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Complaints Officer (Social Care)

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

The Role

We are looking for a Complaints Officer to join our Complaints Team, responsible for handling statutory, corporate and Ombudsman complaints across Richmond and Wandsworth. This role will primarily focus on statutory Adult and Children’s complaints and you will be responsible for managing a caseload of complaints from residents and service users in both boroughs. There will also be opportunities to work across corporate and Ombudsman complaints with team members. This is an exciting role that would allow you to add real value to Richmond and Wandsworth Council by supporting positive outcomes for our residents, through using complaints as a learning tool for service improvement.

The Complaints Officer will hold a broad range of varied casework. It is essential that you have a good understanding of statutory complaint handling processes in relation to Adult and Children’s Social Care and an understanding of corporate and Ombudsman complaints is also desirable.

The Complaints Officer will be required to:

  • Act as the first point of contact for statutory complaints for members of the public whilst demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills. At all times you will need a sympathetic yet objective approach
  • Review responses to complaints that colleagues have drafted. You will therefore need to establish good working relationships quickly with colleagues, particularly within Adult and Children’s services.
  • Represent the complaints department at Stage 3 panels as part of the Children’s Statutory Complaints Procedure.
  • Record, monitor and report on the progress of complaints and compliance with statutory and corporate procedures as required. 
  • Assess the most appropriate complaints process for individual cases to be progressed, and where there is ambiguity, present reasoned options to the Complaints Manager.
  • Ensure complainants and colleagues follow the appropriate complaints procedure with relevant timescales.
  • Work well under pressure, prioritise a varied workload, meet strict deadlines and operate effectively as part of a team.

The ideal Candidate will have:

  • The ability to effectively communicate with good common sense and an ability to analyse and summarise complex issues.
  • A good knowledge of complaint handling in a Local Government setting, particularly within the statutory complaints remit of Adult or Children’s Social Care and/or corporate and Ombudsman complaints.
  • Previous experience of dealing with people who are dissatisfied or unhappy.
  • An awareness of the importance of client confidentiality and data protection.
  • Be able to identify possible safeguarding concerns and ensure the necessary referrals or alerts are made.

Work Location

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the majority of our staff are working from home, both Councils are supportive of adopting a flexible approach to such working patterns going forward.

As the council offers remote working, applicants further away from London will be considered and if applicable, we will work with the successful post-holder to develop a feasible work pattern.

Communication with complainants and colleagues is mainly via Microsoft Teams, phone and email although some meetings may be face to face in the future.

We are committed to providing a safe and supportive work environment for all staff. If they prefer, staff can work from our Council sites in Richmond or Wandsworth.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to flexible working, home working and remote to help people achieve work life balance and find a work environment that helps staff be productive and healthy.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, compressed and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 39 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

Closing Date:  11th October 21

Shortlisting Date: 12th 13thOctober 2021

Interview Date:  21st & 22nd October 2021

For an informal conversation please contact Nancy Kurisa - Corporate and Statutory Complaints Manager via nancy.kurisa@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

Useful Information:

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible.

Your health and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams including men.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils

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