Complaints Officer, East Sussex County Council, Children’s Services, Country Hall, Lewes. (Hybrid)
Closing date: 01/11/2026
Locations County Hall, Lewes, BN7 1UE, GB(Hybrid)
Working Hours 27.75
Salary £37,581 – £40,155 per annum (pro rata)
Working Pattern Part Time
Are you a calm problem solver who can manage a busy case load with competing priorities? If you’re passionate about getting the best outcome for your customer, then we would love to hear from you.
We are recruiting to the role of Complaints Officer in our Customer Relations Team within Children’s Services. We manage complaints for Children’s Services. This role has a focus on Education. This important role enables us to deliver our statutory and local complaints processes. We ensure complaints and feedback are properly recorded, investigated and responded to.
You will manage a complaint from start to finish. This involves reviewing relevant records and speaking to staff. Our focus is on resolution at any stage of the process. You will manage complaints which have been escalated. You will also be responsible for coordinating responses to elected members.
Our comprehensive complaints policies and procedures will help you to provide fair, transparent and helpful information to customers. Having writing skills is essential. An important part of the complaints processes is identifying learning from complaints when we have got something wrong. You will also look at what we can do to put things right.
We are looking for candidates who:
- Have strong writing skills
- Can communicate with the public and colleagues, including senior managers
- Can be sensitive and robust in their approach
- Have a creative approach to resolving complaints, working within our policies and processes
- Are committed to learning from complaints
Essential education and qualifications
- RQF Level 3 in English
Essential key skills, abilities, knowledge, experience, values and behaviours
- Ability to communicate effectively with a range of people in a clear, concise and accurate manner, changing messages to suit different audiences, including managers, officers, partners, members and the general public
- Ability to provide effective customer service which will include providing clear and succinct advice, responding appropriately to customers’ needs.
- Ability to analyse, interpret and clearly present data, some of which may be complex, in line with Data Protection regulations.
- Ability to plan and organise a varied workload for self and others, working to short deadlines.
- Ability to work under own initiative and as part of a team, seeking guidance as and when appropriate to solve problems.
- Ability to use technology as part of the role: Microsoft 365 including Outlook, Excel, Word, Microsoft Teams, devices: laptops and corporate iPhones
- Knowledge of the Children’s Services Department and the services it provides.
- An understanding of complaints procedures and principles.
- An understanding of data protection and equalities legislation.
- An understanding of responsibilities in relation to staff management.
- Experience of delivering high quality customer-oriented services and/or complaints work.
- Experience of handling phone calls from the public and able to respond appropriately to callers who may be distressed or angry.
- Experience of working within a social care, health, education, or similar regulated setting.
Desirable key skills, abilities, knowledge, experience, values and behaviours
- The relationship between Children’s Services and other departments and agencies.
- An understanding of the Ombudsman and their regulatory role in investigating complaints.
Apply to: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/jobs
For more information about this position, please contact People Matter Working for You team. We will register you as a client, review your CV and provide a career action plan for this and future applications. We can also help you develop and practice interview skills. Our services are free. Please email: moira@people-matter.org.uk or call 07914 425733.