Job vacancy: Deputy PALS and Complaints Manager, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Reading

Job summary

Main area: PALS and Complaints
Grade: NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
Job ref: 193-7011432CORB6PALS

Employer: Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Royal Berkshire Hospital
Town: Reading
Salary: £37,338 - £44,962 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 04/03/2025 23:59
Interview date: 11/03/2025

Deputy PALS and Complaints Manager

NHS AfC: Band 6

Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’. This is a great opportunity to join our clinical or non-clinical teams to create a positive and motivating environment within our trust. Come and join our team in this exciting time of change as we pride ourselves, our staff and our services on excellence.

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”

We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions

We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate

We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live

We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice

Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Work collaboratively with the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman’s office.
Deputise as appropriate for the Complaints and PALS Managers.
To be the first point of escalation for enquirers, when junior staff members are unable to assist and enquirers are asking for the concerns to be escalated.
Line management responsibility for junior members of staff, as appropriate.
Ensure that the Complaints and PALS processes adhere to Data Protection/ Confidentiality/ Caldicott / GDPR principles.
Actively promote diversity, including race diversity, across the Trust. Generate and sustain relationships that promote dignity, rights and responsibilities. Identify and take action to address discrimination and oppression.
To assist the team alignment in managing the workload between care groups and individuals including general office duties including, where required to get the job done in a timely way processing incoming and outgoing communication.
Communicate in an empathic manner with patients, relatives and staff, being aware of the sensitivity and complexity of the information and issues they may deal with.
Maintain and develops own professional expertise and ability to act as a role model for both their own team and wider to all staff in the Trust.
Assume a central role in problem solving and service co-ordination to ensure patients and carers receive high standards of seamless quality care.
Work in collaboration with the interdisciplinary teams throughout the Trust to support and compliment their care and the quality of the service provided.
To maintain up to date knowledge about the national best practice in NHS complaints practice, NHS England policy, NHS Complaints Regulations 2009, recommending changes as required in Trust policy in order to comply with these.
To chair local resolution meetings as appropriate, care group meetings and any other meetings as required.

Teaching, Training and Research:

Participates in the delivery and evaluation of staff induction training, related to customer care and complaints management.
Participate in the delivery of in house complaints training

Role Responsibilities:

Monitor and maintain the health, safety and security of self and any practitioners in work area. Identify risks in work activities and develops strategies to manage these effectively. Practice within risk management/ occupational health legislation and Trust procedures.
Develop own skills, taking responsibility for continuing professional development and performance.

This job description should be regarded as a guide to the planned duties and responsibilities of the post. The description is not exhaustive and will be subject to periodic review in consultation with the post-holder.

Person specification

Essential

Essential criteria

Extensive experience of working in a customer facing role
Management experience
Confident at working independently and handling challenging situations

Desirable criteria

Previous NHS experience
Qualification in leadership/management

Experience

Essential criteria

MS Office literate with excellent written skills
Ability to problem solve efficiently and to provide guidance to others
Confident handling data and creating spreadsheets in Excel

Essential

Essential criteria

Displaying an approachable, confident and diplomatic manner
Confident at working independently and handling challenging situations

Desirable criteria

Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Experience of working with distressed/bereaved service users

Staff Benefits

Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on your work, life balance
Annual leave – 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years NHS service. Pro rata for part time staff
NHS pension scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Money Advice Service
Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
On-site nursery (based at RBH)
Full educational library services
Cycle to work scheme, lockable storage for cycles
Bus to work scheme
Excellent rail and bus links
A huge range of Health Service Discounts at hundreds of big brands from holidays to gadgets and restaurants to retail.

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third party recruitment system (TRAC). All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, that as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Appointment to any position is conditional on the satisfactory completion of the core NHS Employment Checks Standards. Information disclosed in your application will be checked and any offer of appointment may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information or provide false or misleading information. All new appointments to the Trust, with the exception of executive positions, are subject to a 6 month probationary period.

The Trust may close any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date due to the high level of responses we receive for some of our vacancies.

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is committed to improving the health of its staff, patients and the wider community by providing a smoke free environment. A smoke free policy is in operation and smoking is not permitted on any of the Trust’s sites.

The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults.