Job summary Do you have outstanding customer service skills? Are you excellent at listening to people and problem solving? Do you have first class IT skills?If you do, we would welcome your application for the post of Patient Advice and Liaison (PALS) Officer. The post is for 37.5 hours Monday to Friday 8-4 / 8.30-4.30. You need to be able to organise yourself to co-ordinate a wide range of tasks within tight timescales, to work under pressure and show initiative. We would love to hear from positive people who are flexible, helpful and enjoy being part of a team. As part of the role you will be responsible for accurately recording and resolving informal queries received by the Trust or sign posting patients and their families to the correct agencies. You will ensure PALS received are addressed appropriately. This provides you with the opportunity to identify concerns and to enable them to be effectively addressed in a professional, caring and efficient way. The team also provides an important role in the Trust in identifying what we can change to make our services better for the future. The PALS team support the Complaints, PALS and Bereavement Service to develop and maintain a positive and effective service and to capture and improve the experience of our patients and their families. The PALS team are friendly and supportive, working well together. We are looking for a resilient team player who is passionate about helping people. Main duties of the job The successful candidate will work closely with our PALS team to deliver a high quality customer service and provide well managed administration on a day to day basis. Working within a supportive team, you will ensure that PALS queries are thoroughly understood and responded to within the Trust's timescales. If you are a hardworking, empathetic, organised and confident individual, with excellentadministration/IT skills, we would love to hear from you. We will offer you training and support so you can become a first point of contact for patients,their relatives or carers seeking immediate information. You will also offer guidance on how to make a formal complaint and will be able to assist in resolving concerns before they escalate into formal complaints. Person specification (Essential) Inputting client information on to a database.Experience in a customer service role.Ability to work with people in stressful or difficult situations and be equipped to manage such challenges.Excellent keyboard skills and proficient is using Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Outlook and Excel. Problem solving skillsAbility to work independently and to prioritise and work in a methodical manner.Good written and verbal communication skills, able to accurately listen to or read an event to record and respond appropriately. For an informal discussion please contact Laura Gorvin, Team Leader for Patient Resolution, on 01227 868679(Monday to Friday 08.30-14.30). About us We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 695,000 people.Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day." Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa applying for roles Band 5 and above. PLEASE NOTE - SPONSORSHIP CANNOT BE PROVIDED FOR THIS ROLE Date posted 14 January 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 3 Salary £24,071 to £25,674 a year per annum Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time, Flexible working Reference number 344-4318COR Job locations Kent and Canterbury Hospital Ethelbert Road Canterbury CT1 3NG Job description Job responsibilities Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in 'supporting documents'. Job description Job responsibilities Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in 'supporting documents'. Person Specification Qualifications Essential NVQ3 or Five GCSEs or equivalent, including Maths and English Language Experience Essential Experience in a customer service role Inputting information on to a database Excellent keyboard skills, and proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office package, particularly Word and Excel. Problem solving skills Skills Essential Ability to work with people in stressful or difficult situations and be equipped to manage such challenges. Ability to work independently and to prioritise and work in a methodical manner Good written and verbal communication skills, able to accurately listen to or read an event to record and respond appropriately Desirable Working in a NHS Trust or medical centre Person Specification Qualifications Essential NVQ3 or Five GCSEs or equivalent, including Maths and English Language Experience Essential Experience in a customer service role Inputting information on to a database Excellent keyboard skills, and proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office package, particularly Word and Excel. Problem solving skills Skills Essential Ability to work with people in stressful or difficult situations and be equipped to manage such challenges. Ability to work independently and to prioritise and work in a methodical manner Good written and verbal communication skills, able to accurately listen to or read an event to record and respond appropriately Desirable Working in a NHS Trust or medical centre 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). Additional information 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 Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust Address Kent and Canterbury Hospital Ethelbert Road Canterbury CT1 3NG Employer's website https://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/ (Opens in a new tab)