Ombudsman Case Handler
Do you have a passion for fairness and want to do work that makes a positive difference to someone’s life?
Are you skilled in complaint handling and provide excellent customer service?
We have exciting opportunities in the Assessment and Resolution Team for someone who wants to work in a lively and collaborative environment helping students who have unresolved complaints about their higher education provider.
Full training and mentoring will be given and we’d welcome applications from a range of applicants, including graduates, with an interest in higher education and the ombudsman sector or those looking for a career change. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then apply today!
This is a fantastic hybrid working opportunity with a flexible organisation.
Position: Case-handler
Location: Reading/Hybrid
Hours: Full-time, 35 Hours per week (part-time working considered)
Salary: Starting salary £34,099.
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: 10:00am, 02 March 2026
Interviews: Week commencing 13th April
Benefits include:
- Generous holiday entitlement of 28 days (rising to 33 days) plus bank holidays
- Contribution to Gym membership (on completion of probation)
- Attractive defined benefit pension scheme
- Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
About the Organisation
Join an organisation with a vision where students are always treated fairly and the team work towards this by resolving complaints from students, sharing learning from complaints to help improve policies and practices at higher education providers, and working with other organisations in the higher education sector and beyond.
About the Role
As a Case-handler you will work as part of the team responsible for conducting the initial assessment process for complaints and for resolving complaints. This is a public-facing role with a varied and interesting caseload that involves extensive interaction with students and universities/colleges.
Full training will be provided and a mentor will be at hand to help support and help you understand the needs and demands of the role.
Please note that minimum office attendance of one day a week is required, and more attendance will be needed during your probationary period (6 months). All successful candidates will start at the starting salary point shown and this is non-negotiable.
Responsibilities include:
- Determine whether complaints are eligible for review and communicate decisions to students;
- Request and obtain documentation and information from higher education providers, students and student representatives;
- Promote early resolution of cases by contacting students, student representatives and providers with a view to negotiating the early settlement of complaints;
- Provide effective guidance to students, student representatives and providers on the case-handling process, possible remedies and typical timeframes;
- Conduct reviews of complaints, draft and issue Complaint Outcomes
About You
You will have:
- Excellent written and oral/ telephone/video call communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- A customer service focus.
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Ability and willingness to learn new processes and procedures with a positive attitude.
- Resilience to work in a demanding and high-volume environment.
- Comfortable with technology and with the ability to adjust to new and changing IT systems and processes.
- Strong and recent experience of using Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
The charity values diverse backgrounds, life and work experiences, and perspectives. It has a supportive and inclusive organisational culture and would like the organisation to be representative of the community and the people who use its service. It welcomes applications from candidates from all backgrounds, in particular, it would welcome applicants from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds. Applications for full-time or part-time working will be considered.
Qualifications
Given the mission and purpose, we will consider any higher education qualifications, degree subjects or demonstrable interest/commitment to higher education in all its forms.
You may also have experience in roles such as Customer Service, Complaint Handler, Case Handler, Ombudsman, Resolution, Resolution Case Handler, Resolution Worker, Case-Handler, Complaints Handler, Junior Complaints Handler, Graduate Complaints Handler, Telephone Complaints Handler, Customer Care, Customer Care and Complaints Handler, Complaint Handler and Client Liaison, Complaints Investigation, Disputes, Disputes Handler, Complaints and Disputes Handler, Complaints Officer, Disputes Officer.
Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People.
You will be required to attend the office for a minimum of 2 days per week with the option to work remotely for the remaining 3 days.
About us
Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. We are a global movement of people, churches and local organisations who passionately champion dignity, equality and justice worldwide. We are the changemakers, the peacemakers, the mighty of heart.
We're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and recognise the value this brings in forming strong, creative and high performing teams. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, and from those with experience from outside of the voluntary sector. And no, you don't have to be Christian to work here - we encourage people of all faiths and none to apply. We just ask that everyone lives out our values of dignity, equality, justice and love. We value a good work-life balance, so we're open to part-time and flexible working. We also offer hybrid working for our office-based colleagues and the option of being a homeworker for most of our roles too.
Learn about our vision, mission and values
About the role
The Campaigns Officer is a fast-paced and exciting role. It leads and contributes to a variety of projects to deliver our campaigns, equip and inspire our core audience to get involved in activism, and build power in the movements for justice of which Christian Aid is part
The postholder will help develop a range of strategies, tactics and activities to help deliver our campaigning work. They will create resources and marketing content, develop and lead workshops and much, much more.
The role reports to the Campaigns Advisor and works closely with colleagues across our Income and Public Engagement team to engage Christians to give, act, pray in support of Christian Aid. The role will also work closely with our UK influencing team to ensure our actions and tactics contribute to making impact.
About you
You will be passionate about tackling poverty, making change happen and building the agency of others to campaign.
You will be comfortable taking on responsibility for delivering projects and outputs within agreed parameters and able to scope and shape projects as required - as such you will have proven project management skills and ability to work unsupervised, under pressure and juggling multiple priorities simultaneously.
You will have knowledge and experience of winning campaigns, mobilising a wide range of people and applying different campaign methodologies
You will have a good understanding of UK churches in their diversity.
A full list 'person specification' is included in the job profile.
Further information
At Christian Aid we strive to be an inclusive and diverse employer and recognise the value that this brings in helping to build strong, creative and high performing teams.
We are actively encouraging racialised minorities, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people with caring responsibilities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, women, and older workers to apply. This is because these groups are under-represented within our teams, especially at senior level, and we recognise and value the contributions members of these groups make to strong, creative and high performing teams.
We have a strong Christian ethos and we encourage applications from all faiths. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and sympathy with Christian Aid's faith identity.
All successful candidates will require a DBS/police check appropriate to the role and location and a Counter Terrorism Sanction check as part of your clearance for commencing your role with us. We also participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information as part of the referencing process from job applicants' previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
This role requires applicants to have the right to live and work in the country where this position is based and undertake the role that you have been offered. If you are successful and we make you an offer for the role, we will be required to conduct a right to work check on your immigration status in the UK. We will contact you regarding the documentation you will need to provide to evidence this.
You can expect a wide range of rewards and benefits, please refer to the benefits booklet for your location to see our full list of employee benefits.
For Salary details for this role, please refer to the Salary band by location.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Senior Development Manager (Trees for Streets) is the strategic development lead for our Trees for Streets programme. It is a unique and exciting programme that operates across the UK.
They are responsible for managing and optimising the programme, also known as ‘The National Street Tree Sponsorship Scheme’. They will ensure that this special and innovative initiative can flourish as a nationally significant programme, which gets noticed by decision makers and the public alike.
Through maximising the opportunities offered by Trees for Streets, they will play a pivotal role in securing major and fresh investment into streets. This will help transform streets into leafy, liveable places, ultimately mobilising partners and communities towards the planting and long-term stewardship of urban trees.
ABOUT TREES FOR CITIES
Trees for Cities is an ambitious, far-reaching organisation.
Trees for Cities is the only charity that focuses on planting, protecting and promoting urban trees across the UK. We are a rapidly growing and developing organisation that suits ambitious, dedicated and passionate staff. It’s an exciting time to join as we embark on a new 5-year strategy, which will see us launch a movement for urban trees and tree equity.
ABOUT YOU
A strategic mindset: This is a senior, highly collaborative and outward-facing role, which can shape and execute strategic decisions to increase the effectiveness of this special programme for us and our partners. You will have a strategic mindset, complemented by deep programme management experience. You will be confident in scoping and identifying development opportunities, whilst also providing effective management of a multi-scheme programme. You are confident with partners, and they feel involved and central to decision-making.
On partnerships: You will already be adept at high-level partnership management and correspondingly have advanced influencing and negotiating skills. You have a good sense for where synergy exists and are confident engaging people about opportunities. A business mindset and ways of working will be innate to you. Importantly, you can blend the financial and technical opportunities offered by sponsorship platforms with the strategic objectives of a charity to help change lives with trees and build movements for change.
Managing programme complexity: This is a complex programme, with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. You won't be phased by that, because you enjoy collaborative working and know how to manage a diverse range of relationships towards a common purpose, especially when you are not directly responsible for their work. Being a complex programme, there is a lot to keep on top of, but you are a natural problem solver, and attention to detail matters to you.
On learning: You might not know a huge amount about trees, and that's fine (for now), but you are passionate about how sponsorship programmes and ‘tech for good’ can play a pivotal role in making life better, drive powerful partnerships, and bring in fresh resources to help address environmental and social problems. Whilst your knowledge about schemes like this, or how to plant trees in streets is limited, you are not fazed by the need for this learning.
Understanding context: You will have great insight into how Local Authorities operate, know what’s important to them and instinctively know how a sponsorship scheme can help them deliver on multiple objectives that matter to them. At the same time, you’ll have at least some sense for the national stakeholders and funders who have an interest in creating leafy streets and can work up purposeful relationships with them.
Trees for Cities is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. We value diversity and are committed to promoting diversity within the workplace. We aim to ensure that our employees achieve their full potential and that all employment decisions, including recruitment, are taken without reference to irrelevant or discriminatory criteria. A full copy of our Equal Opportunities Policy can be provided on request.
HOW TO APPLY
Please visit our website to view the full job description. To apply, use the application link below to submit your CV and supporting statement (no more than 2 sides of A4) outlining why you are interested in the role and your fit with the Person Specification.
We actively encourage you to talk to us about the role and the programme, especially if you are not sure about your fit. If you would like to have an informal chat before applying, please contact Carrie Hume, Development and Partnerships Director.
Please note we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role; you must therefore have a valid right to work in the UK to apply.
- The deadline to apply is: Sunday 22nd February at 23:30
- Interviews are scheduled for: The 2nd and 3rd of March, with a second interview likely to follow on the 11th of March.
If you are shortlisted for an interview, you will normally be contacted within two weeks after applying. If you do not hear from us within this period, then you should assume that on this occasion you have not been selected for an interview.
Trees for Cities is the first UK environmental organisation to have been awarded social value certification. Trees for Cities is an equal opportunities employer. Registered Charity No: 1032154.
No Agencies Please.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
