The Role

We are looking for an experienced Complaints Officer to join our Complaints Team, responsible for handling statutory, corporate and Ombudsman complaints across Richmond and Wandsworth.

Whilst the initial focus of the role will be primarily corporate and Ombudsman complaints (due to current capacity priorities) it will develop to work across both statutory and corporate complaints. As a Complaints Officer, you will be responsible for managing a caseload of complex complaints from residents and service users in both boroughs and supporting directorates with good complaint handling. This is a rewarding role, in a supportive and high achieving Complaints Team. We are passionate about adding 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 and some experience of either corporate, statutory Adult and Children’s and/or Ombudsman complaints handling processes.

The Complaints Officer will be required to:

• Communicate directly with members of the public who have made complaints while demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills. At all times you will need a sympathetic yet objective approach.
• Provide advice and support to colleagues in all service areas regarding our complaints procedures and requests for information from the both the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Housing Ombudsman.
• Review and quality assure responses to complaints that colleagues have drafted. You will therefore need to establish supportive working relationships quickly with colleagues in the directorates.
• 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; where there is ambiguity, present reasoned options to the Complaints Manager.
• Ensure complainants and colleagues follow the appropriate complaints procedure within 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 and experience of complaint handling in a local government/health setting, particularly within the Corporate/Ombudsman remit and/or statutory complaints.
• Previous experience of dealing with people who are dissatisfied or unhappy.
• An awareness of the importance of client confidentiality and data protection.
• The ability to identify possible safeguarding concerns and ensure the necessary referrals or alerts are made.

Work Location

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including home working, job share, compressed hours, and remote working. 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.

The current working pattern for the complaints team is a mixture of home working with planned time in the office for face-to-face team meetings. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you would like to explore.

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.

Benefits

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:  2^nd October 2022

Shortlisting Date: 4^th & 5^th October 2022

Interview Date:  17^th October 2022

Please note, successful candidates will have to give a 10-minute presentation during the interview.

This will be a fixed term 2 year contract. 

Contact Details

For an informal conversation please contact Nancy Kurisa (Corporate and Statutory Complaints Manager) on email at: 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.

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

Equality Statement

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.

The application process for this campaign will be anonymised.

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