Corporate Complaints Manager

Important Information for Current Barnet Council Employees
Where possible, employees who have access to Oracle are encouraged to apply via the Opportunity Marketplace (Internal Career Site). This helps to ensure applications are correctly identified as internal and avoids potential delays during the recruitment process.
About Barnet Council
Barnet is a borough with much to be proud of. Our excellent schools, vibrant town centres, vast green spaces and diverse communities all help make it a great place to live and work. As a council we want to build on these strengths as we move into the future. We are growing and developing as an organisation to meet the challenges facing our borough and we are committed to working with partner organisations and residents to make Barnet even better. As an organisation, our staff are committed to Our Values: Learning to Improve, Caring, Inclusive, Collaborative – which drive everything we do.
Corporate Complaints Manager
Make a difference. Drive improvement. Help shape better services for our residents.
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Barnet Council as our Corporate Complaints Manager, a high-profile role at the heart of the organisation. Working across the Council and with our partners, you will lead the corporate and Ombudsman complaints function, turning customer feedback into meaningful service improvements and ensuring we deliver the highest standards of complaint handling.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced complaints professional who is passionate about continuous improvement, service excellence and making a real impact for residents
As Corporate Complaints Manager, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that complaints are managed effectively, fairly and consistently across the organisation. You will help drive organisational learning, improve customer experience and provide assurance that complaints are handled in line with best practice and regulatory requirements.
Key responsibilities include:
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Leading and overseeing the Council's corporate complaints framework, policies and processes.
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Acting as the Council's expert adviser on complaints handling, supporting colleagues across services and liaising with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).
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Monitoring and evaluating complaint performance, identifying trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.
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Producing insightful reports and presenting findings to senior leaders and stakeholders.
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Driving service improvements by identifying root causes, sharing lessons learned and supporting positive behavioural and process change.
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Helping to strengthen accountability, transparency and customer satisfaction across the organisation.
Please click here to download the Job description for this role. (Right-click and select “Open in new tab” so you can keep the job description open while completing your application)
About you
We are looking for a confident and experienced professional who can combine strategic thinking with a practical, solution-focused approach.
You'll bring:
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A proven track record of managing a complaints function within local government, public services or a similarly large and complex organisation.
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Expert knowledge of complaints handling regulations, standards and best practice.
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Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends and produce high-quality reports and recommendations.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence, challenge and engage stakeholders at all levels.
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Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills, enabling you to manage complex and sensitive issues effectively.
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A passion for continuous improvement and delivering excellent outcomes for residents.
Apply today and help shape the future of complaints management at Barnet Council.
What we offer

• 31 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, which provides a valuable guaranteed income in your retirement together with security for your dependents
• A comprehensive Flexible Working Policy which supports work-life balance by empowering staff and management to make decisions around when, where, and how work is done
• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more
• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Employee well- being training programs including confidential employee assistance

How to apply
Read the job description and person specification before clicking ‘Apply’ to commence the online application form. If you would like any further information about the role before applying, please contact Andrew Cox on [email hidden]
System notice: Some dates shown on our online application system (such as “Apply Before”) appear in US date format (MM/DD/YYYY) due to Oracle system settings.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool to support your application as a reasonable adjustment, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn, escalated to counter Fraud for further investigation and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Barnet operates stringent safer recruitment procedures, this may include AI Detection Screening, Biometric ID/Right to Work Checks, Qualification and Registration Checks, Up to 6 years of Employment Data and Insights to Accelerate Screening (Konfir), Up to 5 years of Employment History References, DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Checks, Credit Checks and Social Media, Sanctions and Occupational Health Screening.
To deliver Barnet Council’s commitment to equality of opportunity in the provision of services, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. As such we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds.
Barnet Council embraces all forms of flexible working (including part-time, compressed hours, and hybrid working) and is committed to offering employees a healthy work-life balance. Candidates are encouraged to talk about relevant requirements and preferences at interview. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.
Barnet Council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply
All posts with the council are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the council satisfaction your suitability for the position in which you will be employed.
Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.
Please ensure you regularly check the email account (including JUNK MAIL folders) that you use to submit your application, as any further communication regarding your application will be sent electronically. Should you not hear from us within four working weeks of the closing date for this post, then regretfully in this instance, you have not been shortlisted.