SALARY: £31,332 - £34,407 (pro-rata)

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent

POSITION TYPE: Part time or Job Share

WORKING PATTERN: 17.5 hours per week, flexible by agreement

MAIN LOCATION: Hybrid/Thistle House, Haymarket (attendance in the office, ideally one day per week, particularly to attend face to face meetings etc.)

Who are we looking for and why work at Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS)?

At CHS we recruit, train and support empathetic and committed volunteers across Scotland.

Our volunteer Panel Members take part in children’s hearings in their local areas, making decisions with and for infants, children and young people. We also work closely with a network of nine regional teams who support Panel Members in their local communities. This role provides a great opportunity to help children, their families, and the panel community by using feedback to enhance practice.

We are looking for someone with a proven track record in handling feedback and complaints. You must be passionate about resolving issues and making sure deadlines are met, using what we learn from feedback and complaints to improve outcomes for children. You’ll be the main point of contact, either by e-mail, web form or telephone. You’ll have great interpersonal skills, be an excellent communicator and be able to multi-task and prioritise effectively.   

You will need to capture the detail of the complaint accurately, establish what outcomes are required and work with our panel community and other partners to establish the facts so that you can respond to the complaint appropriately within the timelines required.

Ideally you will a good understanding of public sector complaints and the requirements of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s Model Complaints Handling Procedure.

Supporting the Complaints Management Officer you will be involved with  several exciting projects we are working on, including the continued development of our child friendly feedback and complaints approach,  an improved feedback loop and supporting the continued development of relationships with our key partners. CHS has also introduced a new Tribunal Support Model for managing our internal volunteer organisational structure and you’ll be expected to support those changes through the lens of your feedback and complaints role. 

You’ll also need a good eye for detail, be comfortable using complaints management systems and be familiar with Office 365 products, including Teams. You’ll  be able to produce reports in relation to complaints and have the confidence and skills to engage with our partners and senior leaders. You need excellent analytical skills and the ability to accurately capture data to inform improvements.

Please be aware that occasional travel may be required as a requirement of this role, as well as very occasionally having to work outside CHS’s normal working hours.

Feedback and Complaints at CHS

We are keen to enhance our feedback channels and our primary aim is to resolve most of our complaints at the frontline, without the need for formal investigation. As Feedback and Complaints Officer, you will play a key role in improving processes relating to feedback and complaints management. As well as handling complaints in line with SPSO guidelines we also have a pastoral responsibility for our panel community so it’s important to understand what that means and get the balance just right.

You will have the opportunity to get involved in other projects which will enhance our insight and awareness of the experience of children and young people in hearings as well as from other partners.  There will also be opportunity for career development for the right candidate.

Complaints sits within the Practice and Standards Team at CHS and that provides the perfect route for us to take the learning from complaints and feedback and translate that in to practice improvements within children’s hearings, as well as making sure we involve children in improving practice and policy.

Life at CHS

As an organisation that works within the children’s hearings system, we are passionate about making a positive contribution to improving outcomes for Scotland’s infants, children and young people. Our values are at the very heart of what we do every day. By working with us, you’ll be joining a diverse community of colleagues and volunteers.

At CHS we are proud to celebrate difference. We all have different skills, experience and backgrounds and we strive to have a friendly and inclusive culture where you can be yourself.

We offer an excellent benefits package, from health and wellness to finances and family. including: generous annual leave, flexible working and other leave policies, a fantastic pension, employee Assistance Programme, development opportunities and wider employee wellbeing initiatives.

You can read more about our core values and view an introductory video to our organisation. We also offer a generous benefits package from hybrid working, flexi hours and a fantastic pension scheme. Check out our full benefits summary.

Diversity and Inclusion

CHS is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We actively encourage applicants from all protected characteristics and are committed to providing any reasonable adjustments required during the application and assessment process, and upon joining us.

How do I apply?

Apply for this role now. For more details, please access the application pack. This includes a full job description and a person specification. The closing date is midnight of Tuesday 18 August.

After the closing date, this role profile won’t be available on our website, so please save a copy when you apply. It is anticipated that interviews will be held on 3 until 5 September in-person at Haymarket, Edinburgh.

For an informal and confidential discussion on the role or about any adjustments you might need, please email jobs@CHS.gov.scot. Please be aware that CVs are not accepted.