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Complaints Investigating Lead

On-site in Derby·Full-time·Added today (last checked 9 Nov)

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

65 open roles

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Our summary

Salary: £57,528 - £64,750 a year
About £3,660 - £4,010 a month after tax.
Work mode: On-site, Derby
Contract: Full-time
Closing date: Apply by Monday 23 November

Skills

Nice to have

Project Management

The role

Job summary

Are you an experienced and compassionate leader with a passion for patient advocacy, high-quality complaint handling and service improvement? We are seeking a dynamic Complaints Investigation Lead to join our wider Patient Experience and Insight team, providing visible leadership and professional oversight of the organisation's response to formal complaints. As a senior leader the post holder will lead and support the Complaints Investigators, championing a consistently compassionate and person-centred approach and ensuring that the voice of service users drives learning, positive change and service transformation across the Trust.

The post holder will work collaboratively with Divisions and senior leaders to oversee the delivery of timely, compassionate and transparent complaint investigations, providing expert advice, constructive challenge and quality assurance while ensuring that learning is identified and translated into sustainable improvement. They will lead on compliance with national complaints requirements and standards set by the Care Quality Commission and other relevant regulators, monitor quality and performance, and support the development of effective systems, processes and professional practice. Acting as the Trust's expert resource for complaint investigation and reporting, the post holder will provide senior leadership, build capability across the organisation and support delivery of the Trust's wider complaints and patient experience agenda

Main duties of the job

Provide day-to-day operational leadership for the corporate complaint's investigation function, translating priorities into clear workload allocations, milestones and standards for the Band 7 Complaints Investigating Officers.

Maintain oversight of the complete investigation portfolio (including effective administration of the digital Complaints Management System), reviewing caseload, complexity, risk, timeliness, dependencies and capacity; intervene early and escalate barriers or emerging risks to the Head of Patient Experience and Insight.

Personally lead an allocated caseload of formal complaints from clarification and planning through evidence appraisal, findings, response drafting, action planning and closure.

Provide structured supervision, case consultation, coaching and constructive challenge to Band 7 colleagues, supporting sound judgement, professional boundaries, resilience and consistent application of fair investigation practice.
Quality assures investigation plans, evidence records, findings, draft responses, remedies and action plans, ensuring each concern is addressed and that outputs are accurate, empathetic, accessible and ready for the appropriate approval pathway.
Maintain compassionate and transparent communication with complainants and representatives, particularly where cases are complex, delayed, escalated or require senior intervention, ensuring reasonable adjustments and communication needs are met.

About us

As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together

Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work.

In return we will offer

Development opportunities, both professional and leadership development
On-going support from recruitment to when you join our team and beyond.
Staff benefits including employee assistance programme, discounted gym membership, onsite fitness classes, car schemes

Key Facts:

We see on average 4810 OP appointments a day.
We are the 4th busiest Trauma & Orthopaedic outpatients department in England - an average of 2077 per week.
An average of 1115 patients are seen in A&Es across our network every day - 3rd largest in the country.
Our hospitals admit an average of 195 emergency patients daily.
Last year we undertook almost 33,700 planned surgical operations in our 57 operating theatres.
We are one of only 7 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres.
We carry out more than 140 elective procedures each working day.

UHDB is a research active University Hospital with a large and varied portfolio of clinical trials and research opportunities for all staff

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job description and Person Specification. To apply please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.

UHDB is committed to fair and transparent recruitment. We welcome authentic applications that reflect your own skills, experience and motivations for the role. While we understand that candidates may use AI tools for grammar, formatting or accessibility purposes, applications that appear to be substantially AIgenerated may be subject to additional review. If this applies to your submission, we will let you know and may ask for clarification. Please ensure your application accurately represents your experience and is written in your own words.

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click on the link to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorshipSkilled worker: Health and Care Visa | NHS Employers

Important visa information: Due to UK Home Office immigration rule changes effective from 22 July 2025, applicants sponsored under Occupation Code 6131 (Nursing Auxiliaries and Assistants) may not be eligible to bring dependants under the Skilled Worker route if their Certificate of Sponsorship is issued on or after this date. Applicants are responsible for understanding how these rules apply to their individual circumstances. The Trust cannot provide immigration advice. Further information is available on the Skilled Worker visa: Your partner and children - GOV.UK

Your application (for shortlisting purposes) is assessed based on the Person Specification in the job advert (below).

Closing date of applications: 23 November 2026

Interview date: 07 December 2026

If you are considering applying for an internal secondment, please ensureyou have discussed this with your line manager and obtained their support priorto submitting your application.

Please be aware that there is no guaranteethat you will be released from your substantive post, so you should seek approval beforeapplying as you are applying or a Secondment.

If you have any questions or require further guidance, please contact the Recruitment Team.

Person Specification

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

Experience of operationally leading staff or a specialist function, including workload allocation, supervision, performance oversight and quality assurance.
Experience of managing a concurrent personal caseload while maintaining oversight of a wider team portfolio
Experience of providing assurance and presenting complex quality, risk or performance information to senior leaders or governance forums
Detailed knowledge of NHS complaints legislation and standards, including CQC Regulation 16 and the NHS Complaint Standards

Desirable

Experience within an acute NHS Trust or another complex regulated organisation
Experience of Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, multi-agency or cross-organisational complaints
Experience of service redesign, audit, evaluation and implementation of a new operating model

Qualifictaions

Essential

Educated to Degree level or able to demonstrate equivalent specialist knowledge and experience gained through relevant professional practice
Relevant training in complaints handling, investigation methodology, governance, quality or a related discipline
Evidence of continuing professional development in leadership, complex investigation, report writing and quality assurance

Desirable

Formal qualification or accredited training in investigation, complaints handling, mediation, quality improvement, project management or leadership
Management, coaching, facilitation or supervision qualification

Skills

Essential

Developed analytical and judgement skills, including evaluation of complex and conflicting evidence and formulation of balanced, defensible conclusions
Excellent report-writing, editing and quality-assurance skills, producing accurate, empathetic and accessible correspondence
Ability to lead operational delivery, allocate and reprioritise work, manage risk and maintain oversight within an unpredictable workload
Ability to coach, supervise, influence, challenge and negotiate constructively at all levels

Desirable

Ability to analyse complaint themes, trends and performance information and develop effective dashboards or reports
Facilitation, presentation and training-delivery skills. Working knowledge of quality improvement methodology

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.