Job Description

Job Introduction The starting salary for this full-time, permanent position is \xc2\xa338,746 per annum based on a 36 hour working week. If you\'d like to be part of a team that makes a tangible difference to the communities we support, and you enjoy the challenges and rewards of empowering families to feel heard, then we have a great opportunity waiting for you in our Customer Relations Team. The team Our aim is to promote good working practice and deliver continuous improvement for Surrey\xe2\x80\x99s children and families. We work with young people and their families or carers to resolve concerns about the support they receive from children\xe2\x80\x99s social care and education services. We appropriately challenge and are professionally curious. We not only listen to families but work with them to identify areas that may need improvement and share this intelligence with Practitioners and Senior Leaders to affect change. Together we are working to:

• Support families to navigate the complaint process and empower them to feel heard
• Identify themes and trends arising from complaints and concerns
• Report and share case studies and data compilation reflecting these same themes and trends to improve frontline services for children and young people in Surrey

Your role As a Customer Relations Officer you\'ll play a pivotal role in the team, managing a diverse caseload of complaints and contacts. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include addressing escalation requests, supporting colleagues in responding to concerns and identifying emerging trends and themes. Collaborating closely with the Assistant Customer Relations Manager, you\'ll contribute to independent investigations and outcome reporting, ensuring that we provide value for money. Additionally, you\'ll liaise with County Councillors, Members of Parliament, Ofsted and the Local Government Ombudsman to promote effective communication and resolution. What we\xe2\x80\x99re looking for.. An outstanding communicator who can engage confidently, sensitively, and courteously, both verbally and in writing. Given the nature of our work, experience in handling difficult situations is essential. You should be comfortable working at a fast pace to meet time-critical deadlines while maintaining a high level of effectiveness. To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your CV and personal statement will clearly evidence the following:

• Experience working in a targeted and pressurised environment, demonstrating the ability to prioritise effectively
• Excellent customer service skills with a strong command of written and verbal communication
• Ability to work autonomously and take ownership for own workload
• Strong analytical skills to identify trends and draw meaningful insights
• Experience in drafting high quality customer facing correspondence
• An understanding of issues relating to confidentiality and the management of sensitive issues
• An awareness of the Children Act Representation (England) Regulations, associated guidance in Getting the Best from Complaints 2006 and the SEND Code of Practice

This is a complex and challenging area of work, but the impact we have is significant. Join our team and help us create positive change for those who need it most. At Surrey, our values and behaviours are just as important as our skills and abilities. They shape who we are as an organisation. Find out more about the values we follow. For more information, please find the full job description below and refer to this before submitting your application. We also invite you to read our Life at Surrey handbook to see insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council. Additional Information The job advert closes at 23:59 on 4th December 2023 with interviews to follow. An enhanced DBS \xe2\x80\x98Disclosure and Barring Service\xe2\x80\x99 check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role. Contact Details For an informal discussion please contact either Caroline McDonough or Berni Evans by email at caroline.mcdonough1@surreycc.gov.uk or Bernadette.evans@surreycc.gov.uk. We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit. Benefits From flexible working to job sharing (where possible) we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance. A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 26 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 2 years\' service, a generous local government salary related pension, as well as the option to join our car lease scheme. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit MyBenefits for Surrey County Council staff. Our Commitment Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.