Complaints Support Officer (Grade F, inside IR35)

Job Category : Sec / Admin
Location : County Hall, Northallerton, DL7 8AE , North Yorkshire Council
Hours Per Week :37.00
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:30
Salary: £14.13

The Corporate Complaints Team is responsible for ensuring an effective, open and robust corporate complaints handling process, developing and implementing policies and procedures as appropriate. The Team oversees complaints as a whole across the Authority with a lead on Ombudsmen liaison.
There is also close liaison with the other complaints teams and representatives across the Council, as well as senior management, elected members, MPs and other authorities and agencies.

The Team is responsible for developing a positive, open and honest complaints culture across the Council and provides support, guidance and training to staff.

Complaints and other representations are assessed to ascertain appropriate action and are recorded on the Council’s case handling system, which the Team also oversees.

Performance information is regularly reported to senior management teams including the Council’s Management Board and Executive. The main task is to log and acknowledge complaints, allocate them to the service area and track response/conclusion. Strong attention to detail, good communication, customer service, good IT and systems skills and ability to learn quickly are the key requirements

Responsible for the receipt of complaints, compliments, MP enquiries and other enquiries.
• Assess each case to ascertain appropriate action and who is to be involved, referring more complex cases to the Senior Officers.
• Advise senior staff at an early stage (including the Chief Executive) of any potentially serious, sensitive or controversial matters arising.
• Maintain an active caseload of complaints and enquiries including liaison (staff, customers, elected members etc.); investigation; research; referral where appropriate; and response.
• Monitor the progression of cases ensuring timescales and quality standards are met.
• Provide advice and guidance about complaints and other representations to service users, members of the public, NYC staff, partner agencies and others.
• Provide statistical information in appropriate formats, including monthly MP enquiry performance reports and performance reports to Management Board as well as any ad hoc requests from officers.
• Support the Senior Officers to produce performance reports to identify service improvements and lessons learned.
• Handle or refer Freedom of Information and Subject Access requests as appropriate following relevant legislation and procedures.
• Act as a key link to all services in relation to complaints handling.

Essential
Knowledge and Experience
• Dealing with sensitive and confidential information
• Principles of customer focussed service
• Theories and principles of administrative policies and processes
• Dealing with vulnerable, distressed or aggressive customers
• Use of a variety of ICT applications
• Significant experience of an office environment
• Significant experience of a challenging environment
• Identifying causes of problems and appropriate solutions
Occupational Skills
• Ability to assimilate new initiatives, technology and software and interpret information.
• Effective influencing and negotiating skills.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
• Active listening skills
• Good literacy and numeracy skills, to NVQ level 2 or equivalent.
• Commitment to the need to deliver quality services.
• Competent user of ICT applications.
• Ability to deliver a customer focused service.
• Ability to organise, store and retrieve information accurately, efficiently and effectively.
• Ability to use a keyboard with speed and accuracy.
• Ability to work to own initiative.
• Ability to work to deadlines.
• Identify causes of problems and implement solutions to minimize re-occurrence.
• Work productively in a pressurised environment.