Senior PALS officer

Are you passionate about helping people navigate their healthcare journey?

Do you have excellent communication skills and a strong sense of empathy? An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our dedicated Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team as a Senior PALS Officer, where you will play a vital role in supporting patients, families, carers and the work of the PALS team.

As a Senior PALS Officer, you will play a key role in ensuring that patients, carers, and relatives are listened to, supported and provided with clear and timely responses to their concerns. You will help drive service improvement through your work and contributions supporting projects.

What we're looking for:

Experience of managing and resolving complex complaints and/or concerns

Experience of dealing with conflict and conflict resolution

Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills with the ability to process and understand complex information quickly

Experience of undertaking confidential work

Experience of remaining calm under pressure and confident managing competing priorities and deadlines

Confident prioritising effectively managing the team, own workload and fluctuating volume of work

Strong knowledge of NHS complaints regulations

Main duties of the job

• Respond to enquiries and concerns via phone, email, and in-person visits
• Manage enquiries and concerns in a responsive and timely way
• Manage complex and sensitive cases, ensuring issues are investigated promptly and outcomes are communicated clearly
• Maintain a good knowledge of Trust policies and procedures and developments
• Build and maintain good relationships with local partners and stakeholders
• Maintain accurate records of concerns and outcomes
• Liaise with relevant departments to investigate and resolve issues
• Signpost to relevant services and escalate serious concerns appropriately
• Deputise for the PALS manager where required and support the operational management of the PALS service
• Line manage and provide support and training to PALS support officers
• Support the PALS manager to identify and manage service improvements
• Participate and support in projects and manage administrative tasks related to the project

About us

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

For both overviews please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.

Person Specification

• Post graduate diploma or equivalent experience.

Experience

• Experience of managing and deciding on complex grievances, complaints and concerns
• Experience of dealing with conflict and working with colleagues to agree remedial action as required
• Able to assimilate complex information quickly and exercise initiative
• Sound knowledge of NHS complaints regulations.

Skills / knowledge / abilities

• Use of administrative systems
• Advanced experience of using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Experience of dealing with difficult situations
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
• Advanced experience of Microsoft project management
• Previous experience of staff management.

Communications skills

• Ability to communicate effectively with senior clinicians and managers both within and external to the organisation

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.