Patient Experience Advisor

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities 
Be a point of contact in the Trust’s PALS team to receive service users’ complaints.

Use sensitive questioning techniques to obtain information, clarify understanding, identify needs and expectations, accurately record and communicate / escalate these appropriately to managers.

Support and maintain systems to enable the acknowledgement and management of complaints, support the investigator/ managers and monitor progress to ensure timelines are met in line with the Trust policies.

Take proactive steps to encourage and assist in local resolution of complaints by setting up and co-ordinating meetings for service users and their carers to meet with the services as part of the resolution process.

Liaise and work with the Trust’s Resolution and Complaints Manager in logging formal complaints in order to meet the Trust’s required standards and timeframes as set out within the Trust Complaints Policy.

Drafting of complaint plans and complaint response letters demonstrating communication skills and attention to detail.
Provide complaint investigator training and support.

Act as a source of information and ensure the role of PALS is widely promoted and both service users and staff know how to contact the service to gain support.

Contribute and propose changes during the review, updating and drafting of policies and procedures relating to patient experience to ensure they meet patients and services.

Organise, prioritise and manage own workload to meet deadlines and avoid diary conflicts.

Contribute to the production of all Patient Experience and quality reports around patient experience information and data analysis of themes and trends relating to surveys and concerns.

Provide general administration and project support for the Patient Experience Team, including covering the phones and designated email accounts.

Lead on the updating of the Patient Experience information pages on the Trust’s staff intranet and the public facing website pages.

Provide cover for other members of the Patient Experience Team during short periods of absence.

Communication 

1.    Receive calls from service users, their carers and representatives sensitively and confidentially, taking messages and liaising with service leads and managers to be able to assist in gaining answers or leading on gaining resolutions. Raise any serious concerns as a priority with safeguarding leads or senior managers as required.
2.    Communicate effectively and appropriately with all internal departments at all levels and external organisations.
3.    Contribute to the production and analysis of reports for the Board and Senior Management Team by recording complaints and PALS data on Trust Datix and IQVIA IT systems.
4.    Build an awareness and knowledge of the other local NHS Trusts and stakeholders and be able to develop and implement methods of engagement and communication with these third parties verbally on the phone and in writing through emails. 

People Management

1.    Support Trust staff on the patient experience data bases (Datix/IQVIA) through demonstration and talking through procedures.
2.    Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process.

Clinical and Practice Governance

1.    Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
2.    Any data that is taken/shared as part of a phone call or transported, faxed or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regards to the Trust’s Information Governance and Information Security policies.
3.    The post holder must adhere to the Trust’s risk assessment and risk management processes.
4.    The post holder must adhere to the Trust’s Infection Control Policies and Procedures.
5.    Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.
6.    The post holder must participate in clinical and safeguarding audits as required.
7.    Provide patients and their families/carers with information on standards they should expect from the team.
8.    The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness processes for their team.