners. Ensure that PALS and resolution information is kept up to date on the intranet, internet, in staff and patient publications and newsletters and all Trust services. Key relationships
Patient, relatives, carers and visitors Clinical leads and service managers Patient experience manager Patient Experience Advisor, Patient Experience Co-ordinator and Patient and Quality Information Analyst Assistant Director of Allied Health Professionals, Deputy Chief Nurse, Chief Nurse Director of Medical Education Quality team leaders and members Wider Executive and Service Director colleagues External agencies including Resolution/Complaints manager/ PALS leads in partner Trusts Third party support service providers Statutory and voluntary organisations
Budgetary Responsibility To contribute to any Quality Directorate finance plans as required. Observe personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources used in the course of work. Perform authorised signatory function for those direct reports within the patient experience team (including expenses). People Management Deputise for the Patient Experience & Participation Manager as appropriate. The post holder will share the responsible of the management of the resolution administration support staff and other roles within the team as required. Ensuring they receive day-to-day support, regular one-to-ones, annual objective setting and appraisals and Personal Development Plans, handling any grievances or disciplinary matters, reviewing work performance and conduct, work allocation and monitoring. Deliver one-to-one training as part of local staff induction/orientation programmes. Maintain own professional development and requirement to take part in annual objectives and appraisal. Responsible for Professional Body requirements, i.e. NMC revalidation, HCPC ongoing registration etc. (as appropriate). Research & Development Activity The post holder will undertake research and development as required. Monitor quality issues relating to informal and formal complaints by those that have accessed and raised concerns about the Trusts services, act on the results and disseminate learning to all Trust staff. Benchmark and keep up to date in research and improvements related to resolution process to support a progressive and innovative approach to how concerns/complaints can be captured and developed in order to continue to provide high quality care. Safeguarding Clause The trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Rigorous recruitment checks are carried out and where applicable to the role successful applicants will be required to undertake a criminal records check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Please check the attached JD & PS for more details.
Person Specification
Qualifications and training Essential
Educated to degree standard or have relevant and recent specialist knowledge and experience of working in a resolution/complaints management role to equivalent of degree level.
Desirable
Training in resolution/ complaints management
Experience Essential
Experience of management and quality assurance around NHS complaints (formal and informal) Working independently, making own decisions and recommendations in the context of a corporate team and the wider organisation
Desirable
Familiarity with handling Access to Records requests, in accordance with the Data Protection regulations
Skills and Knowledge Essential
Excellent interpersonal skills and evidence of using tact, diplomacy and persuasion to resolve issues and achieve results Ability to show initiative, motivate staff and inspire others
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)
Address The Meadows
Unit 7/8,
St Ives, Cambridge
PE27 4LG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.eastofenglandcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)