Complaints Manager in Huddersfield

Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Complaints & Customer Liaison Manager to lead the delivery of a responsive, compassionate and high-quality complaints service across Locala Community Partnerships. This is a key leadership role responsible for ensuring that patient feedback—including complaints, concerns and compliments—is managed effectively, professionally and within statutory requirements. You will play a vital part in improving patient experience by embedding learning and driving service improvements across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a comprehensive complaints and customer liaison service from initial contact through to resolution.
• Line manage the Customer Liaison Officer, ensuring effective administration and service delivery.
• Ensure all complaints, concerns and comments are logged, investigated and responded to within agreed timescales.
• Oversee robust processes for assessing complaint severity, identifying risk and ensuring appropriate escalation.
• Act as the organisation’s expert advisor on complaints handling and investigation.
• Support colleagues in managing sensitive cases, ensuring professionalism and empathy throughout.
• Liaise with patients, carers, internal teams and external agencies (e.g. NHS England, PHSO, CQC, Advocacy Services) to achieve the best outcomes.
• Embed learning from complaints into service development and continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain systems for sharing lessons learned and monitoring implementation of actions.
• Facilitate the triangulation of feedback data (complaints, incidents, surveys) to enhance patient safety and experience.
• Champion high-quality, meaningful responses to complaints across all services.
• Monitor and review complaint responses to ensure quality, completeness and compliance with statutory requirements.
• Produce regular reports for senior leadership forums, including Patient Safety & Experience Committees and the Board.
• Lead the development of comprehensive complaints reports and ensure timely submission of external returns.
• Oversee implementation and monitoring of recommendations from regulatory and external bodies.
• Develop, review and implement policies, procedures and guidance relating to complaints and patient feedback.
• Support the use and development of Datix within the organisation.
• Contribute to quality audits, regulatory inspections (e.g. CQC), and wider quality initiatives.
• Support the Head of Independent Quality & Professional Development across local and national quality agendas.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience in complaints management, governance or patient experience roles.
• Demonstrates strong leadership and people management skills.
• Has excellent communication skills and can handle sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy.
• Has a strong understanding of NHS complaints processes, regulatory requirements and best practice.
• Is highly organised, analytical and able to produce high-quality reports and insights.
• Is passionate about improving patient experience and driving meaningful change.

This role is not applicable for sponsorship and candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK.

Additional Information

Please note – this position may be subject to DBS check. Closing date – 7th June 2026 at 23:55. Interviews - 15th June 2026. We reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier than the stated date should we receive sufficient applications.

About Us

Here at Locala we are part of the community and have often cared for generations within the same family and continue to be part of the NHS family also delivering care under the same ethos. Locala Health and Wellbeing embraces diversity and inclusion and encourages applicants from people from all backgrounds with our ambition to have a workforce that represents the wider communities we live and work within, which you can support us to achieve. We are an organisation that celebrates and values the individuality of our colleagues' lived experiences and can adapt accordingly, recognising the value inclusivity brings when delivering equitable, high quality healthcare to our local communities. Where everyone feels valued, has the ability to develop, has flexible working opportunities, with a sense of belonging, supported by our Inclusivity Groups.

“Locala is a ‘Disability Confident’ employer and as such any disabled applicants who meet all the essential criteria are guaranteed to be invited to the assessment process.”

Benefits

• Flexible working - We are committed to supporting our colleagues to have a good work-life balance and welcome conversations about flexible working wherever possible.
• Generous pension – We offer a generous, defined contribution, pension scheme with matched contribution + 2% up to a maximum of 8%.
• Refer a Friend Scheme - If you know a friend or family member who works at Locala on a substantive contract, you may be able to take advantage of our Refer a Friend Scheme. You both could receive a reward of £500 each, after you have successfully started your role with us.

For further information please contact Katie Pickles, Head of Independent Quality and Professional Development.