Complaints Officer – 10 month Fixed Term Contract in Chelmsford

We are offering this role as a Secondment or Fixed Term Contract opportunity for a period of 10 months. Please note that our officers are required to work 4 days a week from an office (County Hall, Market Road, Chelmsford, Essex. CM1 1QH) and travel to other ECC locations for shadowing during their induction period as our inhouse training program is office based. Upon successful completion of the induction training program there may be some flexibility between home and office working.

An opportunity has arisen to join our Compliance and Complaints Team, a customer-focused team responsible for handling statutory, corporate and Ombudsman complaints. Our casework is often high-profile and includes working with members and senior leaders across the council. This is an opportunity to be part of a fast‑paced, high-performing team managing varied and challenging work, at an important time as we continue to strengthen complaint handling through adoption of the Ombudsman Code. We are committed to ensuring residents and service users receive fair, professional and empathetic complaint handling, focused on achieving appropriate resolution wherever possible. We work in an environment of continuous learning and change, using complaints and customer feedback to identify themes, drive service improvement and make a positive difference for Essex residents.

About the Role

As a Complaints Officer, you will manage a varied and complex caseload of complaints from residents and service users across Essex. You will investigate complaints, gather information from relevant directorates, write high‑quality responses, and negotiate appropriate outcomes and remedies, ensuring cases are handled professionally and within statutory and corporate timescales. You will also identify learning from complaints, analyse themes and root causes, and help inform service improvements across the organisation. You will be responsible for a broad range of casework, including corporate, statutory Adults’, statutory Children’s and Ombudsman complaints, as well as complex enquiries across all areas of the council. This is a demanding, fast‑paced and high‑pressure role with a high caseload and frequently changing priorities. Some cases are sensitive, emotive and high‑profile. You will need to be resilient, adaptable and organised, able to work effectively in a changing environment and at pace, while maintaining accuracy, empathy and sound professional judgement. Knowledge or experience of social care, SEND education or highways would be beneficial.

Accountabilities

• Manage a varied caseload of corporate, statutory, and executive complaints, ensuring all cases comply with legislation, policy requirements, and response timescales.
• Support the delivery of complaint‑related training, awareness sessions, and cross‑council learning to improve organisational capability.
• Build and maintain constructive rapport with customers through clear communication, including phone contact and regular updates, demonstrating empathy, professionalism and fairness to support trust and confidence in the complaints process.
• Provide advice and guidance on complaint policies, procedures, and best‑practice handling.
• Gather, analyse, and interpret information from services, partners, and customers to produce accurate, evidence‑based responses.
• Maintain accurate, clear, detailed, and auditable case records in line with information governance and quality assurance requirements.
• Write high‑quality complaint responses for a wide range of cases, ensuring clarity, professionalism, empathy, and factual accuracy.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation to secure timely and accurate information, challenging incomplete or inconsistent responses where needed.
• Draft and quality‑assure responses for Managers, Senior Leaders, Directors, and the Chief Executive, ensuring they are ready for sign‑off.
• Contact customers by phone and in writing to understand their concerns, clarify issues, and discuss potential outcomes and resolutions.
• Determine eligibility and appropriate routes for complaints under relevant statutory frameworks, including Children Act complaint procedures.
• Identify themes, service issues, and learning opportunities from complaints, summarising insights and contributing to service improvements.
• Contribute to team targets, performance reporting, and improvement projects that enhance service quality and customer experience.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Education to A-level standard, including GCSE English and Maths at Grade C or above, or equivalent experience.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise work, use initiative, meet tight deadlines and remain self‑motivated.
• Proven ability to manage a high caseload and work effectively under pressure while maintaining accuracy, professionalism and sound judgement.
• Emotional resilience to support residents and service users through the complaints process, including in difficult and sensitive circumstances, while working at pace.
• Strong fact‑finding, analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to work to deadlines and manage a busy caseload.
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to handle challenging conversations with empathy and resilience, and to build positive, trusting relationships with customers and stakeholders.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, well‑structured, accurate and empathetic written responses.
• Good computer literacy and comfortable using a range of modern technology to ensure quality and accuracy.
• Experience in a customer resolution, complaints, or case‑handling environment, working with sensitive information and demonstrating tact, diplomacy, and professionalism.
• Ability to work effectively in a constantly changing environment, demonstrating flexibility, resilience, and a willingness to learn, adapt to new processes, systems and priorities, and contribute to continuous improvement.

To apply for this role, please ensure you submit an up‑to‑date CV and complete the supporting / additional information section of the application, evidencing how your experience meets the criteria above.