PALS Lead

at  Devon Partnership NHS Trust

To support the role of the Experience, Safety and Risk Team in promoting excellent patient experience, and contributing to continuous improvements to deliver the highest possible standards of care. To adopt a flexible and supportive approach to resolving requests for information regarding Trust services via the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) or its complaints functions. To work closely with front line staff to receive, manage and respond to formal and informal enquiries and complaints in line with Trust policy and procedure and NHS Complaints Regulations. To support the delivery of the Trusts Patient Experience, Dealing with Compliments, Concerns and Complaints policy and procedure and contribute to the wider aims of the Trust regarding Patient Experience.
To work as part of the Experience, Safety and Risk Team, the Patient Advice and Liaison Lead will develop and maintain close working relationships with frontline staff and managers to ensure an impartial, personal, effective and efficient support service to patients and service users, relatives and carers, and Trust staff. To ensure that patients are supported in raising issues at the earliest stage and resolving as soon as possible to minimise harm and anxiety. The Patient Advice and Liaison Lead will need to be proactive and dynamic in resolving issues as they arise or facilitating the resolution of these by liaison with relevant professional and managerial staff across the Trust. To manage challenging situations via face to face contact with patients, carers or relatives that can sometimes lead to difficult situations, which are managed autonomously, escalating and seeking support as necessary within the scope of the role.
To manage own time and exercise discretion to resolve concerns for patients, carer and relatives by being proactive and speaking directly with clinical staff and senior directorate management. To provide support to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALs) and supervision of the PALs team. To ensure that deadlines imposed by the complaints regulations are adhered to and that there is appropriate escalation where cases are breaching these requirements. To support the Patient Experience Manager at meetings both internal and external, and represent the team as needed.
To evaluate and collate the lessons to be learnt from the activity of the PALs team. To maintain the PALS intranet and website page

Please refer the Job description for details