Senior Services Manager

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Customer Service Manager to join our Customer Experience Directorate located at our Head Office in Westminster and shortly moving to our new offices in Caledonia Road London N7

£40,000.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week with agile working. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel like you're part of one team? You'll feel at home here.

This role requires a valid Right to Work for the UK as Look Ahead are not a sponsoring organisation.

What you'll do:

Customer Support and Complaints Management

Manage "Feedback" inbox and Log, acknowledge and assign complaints for investigation.
Ensure complaints are responded too and fully investigated within the required timeframes and update customers effectively to ensure customers confidence in the complaints process Is maintained.
Investigating complex complaints.
Work closely with the Head of Customer Service to ensure the process is effective and meets regulative and best practice standards.
Respond to all stage 1 and 2 complaints in accordance with Look Ahead Complaints and feedback policy, timescales, and quality standards, share best practice\lessons learnt and drive forward the business agenda.
Support the Head of Customer Services to acknowledge, manage and assign stage 2 complaints.Actively promote and raise awareness of the Customer Service Standards across the organisation and customer groups and ensure it is inclusive and accessible.
Leading on undertaking internal performance audits against published customer service standards.
Identify root causes of issues and put forward proposals to Management for service improvement and ensure long term solutions are applied across the business.
Alongside the Head of Customer Services, keep the Executive Director of Customer Experience regularly appraised of developments with customer service performance, risk profile, highlighting serious cases at the earliest opportunity.
Work with the Head of Customer Services to deliver against the service improvement plan/Customer Service Standards Framework "Plan, Do, Check, Act"
Attend customer forums to listen, learn, feedback, act, share and report.
Training, Learning and Reporting:

For our full job description please visit our website

About you:

Is motivated towards excellence and customer service.
Excellent communication and inter-personal skills
Creative and willing to challenge existing approaches.
Well organised and excellent at working to deadlines.
Approachable and open behaviour
Fundamentally calm and resilient under pressure
Enjoys managing others and is assertive.
Has a practical and logical mind
What you'll bring:

To apply you will need to provide a current CV with a one page supporting statement explaining evidence of how you meet the specific job criteria.

Essential:

Demonstrable experience and commitment to delivering high standards of customer service.
Experience of managing and resolving complaints and concerns: face to face, telephone, letters and through email-
Understanding of Look Ahead's Customer group and support needs.
Ability to work with a range of internal and external colleagues.
Ability or direct experience of managing complaints from members of the public and behaviours that some people may find challenging.
Experience of developing and delivering learning events/ workshops/ or training
Experience of working to timescales and deadlines.
Experience of undertaking fact finding investigations
Ability to plan, prioritise a variety of tasks with a high level of accuracy.
Ability to negotiate, persuade and influence others and to set others task to meet deadlines.
Experience of working with confidential and sensitive personal data with an understanding of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Excellent written skills
Excellent IT skills, including Word, Outlook, and Excel.
Ability to analyse data, identify trends and compile reports.
Desirable:

Direct experience of supporting vulnerable adults/ or handling complaints of customers who may present challenging behaviour.
A working knowledge of the Housing Ombudsman or similar body
Understanding of Supported Housing, Care and Housing regulation
Experience of working in a customer services and continuous improvement environment
Experience of working to regulatory timescales
About us:

Look Ahead is a dynamic, leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the Southeast. As an organisation we deliver over 110 services, providing support to around 7000 customers each year. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.