Regulatory Compliance Lead - Complaints and Compliance

Permanent, Full Time

£32,900 to £36,501 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 01/07/2021

This position will, in line with current government guidance be based from home, with an expectation of being home based for the foreseeable future. However, if / when government guidelines change the role may then revert to being office based, whilst retaining some flexible working options in line with Essex County Council mobile flexible working policy.

Job Purpose:

This post will manage the escalated complex enquiries and corporate complaints process and customer contact, interfacing across Council services and implementing actions to mitigate against complaints. You will lead a team of complaint handlers responsible for complex enquiries and corporate complaints.

This is an opportunity to join our award winning UK Complaint Handling Team!

You will be responsible for ensuring the Council consistently complies with its responsibilities across a broad range of functions to properly consider and respond to customer complaints managing customers designated to have a single point of contact and requires tact, accuracy and political awareness.

The role is responsible for the delivery of efficient and effective service recovery, championing the customer experience and driving out the root causes of ECC complaints whilst ensuring compliance with internal and external requirements.

The role will identify and share customer learning to improve the customer experience and embed the Six Pillars of Customer Experience across the team.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Manage a team to ensure ECC remains compliant in relation to complaint management delivering high standard of responses to escalated executive enquiries and corporate complaints.
• Responsible for researching and responding to complex complaints, and checking the quality of the correspondence the team produces before they are issued directly to customers or sent for CEO/Senior Leader approval
• Responsible for conducting independent in depth case and complaint reviews in line with corporate and statutory processes. Identify learning opportunities to improve the customer experience, processes and reduce handoffs.
• Responsibility for preparing advice for Members and Senior Leaders on issues relating to statutory processes and policies, case outcomes, implications and risks.
• Acting on customer insight, including agreeing recommendations with relevant service areas/Senior Leaders to improve the quality of all complaints resolutions and service provision.
• Effective collaboration with wider business/stakeholders to ensure the provision of relevant, effective and timely information in relation to regulatory and statutory cases.
• Responsible for providing advice and guidance to Members and Senior ECC leaders, in the preparation of responses to customers/service users. Investigate and prepare comprehensive case responses in line with corporate process.
• Act as the Authority's lead officer to manage those customers who have been designated to have a single point of contact, ensuring that these customers are managed in line with the process to minimize impact on wider organisation
• Provide detailed commentary for reports and/or provide data and analysis for service areas and partners on complaints performance.
• Supports Manager by providing direction for the team with the ability to focus on results and assists in developing a strong performance culture and a motivated team from diverse backgrounds to achieve local and statutory objectives.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Educated to degree level standard including in English and Maths at Grade 'C' or above or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and detailed knowledge in a political or regulated environment and Local Government experience is highly desirable.
• Experience of working within a customer resolution environment, particularly with statutory adult and social care complaints and the coordination of Ombudsman investigations.
• Excellent communication skills both oral and written communications to understand and resolve complaints demonstrating empathy and an understanding of the customer and ability to adapt to different audiences.
• Proven experience of working effectively with internal and external partners, the community, senior leaders and elected members.
• Evidence of understanding and responding to differing viewpoints from a cross organisational perspective.
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills, with the ability to work to tight statutory deadlines and targets under pressure, prioritising own and team's workload.
• A good understanding of the principles of safeguarding, consent to share information and GDPR.
• Excellent ICT skills and good working knowledge of Microsoft applications (Word and Excel) is essential. Knowledge of customer relationship management systems (such as Aptean Respond/Microsoft Dynamics) is highly desirable).

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. For more information please use the following link: https://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/pay-reward/