JOB SUMMARY: Complaints Officer

Provision of a council-wide and service-specific complaints function in line with the organisation’s corporate internal procedures, and its statutory obligations under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 - for Adult Social Care Complaints, the Children Act 1989 - for Children’s Social Care Complaints, and the Building Safety Act 2022 - for Building Complaints.

Assist in developing and maintaining networks of directorate officers and strategic partners to ensure effective delivery of the Complaints function.

Assist in developing, and implement, sound organisational policies, procedures, systems and programmes, to help the council deal effectively, efficiently and lawfully with all complaints. Work closely with external regulators, e.g., LGSCO, HO and NHS Digital).

ROLE Complaints Officer

REQUIREMENTS: Complaints Officer

Use seminars, meetings, and other events, etc., to assist in raising the profile and understanding of the Complaints service and processes within the Council, working with elected Members and appropriate council officers to achieve this. Drive and ensure corporate compliance with regulatory / legal requirements and Council policy and procedures, where necessary chase-up and escalate to senior managers.

Act professionally, providing expert, helpful and timely advice / guidance to the public, elected Members and council officers on complex Complaints matters; provide training material, briefings, and updates on the intranet to ensure compliance and to minimise the risks of complaints or appeals.

Assist the Complaints Manager to ensure that the complaints processes are up to date and fit for purpose, and that they are readily available and accessible to the public, and clearly sign-posted on the Council’s website, and can also be obtained in hard copy.

Assist in updating, and contribute to, continual improvement of complaints processes, corporate focus and corporate performance. Identify key performance indicators / areas for improvement, promote best practice and awareness of the legislative framework within which the council operates.

Assist in bench-marking the Complaints service with other Local Authorities (LAs) and the best-in-class of business practice; help to ensure effective dissemination of such best practice across the organisation - including learning from engaging with Ombudsmen, customer feedback, relevant case law, and investigation/decision outcomes, etc.

Consult with elected members; council officers, the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO), the Housing Ombudsman (HO) and other relevant 3rd parties, ensuring complaints are managed properly to achieve the best outcome for London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH).

As appropriate, log/process calls and activities related to complaints promptly; ensure the creation of accurate records that clearly identify responsible departments; and assist in ensuring that the team maintains accurate information and records on the relevant systems in a manner that sustains high quality of data and data security.

Knowledge Complaints Officer

• Knowledge of corporate complaints systems; regulatory complaints systems (e.g., Adults and Children’s Social Care Complaints, the

Ombudsman complaint

process, etc.); the international standard for quality and related matters; and relevant legislation.

• Freedom of Information

Act 2000, the Data

Protection Act 2018, the

Environmental

Information Regulations 2004, and other relevant legislation.

• Good understanding of local authority political processes, and the role of elected Members.
• Knowledge of the range of services that local authorities provide.
• Knowledge of advocacy; community support and interpreting services; and community and service delivery issues relating to inner-city areas, such as Tower Hamlets.

• Knowledge of relevant IT / Business Management Systems.

Qualifications & Experience Complaints Officer

• Experience undertaking complex investigations; and analysing complex data, regulations and legislation.
• Experience of writing complex reports and correspondence on behalf of senior managers and executive bodies.
• Experience of business process analysis and recommending / implementing service improvement initiatives and projects.
• Experience of influencing and collaborating with senior managers to achieve organisational goals.
• Working in a politically sensitive environment.