Job title: Customer Relations Co-ordinator
Salary: SO2 - £34,833.96 - £36,648.00
Hours: 37
Contract: Temporary (Expected to March 2025)
Location: Hybrid working, expectation to work from Merrion House twice a week
Internal vacancy. Applications will only be considered from existing Leeds City Council employees.
As a Customer Relations Co-ordinator you’ll thrive on liaising with members of the public, services and external partners to ensure complaints are answered in a timely way in line with complaints procedures.
Complaint handling is not about negativity, it’s the opportunity to be part of resolving problems for children and families in Leeds and contributing to real service change and development.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As a Customer Relations Co-ordinator you will bring to the role:
- An ability to interpret and communicate, information effectively, accurately and concisely
- An ability to respond in a sensitive manner to often irate complainants
- An understanding of social care, education, early years and youth issues, locally and nationally
- General knowledge of complaint procedures
- The ability to work under your own initiative and be flexible and adaptable
About the role
The role is integral to our Children and Families Customer Relations Team’s main duty which is to be responsible for the good administration of compliments and complaints received about any service within the children and families directorate.
We liaise with services and external partners to ensure complaints are answered in a timely way and in line with the council’s complaints policy or, for social care complaints, the statutory procedure. We act as the point of contact between LCC and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and take a lead on promoting learning from complaints and compliments across the directorate.
We also have a traded offer of support to schools in Leeds who need help navigating their way through the complaints they receive.
As our next Customer Relations Co-Ordinator you’ll work in a fast paced environment providing excellent customer service to the general public, service managers or leaders and external partners. Good complaint handling leads to resolution and relationship building and so you’ll join a small and busy team of likeminded people working towards the same goal.
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:
- a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
- membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
- flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
- a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
- a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
How to apply
Please complete the online application form.
Please upload your CV and complete a personal statement of no more than 500 words
Please ensure you have permission from your manager to apply for this role.
Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Sam Mitchell-Ghafoor, Customer Relations Manger. Call 0113 3789515 or email Samantha.Mitchell@Leeds.gov.uk.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.
Job Description
Job purpose
To work with the customer relations manager and customer relations officers in ensuring that the department meets its statutory duties in respect of Complaints and Representations under the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 and corporate duties under the Leeds City Council’s compliments and complaints policy.
Responsibilities
- To appoint and support appropriate investigating officers and liaise with them, and with complainants, to bring about effective resolutions to complaints.
- To coach and support team members to provide a professional and sensitive telephone, written and face to face enquiry and complaint service.
- To be responsible for the effective day to day administration of the work of the complaints service including appointment scheduling, correspondence management, casework progress chasing, file management and archiving.
- To assist the customer relations manager/officer in maintaining a register of all complaints and compliments received by the directorate, through logging of information on the computerised information system.
- To lead the maintenance and development of the complaints service systems used to support and monitor complaints handling activity across the department, including liaison with the corporate customer relations team to introduce improvements.
- To prepare and present reports analysing complaints information as directed by the customer relations manager and other chief officers/service managers.
- To support the customer relations manager/officer in preparing and delivering development activities for the team.
- Carry out such other duties as may be assigned by the customer relations manager commensurate with the overall responsibility and grading of the post.
- To participate in training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.
- To comply with the requirements of all Leeds City Council policies, procedures and staff instructions, including responsibilities under the health and safety policy and procedures.
- To actively promote and support Leeds City Council's policies on equal opportunities and to work in an anti-oppressive manner.
- The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
Essential requirements
It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.
- Ability to interpret and communicate, information effectively, accurately and concisely
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to work under own initiative and be flexible and adaptable
- Ability to respond in a sensitive manner to often irate complainants.
- Competent in the use of information technology including word processing, databases and e-mail systems.
- Customer focused
- Team working/working with others
- Able to communicate effectively
- Knowledge and understanding of the objectives children’s services and Leeds City Council
- Understanding of the principles of customer service.
- Understanding of the need for confidentiality
- Experience of dealing with members of the public on the telephone or face to face
- Experience of working as part of a team
- Ability to Influence others/personal effectiveness
- Advanced verbal/written communication skills
- General knowledge of complaint procedures
- Understanding of social care, education, early years and youth issues, locally and nationally
- Experience of analysing data.
- Experience of working in a customer focused service
- Knowledge of the problems of disadvantaged groups.
Essential behavioural and other characteristics
- Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
- Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
- Be aware of and be able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies.
- Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety.
- Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities
- Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
- Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
- Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all, working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity.
- Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
- The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.
