Complaints Officer

We are committed to ensuring residents and service users receive fair, professional and empathetic complaint handling, focused on achieving appropriate resolution wherever possible. We work in an environment of continuous learning and change, using complaints and customer feedback to identify themes, drive service improvement and make a positive difference for Essex residents.

About the Role

As a Complaints Officer, you will manage a varied and complex caseload of complaints from residents and service users across Essex. You will investigate complaints, gather information from relevant directorates, write high-quality responses, and negotiate appropriate outcomes and remedies, ensuring cases are handled professionally and within statutory and corporate timescales. You will also identify learning from complaints, analyse themes and root causes, and help inform service improvements across the organisation.

You will be responsible for a broad range of casework, including corporate, statutory Adults’, statutory Children’s and Ombudsman complaints, as well as complex enquiries across all areas of the council. This is a demanding, fast-paced and high-pressure role with a high caseload and frequently changing priorities. Some cases are sensitive, emotive and high-profile. You will need to be resilient, adaptable and organised, able to work effectively in a changing environment and at pace, while maintaining accuracy, empathy and sound professional judgement. Knowledge or experience of social care, SEND education or highways would be beneficial.

Responsibilities will include:

• Undertake a broad range of activities to ensure ECC remains compliant in complaint management and delivers a high standard of responses to executive enquiries, corporate complaints, statutory complaints and Ombudsman complaints.
• Assess customer communications, identify eligibility for the complaints process and determine the most appropriate route for each case.
• Work with colleagues across ECC to ensure complaints are responded to within relevant timescales and in line with complaint policy and procedure.
• Take ownership of complaint case management, including investigating, researching and responding to a wide range of complaints.
• Record, monitor and report on the progress of complaints and compliance with statutory and corporate procedures as required.
• Maintain accurate records to support compliance with statutory and corporate duties.
• Write high-quality complaint responses for manager, senior leader and Chief Executive sign-off, and build effective working relationships quickly with colleagues across directorates to support well-informed outcomes and remedies.
• Identify learning from complaints through root cause analysis and thematic review.
• Communicate with residents and service users by telephone and in writing to gather information, provide updates and respond to complaints with professionalism and empathy.
• Support the Compliance and Complaints Team to deliver monthly and annual targets, and improvement activity that enhances customer experience and complaint handling.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Education to A-level standard, including GCSE English and Maths at Grade C or above, or equivalent experience.
• Experience of working in a customer resolution or complaint handling environment, including handling sensitive information with tact and diplomacy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to understand, investigate and respond to complaints clearly, professionally and with empathy.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise work, use initiative, meet tight deadlines and remain self-motivated.
• Proven ability to manage a high caseload and work effectively under pressure while maintaining accuracy, professionalism and sound judgement.
• Emotional resilience to support residents and service users through the complaints process, including in difficult and sensitive circumstances, while working at pace.
• Knowledge and experience of complaint handling in a local government or health setting, particularly within corporate, Ombudsman and/or statutory complaints processes.
• Experience of dealing with people who are dissatisfied or unhappy, and managing those situations calmly and professionally.
• A sound understanding of confidentiality and data protection.
• The ability to identify possible safeguarding concerns and escalate information to the appropriate service where needed.
• The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment shaped by change and continuous improvement.
• Experience of analysing information and data, and using technology such as CRM systems and Microsoft Office.

To apply for this role, please ensure you submit an up-to-date CV and complete the personal statement section of the application, evidencing how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the criteria above.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Climate, Environment and Customer Services

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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