Complaints and Foi Officer

**About Family Services**

The aim of the Family Service is to ensure that all children and young people in Barnet achieve the best possible outcomes and to enable them to become successful adults, especially our most vulnerable children. They should be supported by high quality, integrated and inclusive services that identify additional support needs early, are accessible, responsive and affordable for the individual child and their family.

Key areas of our work include:

- Safeguarding our children through our multi-agency Barnet Children’s Safeguarding Board
looking after children who are in care.
- Recruiting foster families and potential adoptive parents and placing children in their care.
- Making sure that children in need of social care receive the support that they need.
- Reducing Domestic Violence and working with perpetrators of Domestic Violence.
- Working with Young Offenders and young people who are at risk of getting involved with crime or gangs to reduce youth crime.
- Whole family approach to early intervention and prevention, strengthening links with voluntary sector organisations, especially where this ensures that youth and play activities are available

**About the role**

Barnet Family Services is looking for a confident and effective Complaints Officer. The appointee will handle complaints under the council’s corporate procedure and the statutory Children Act procedure as well as Member Enquiries and FoI. The role requires someone who is a self-starter and is able to work effectively and independently.

The role sits within a friendly and supportive wider team. The responsibilities in the team are varied and interesting and there is an opportunity to develop new skills and broaden experience.

The role is 21.6 hours pro rata which is to be spread over 4 days per week. Complaints handling experience is essential. Social care complaints handling experience is highly desirable..

Key tasks:

- Handle statutory complaints under the Children Act 1989, corporate council complaints, member enquiries, and FoI requests across Family Services.
- Act as the point of contact for complainants; taking calls, dealing with initial enquiries, providing advice and support.
- Manage a caseload of complaints, member enquiries and FoI from start to end, including allocating cases for investigation and/or response.
- Use case management systems and internal processes to record, process and monitor complaints, members enquiries and FoI.
- Champion the use of complaints procedures to resolve issues.
- Influence staff to handle complaints, maintain performance timescales and learn from complaints.

**About you - Key Skills**
- Excellent communication skills with a range of stakeholders including members of the public.
- Good, solid administrative skills including word, excel, case management systems and good attention to detail.
- Ability to understand and decipher complex issues of complaint.
- Ability to reassure clients who are upset and be a natural problem solver.
- Confidence to support Heads of Services and the ability to influence managers and colleagues to take action.
- Working knowledge of the relevant legislation and experience of children’s social care.

**What we offer**
- 30 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays
- Work-life balance options may include hybrid working, flexitime, job share, home working, part-time
- A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more
- Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership
- Excellent training and development opportunities
- Employee well
- being training programs including confidential employee assistance

**How to apply**
- Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Barnet operates stringent safer recruitment procedures._