Patient Experience and Complaints Support Officer

Patient Experience and Complaints Support Officer Band 5

Main area Women's and Families Directorate Grade Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours. Full time. Flexible working. 37.5 hours per week (up to 37.5 hours). Job ref 372-FSS3094-A.

Employer Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. Employer type NHS. Site Calderdale Royal Hospital, Town Halifax. Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum. Salary period Yearly. Closing 08/07/:59 Interview date 27/07/2026.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics.

We are committed to recruiting to our values. Leading One Culture of Care underpins our values by creating an environment, tone and behaviours across all parts of the Trust that are fundamentally rooted in compassionate care.

Job overview

Are you passionate about improving patient care? Join us to investigate and resolve patient concerns, support families, and work with clinicians to turn feedback into meaningful improvements.

We're looking for someone with excellent written and verbal communication, problem-solving skills, and a proactive approach to help ensure every patient's voice is heard.

Make an impact every day - apply now and help put patients at the heart of everything we do.

Main duties of the job

• Investigate and resolve patient concerns and complaints, helping families and carers feel heard and supported.
• Work alongside clinicians and managers to embed patient feedback into service improvements.
• Link complaints with incidents to drive meaningful improvements.
• Ensure all communication is handled professionally, sensitively and confidentially.
• Work cross-divisionally in a supportive and collaborative manner.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Investigate and draft responses to patient complaints using the Trust format, ensuring professional, timely, and accurate communication.
• Act as a facilitator for patients, carers, and families, helping to resolve concerns quickly and effectively.
• Work across all the Directorates included in the Family and Specialist Services Division.
• Collaborate closely with clinicians, managers, and the Associate Directors of Nursing, Directors of Operations, and Divisional Directors to embed patient experience into service improvements.
• Build relationships with clinicians and managers to ensure responses can be obtained swiftly and to a high standard.
• Support quality and performance initiatives by linking complaints with serious incidents, other incidents, and claims, identifying emerging themes, and contributing to improvement plans.
• Work closely with the Patient Advice and Liaison Team at the Trust to support handling concerns and complaints.
• Maintain the divisional database and ensure accurate recording of all complaints, compliments, and feedback on CHFT reporting system InPhase.
• Coordinate Local Resolution meetings and compile documentation for Independent Reviews, ensuring all relevant personnel are informed in advance.
• Assess responses from managers and clinicians, providing guidance and requesting clarification where needed to complete final responses.
• Deliver training and presentations on the complaints process to staff, enhancing understanding and compliance across the division.
• Provide non-clinical advice and information to patients, families, and the public, maintaining confidentiality in line with the Trust's policies and the Data Protection Act.
• Plan and organise your workload efficiently, meeting deadlines while ensuring timely communication to relevant teams.
• Exercise judgment and problem-solving skills to address complex, sensitive, and often contentious enquiries.

Person specification Qualifications

• GCSE English grade 4 or above or equivalent.
• Customer Care Training/Qualification.
• Educated to Degree level or equivalent qualification in a relevant health or social care subject.

Experience

• Experience of complaint handling.
• Experience of working with staff at all levels within an organisation.
• Experience of providing mediation and/or customer care services.
• Experience of Health Service or related environment.
• Evaluating information, identifying key issues, problem solving, making sound judgments and decisions and implementing/recommending solutions.
• Experience of influencing change and promoting learning.
• Presenting data in a meaningful way both orally and in writing.
• Experience of drafting NHS complaint responses.
• Experience of using Microsoft Office and CHFT reporting systems.

Special Knowledge/Expertise

• Excellent written communication skills, ability to draft reports to a high standard.
• Excellent up to date understanding of the NHS complaints procedure.
• Problem solving and analytical skills.
• Up to date knowledge & understanding of NHS clinical governance, Patient Safety Incident Framework (PSIRF), patient advice and complaints.
• Ability to manage, understand and interpret complex regulations/data.
• Ability to contribute to strategic developments and operational good practice.
• Ability to remain focused, objective, in demanding and emotionally charged circumstances while working innovatively, dynamically, strategically, flexibly and under pressure.
• Ability to work methodically and systematically with a pragmatic approach and high attention to detail.
• Ability to compassionately impart unwelcome or sensitive information.
• Proven track record in professionalism when communicating with people with strong opposing views.
• Establish and maintain interpersonal relationship with key stakeholders.
• Able to work to a high standard within tight deadlines.
• Ability to work autonomously with minimum supervision.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Willingness to help and support colleagues.
• Up to date knowledge & understanding of GMC procedures; key agencies e.g. Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman, etc.; Caldicott, Freedom of Information, Data Protection.

HEALTH/GENERAL

• Able to fulfil the health requirements of the post as identified in the Job Description, taking into account any reasonable adjustments recommended by Occupational Health.
• Must be eligible to work in the UK.
• Ability to work in various locations throughout the network of services provided by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.