Head of Patient Concerns

This is an exciting opportunity to join our corporate quality governance team in leading our Trust complaints and PALS teams. We are looking for a committed, proactive leader who is a subject matter expert in their field. In return, we are committed to your professional development and leadership career within corporate services.

You will be managing and leading 2 experienced teams in the delivery of a high-performing Trust complaints handling service alongside a supportive and responsive patient advice and liaison service.

Specifically, the role will be a point of support and advice to the corporate and clinical teams as a subject matter expert in national complaints / PALS policy and best practice, helping us to deliver and develop a fantastic service to our patients and their families.

Main duties of the job

1. Developing new policies and processes to ensure our processes are clearly understandable, simple and easy to follow, whilst underpinned by evidence and national guidance.
2. Developing insight and the wider organisational understanding of our complaints and PALS data to drive improvements in our experience of care agenda.
3. Be an expert in producing accurate reports that meet our NHS constitutional standards, our local ICB reporting standards and our external annual complaints data audit.
4. Be a supportive leader to the wider team managing their needs and the organisations needs in the delivery of a high performing service.
5. Manage a small complex complaints caseload to ensure our complainants are fully supported in resolving their concerns as per best practice.

About us

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 NHS Staff Survey.

We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated team of over 8,000 staff, we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.

Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working?

We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it's adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:

1. At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
2. Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits.
3. Blue Light card eligibility.
4. And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below.

Job responsibilities

We've provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your application for errors/omissions prior to submission.

Once your pre-employment checks have been completed you will be contacted by Recruitment to arrange your start date which will be in line with one of our Corporate Inductions.

Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check at Standard Level.

At MTW, we seek to develop a culture where everyone can reach their full potential with opportunities to grow and develop their career. We recognise and value the unique contributions that each of our staff bring, delivering the best quality care and service to our patients. We are committed to being a diverse employer and strive to reflect everyone in our local communities. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences and celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that will make our Trust the best place to work.

We support our staff with disabilities to ensure they have the adjustments they need to be the best they can be in the workplace. Collaborating with Access to Work means that our staff are assessed by experts in the workplace and we ensure that their recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible.

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Please note that this role may often attract a high level of applications. Please note this role may close earlier than the original closing date so please ensure you submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience in leadership role (within a complaints or governance role).
• Demonstrates tailored working knowledge of the NHSE complaints framework.
• Experience of complaints handling and drafting (or equivalent e.g. SI's).

Desirable

• Experience in leadership role (within wider quality governance role e.g. patient safety or claims management).
• Patient safety experience (PSIRF, development of PSIRPs, knowledge of the 2016 SI Framework).

Skills

Essential

• Ability to work co-operatively within the Trust's senior management team and develop effective working relationships within and across divisions.
• Sound IT skills (Microsoft Office, Word, Excel), manipulation and extraction of key information from multiple source databases (Datix, Inphase / Excel).
• Can design/write presentations and formal committee papers (inclusive of the ability to write exception reports).

Desirable

• The proven ability to manage and deliver within a given budget.

Qualifications

Essential

• Commitment to CPD.

Desirable

• Masters or degree level study or equivalent relevant working experience in the same field.

Employer details

Employer name

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Address

Pan Trust - Mainly based at Hermitage Court Business Park Maidstone

Hermitage Lane,

Maidstone, Kent

ME16 9NT

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

359-6899100-T3