Social Care Complaints and Feedback Lead

Overview

We’re seeking an experienced and values‑driven Social Care Complaints and Feedback Lead to play a vital role in ensuring Children’s and Adults’ Social Care complaints are handled fairly and compassionately, and that the learning from feedback is embedded to continuously improve outcomes for Buckinghamshire residents.

This is a specialist, influential role where your expertise will help ensure statutory compliance, promote fair and timely resolution, and translate feedback into meaningful service improvement. You’ll be trusted to lead on complex cases, support colleagues, and champion a positive, customer‑focused culture.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

About the role

Reporting to the Complaint and Feedback Business Partner, you’ll provide expert oversight and leadership on statutory social care complaints and investigations. Acting as a subject‑matter expert, you’ll ensure complaints are recognised early, managed effectively and handled in line with legislation, guidance and safeguarding requirements.

You’ll work closely with Children’s and Adults Services and senior leaders, offering clear advice, challenge, and reassurance in often complex or sensitive situations. A strong focus of the role is supporting early resolution, mediation and learning from complaints to reduce escalation and improve outcomes.

Key elements of the role include:

• Proactively manage and oversee statutory and corporate complaints across all stages, ensuring adherence to statutory, regulatory and corporate policy timescales, escalating risks and issues as required.
• Support the appointment and contract management of Investigating Officers and Independent Persons, ensuring investigations meet agreed quality standards and statutory timescales.
• Provide expert guidance and advice to staff and managers on statutory social care complaints and complaints handling best practice.
• Deliver training and ongoing support to enable early, effective local resolution and improve outcomes at the first point of contact.
• Produce and contribute to high‑quality reports, recommendations and updates for senior leaders, clearly outlining issues, outcomes, risks and learning.

You’ll also contribute to the development of procedures and guidance, helping to embed a culture that values learning, accountability and continuous improvement.

About you

You’ll bring strong professional credibility, sound judgement and a calm, empathetic approach to resolving sensitive and high‑impact issues. You’re confident working at pace, balancing statutory timescales with the need for quality, fairness and compassion.

You’ll have:

• Proven experience and in‑depth understanding of statutory complaints legislation relating to Children’s and Adults’ Social Care, and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman framework.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships at all levels.
• Strong investigative, analytical and problem‑solving abilities, with experience handling complex or escalated cases.
• Sound professional judgement to assess and manage risk in statutory social care complaints, identifying proportionate mitigation and escalation where required.
• A collaborative, values‑led mindset, with a clear commitment to safeguarding, learning from feedback and improving services.
• Confidence in engaging with senior leaders, external bodies and members of the public, and the ability to communicate complex or difficult outcomes with empathy and professionalism.

Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience), you’ll be comfortable working independently while supporting others to succeed — and motivated by making a real difference for residents, colleagues and the wider organisation.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Jemma Tamplin, Complaints and Feedback Business Partner at [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 10 May

Interview date: Provisionally w/c 18 May

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

a fair and inclusive culture

• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

 

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/