Job title: Customer Relations Coordinator

Salary: SO1 £33,366 to £35,235

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Leeds City Council - Civic Hall 1-2 days a week with hybrid working offered.

INTERNAL ONLY VACANCY. This post is open to existing Leeds City Council employees only. Applications will not be considered from external candidates.

As a Customer Relations Coordinator you’ll thrive on supporting customers in making complaints and Council Officers in responding to these effectively.

We are seeking to appoint a Customer Relations Coordinator to support management of complaints across many services, to support the Council in responding to Ombudsman cases and to provide direct line management of Customer Relations Officers.

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 Coordinator, you will bring to the role: 

• A strong customer focus and the ability to independently manage workloads.
• You can build positive relationships with officers at all levels across the Council and externally with third parties.
• You have strong attention to detail and the ability to analyse complex data to provide accurate reports.
• You can lead a small team of Customer Relations Officers and help them focus on consistency and accuracy across all complaint management.

About the role

The main duties include line management of Customer Relations Officers, managing contact and relationships concerning complaints across the council and externally, including the Ombudsman.

Additional duties include logging complaints received by telephone and email, preliminary investigation and allocation to investigating officers, and providing support throughout the process to both customers and colleagues.

A strong customer focus and the ability to independently manage workloads are key for working in Customer Relations. Additionally, good service knowledge within a Council Service area (or areas) would be beneficial.

This role provides the opportunity to develop your knowledge and experience across many service areas, and ultimately, to try and provide the best possible outcomes for our customers.

Full on the job training and support is provided to aid development in this role.

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.

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 questions or would like an informal discussion around this role, please contact Richard Hodgson on 0113 3760078 or email richard.1.hodgson@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 and the communities we serve. 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. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, 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, candidates must consider their own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the 'standard' salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. For more information visit Skilled Worker visa on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

You will provide support to the customer relations manager for all non social services complaints and to ensure feedback from customers, through the compliments and complaints process, informs service development. You will assist the Customer Relations Manager to effectively manage and ensure completion of work of the team, which currently includes complaints, compliments, CF50A forms, member enquiries and freedom of information requests. This role also requires you to carry out the role of Ombudsman liaison officer. Additionally, you will provide appropriate support, supervision, and development to the Customer Relations Officers.

Responsibilities

Managing Contacts

• To act as a central point of contact for services / senior management and members of the public in relation to non social work complaints.

• To assist investigating officers to investigate customer complaints at all levels of the complaints policy.  To ensure that a responsive, professional and caring service is provided to all customers through the quality control of correspondence.

• To work with other members of the team to investigate and respond appropriately to all customer relations contacts within the corporate and internal timescales and in accordance with the corporate complaints policy and guidance document. To support the development of action plans and specific projects relating to the service as appropriate.

• To ensure responses are timely and appropriate in all cases including in relation to those received from elected members, and members of parliament. 

• To take the lead on resolving more complex complaints including those which progress to later stages of the complaints policy, including complex, sensitive and persistent or vexatious stages.

• To ensure appropriate and timely responses to elected member enquiries

Quality Assurance and Performance

• Provide data and analysis to inform service development and to provide information as required for Scrutiny Board and senior decision makers

• To ensure that data derived from the complaints process is accurate, and reports drive forward improved operational service delivery.

• To ensure effective and efficient input to recording systems and ensure appropriate development for the team to be able to do this

• Ensure that all processes and systems used in all non social work compliments and complaints are consistent and are adhered to;

• Support the Customer Relations Manager in identifying and sharing best practice across all council services.

• To provide day to day guidance and support to managers, in order to ensure that the quality of complaint investigations are of the highest standard.
  
  
• To manage and maintain an effective relationship with the Local Government Ombudsman and Housing Ombudsman.

Service Improvement

• Consistently adhere to, and promote, the corporate complaints and compliments policy and operational process delivery

• To continually improve performance and standards of the work of all non social work complaints colleagues and the specific needs that services have.

• To facilitate continuous improvement within services by monitoring service delivery and making recommendations to the Customer Relations Manager for operational change.

• Highlight the voice of the customer and use knowledge from compliments and complaints work to recommend improvements to wider processes;

• Provide robust challenge to services in relation to their responses to, and taking learning from, listening to the customer voice.

• To support the Customer Relations Manager in the planning and implementation of process improvement strategies as appropriate.

Managing and Developing Team

• To line manage the Customer Relations Officers and Customer Relations Assistant and promote a professional, consistent approach

• To develop each member of the team to reach their potential

Training and Communications

• To deliver formal complaints training, and provide informal support, for investigating officers and managers.

• To represent the directorate in appropriate working groups relating to this area of work.

• To assist with the production of training and publicity material, and where appropriate to deliver coaching, communication and training sessions in relation to the corporate complaints and compliments policy

• To develop appropriate web content on behalf of Customer Relations.

Additional Considerations

• To take on some of the responsibility of the Customer Relations Manager as and when required in their absence as appropriate or in line with the role

• To maintain complete confidentiality at all times and to fully understand and adhere to the requirements of Data Protection legislation.
  
  
• 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 Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

• Commitment to excellent customer care and putting the customer at the heart of everything you do.

• An approach that deals efficiently, effectively and sensitively with a wide range of enquiries for customers, Officers or Members.

• Takes ownership of customer enquiries and to resolve complex and sensitive enquiries without assistance.

• Good negotiating and trouble-shooting skills.

• Develops and maintain productive working relationships with staff at all levels within the Council that command respect, trust, and confidence.

• Sensitive to others needs and able to respond appropriately.

• Manages own workload and prioritise effectively.

• Excellent knowledge of customer services and processes.

• A good working knowledge of the corporate complaints and compliments procedure.

• Good understanding of local government issues and procedures.

• Providing effective leadership on issues and projects relevant to post.

• Working in partnership with other services and agencies to improve service delivery.

• Managing and monitor performance effectively and setting clear objectives for the review of performance.

• Working with several IT packages, including Microsoft Office.

• Resolving customer enquiries and complaints.

• Working as part of a team and managing staff to meet targets and deliver a responsive service.

• Working on own initiative, accepting responsibility and making decisions within agreed criteria.

• Willing to abide by the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy in the duties of the post, and as an employee of the Council.

• Willing to carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under the Council’s Health and Safety Policies.

• Willing to maintain complete confidentiality and comply with Data Protection legislation.

Essential Behavioural & 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
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• 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.

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