- The role will be in the office, but can be negotiated
- Negotiate arrangements with tenants
- Support vulnerable tenants
- Escalate cases through the escalation process
- Contact tenants via phone, e-mail and letter
- Visit tenants in their home for support and try and establish engagement
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
- To be the first point of contact for tenants and their representatives in respect to all residential rent charges, arrears and queries.
- Negotiate repayment plans, determining which cases to escalate and take legal action on rather internally or through referrals to legal services.
- To be responsible for meeting targets and objectives which maximise rent collection, influencing monthly and annual collection performance and arrears reduction.
- To liaise and correspond with tenants, the court service, external solicitors, other tenant representatives, fraud and investigation services, representing the Council's interests and providing a professional and responsive service.
- To adopt and promote modern ways of working, embracing new technology which improves the customer experience whilst creating efficiencies.
- To ensuring the Council's reputation is protected and enhanced through a high quality, professional income collection service.
Responsibilities
2.1. To ensure that customers are referred for debt counselling and welfare benefit advice and services that are appropriate to the customer needs and service requirements with a particular emphasis on assisting vulnerable tenants and/or signposting them to Local Support or external support agencies.
2.2. To take appropriate and timely action on rent arrears cases, closely monitoring and analysing accounts, working closely with relevant agencies and departments to provide sustainable and affordable debt repayments..
2.3. To agree arrears repayment plans after negotiating and evidencing a personal budgeting and affordability assessment with the tenant and their representatives. .
2.4. To refer tenants to Local Support for debt / money advice, maximising their income and benefits to pay their rent.
Knowledge, including educational qualifications:
Educated to 'O' level/GCSE standard or similar qualification.
Knowledge of debt management procedures, including legal process, rent and service charge setting principles.
Knowledge of computerised rental management systems.
Understanding of the issues relating to equal opportunities in service delivery and provision and to actively promote ways of eradicating racism, sexism and other forms of negative discrimination through the Council's policies and procedures.
Understanding of and compliance with the Council's Health & Safety Policy.
Experience:
Experience in a customer facing role, ideally in a social housing or income collection.
Experienced in the application of housing income collection procedures and policies.
Experience of working in a performance management environment and experienced in the development and meeting of personal and team performance targets
RQ1348158