The PALS Senior Officer will act as a team leader for the PALS staff, supporting the day to day running of the services and working closely with the senior Patient Experience team to ensure timely and appropriate responses to concerns and complaints. They will also be a primary contact for patients, carers, and staff to address concerns and compliments about NHS services.
The role involves logging enquiries, resolving staff and service users issues, and ensuring a high-quality process.
The PALS Senior Officer will work across different sites, occasionally on short notice, and will coordinate investigations, triaging concerns, drafting responses and supporting service improvements.
Working as the onsite team leader in PALS, we are looking for a candidate who will support the day to day running of the service, alongside the Complaints & PALS managers.
This will include operational and managerial responsibilities, as well as acting as a senior point of contact for escalated queries.
The post holder will be calm, professional, empathetic and aware of the professional boundaries of their position.
Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).
We have four primary goals:
• high-quality care for all,
• being a great place to work,
• partnerships for impact, and
• research and education excellence
And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.
Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:
• we are compassionate,
• we are proud,
• we are inclusive, and
• we are one team
This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.
About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:
Responsible for workload planning and delegation continuously, ensuring equity of distribution between PALS team members. Formulate, present and implement actions plans to resolve workload inequalities generated through service developments/changes to work practice.
Manage staff’s annual leave, sickness absence and time owing in accordance with Trust policy. Develop and implement effective monitoring systems and ensure all records and staff files are accurately maintained.
Manage effectively short / long-term staff absence ensuring ongoing maintenance of a high-quality administrative service at all times.
Act as the first point of contact for the PALS team to Investigate and resolve problems and complaints relating to the provision of the service in a thorough and timely manner to produce a satisfactory outcome. Where such issues cannot be resolved, escalate these appropriately to the Complaints & PALS Managers / Complaints & PALS Lead promptly.
Lead responsibility for PALS staff recruitment and selection in accordance with Trust policy.
Serve as a point of contact for patients and the public to address concerns, complaints, and compliments.
Triage complaints and concerns autonomously and allocate as appropriate to the correct service
Escalate complex complaints as necessary to seek advice and guidance on handling
Using knowledge and experience to occasionally ‘think outside the box’ to address issues, when appropriate
Log concerns on the Trust’s database (Datix) and manage the timely resolution of PALS cases.
Act as a facilitator to resolve issues locally and escalate when necessary, following the PALS and Complaints Handling Policy.
Reporting:
Monitor trends and patterns in PALS concerns and report these findings to help improve patient services.
Prepare simple reports on activity, highlighting any themes for improvement.
Training and Support:
Provide guidance and support to other staff members on the handling of concerns.
Deliver ad-hoc training sessions to raise awareness of PALS and Complaints services and ensure best practices in complaints and concerns management
Devise and implement a comprehensive induction programme for all new staff, facilitating their introduction and integration in to the existing team.
Ensure admin staff are aware of all appropriate Trust policy and procedures.
Provide effective leadership and motivation to all PALS staff, creating a positive working environment in which staff are valued and respected and in line with Trust values
Ensure effective systems of communication are implemented within the specialty/department and operate at all times. Establish and chair regular admin staff meetings, ensuring staff have a formal route to raise issues and receive information.
Identify and manage all issues relating to staff performance in accordance with Trust policy. Seek guidance and support from the Service / General Manager, Human Resources and Occupational Health as required.
Support the Service / General Manager in implementing admin process change in response to changes in national / local guidance. Generate ideas on ways to improve capacity utilisation and resource use.
This advert closes on Sunday 15 Dec 2024