Head of Complaints and Customer Care

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Head of Complaints and Customer Care (Band 8a) to lead our customer care services in Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. This is a great opportunity to step into a high-profile, high-impact role at the heart of quality, safety and patient experience. We are looking for an experienced leader to take on this role, someone who can drive a compassionate and kind customer focussed approach, which will strengthen trust and ensure every voice is heard and acted upon. This role is pivotal in ensuring a compassionate, responsive and high-quality experience for service users, carers and their families. The role will provide strategic and operational oversight of complaints, PALS, concerns and compliments, acting as the Trust’s designated Complaints Manager and ensuring compliance with national standards and statutory requirements. You will lead a dedicated team, manage complex and sensitive cases, and work with senior clinicians and stakeholders to ensure feedback drives learning, improvement and safer care . This is an opportunity to shape and strengthen how the Trust listens and responds, at a time of focused improvement and increased organisational commitment to patient experience and governance . For further information, and an informal discussion, please contact Salli Midgley on

Please review the the full JD/PS attached to this vacancy.

The Head of Complaints and Customer Care is a senior leadership role with Trust-wide responsibility for the operational management of customer care services which includes complaints, compliments, concerns/PALS and wider customer care processes. The post holder will act as the Trust’s designated Complaints Manager, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, national guidance and best practice, while providing expert leadership to support a responsive, compassionate and high-quality service for complainants which may include service users, carers, families and broader stakeholders (MP enquiries and CQC).

The postholder will ensure that our customer service function responds within agreed timescales and acts with compassion and kindness at all times. The postholder must be emotionally intelligent and able to hear difficult experiences and deal with emotionally driven concerns. They will provide support to the wider team and a space for reflection and containment.

They will represent the Trust in relation to complex complaint matters, including liaison with external bodies such as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and commissioners.

The role also includes leadership and development of the complaints and customer care team, ensuring high professional standards, strong performance, and a culture of continuous improvement, inclusion and accountability.

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.