Job Details
Purpose of the Role:
Collection/assessment officers provide high level quality, professional and comprehensive collection/assessment services across the Assessment Hub, are adaptable and are able to follow standard operating procedures with limited supervision.
Deliver an effective, efficient and customer focused service in line with Corporate Policies and within national and local legislative requirements.
Collection/financial assessment officers should actively support continuous improvement and the implementation of automation and efficient ways of working.
This position will also require the holder to keep up to date with developments and practices in the service.
Key Accountabilities:
1. Responsible for delivering, to a high standard, the collection/assessment support service menus, working across the Assessment Hub as a pooled resource to ensure effective operation of the services. Including but not limited to the assessment and determination of income related benefits and other reductions, complex collection service matters, data entry, customer contact, and understanding service specific collection/assessment tasks.
2. Understand and be responsive to the needs of customers, offering technical assessment and collection advice and guidance both written and verbal, and present a positive and professional image to the customer at all times, ensuring a high standard of customer service.
3. Proactively develop skills, understanding and abilities in delivering support services in order to carry out standardised processes in a consistent and efficient manner
4. Deal professionally and effectively with all contacts from a wide range of people, using tact and discretion, assessing needs and re-directing enquiries, where appropriate.
5. Deal with customer enquiries at all levels and follow through to resolution, ensuring all relevant systems are updated and the adequate audit trails are in place.
6. Maintain clear and up to date records of customer contact and work undertaken across the shared resource and proactively establish areas of specialism within the Assessment Hub.
7. Work closely with Assessment Hub managers to ensure an integrated strategic approach to operation of the service.
8. Provide an accessible customer focused service and effectively engage with vulnerable/challenging customers and situations.
9. Maintain a wide knowledge of policies, procedures and statutory legislation and to regularly update that knowledge in order to give correct service information and advice.
10. Work as a team to encourage customers to use the council website as a knowledge base and customer portal for financial assessment, income, debt and income maximisation enquiries.
11. Attend service team meetings and, with colleagues, contribute ideas and make recommendations for improvements/changes in existing procedures, policies and processes.
12. Organise and prioritise own workload as appropriate, renegotiating targets/deadlines as conflicting demands necessitate.
13. Understand when and how to escalate issues to ensure requests are completed within a timely manner.
14. Maintain up to date knowledge to ensure effective utilisation of IT systems used
15. Inform opportunities to eliminate waste, stop non-value adding activities and maximise the potential of simplified and shared ways of working and automation
16. Carry out all accountabilities in compliance with the Council’s Policies and Procedures
17. To work as part of a team and to assist in the delivery and completion of assessment/collection work, supporting different work projects, ensuring the successful completion of the project.
18. Maintain accurate and effective communication with your line manager ensuring that they are regularly appraised of changes and developments affecting the allocated work.
19. To undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the grading of the post
20. At all times to carry out responsibilities with due regard to the Council’s Code of Conduct and related policies i.e. Equalities & Diversity, Data Protection, Confidentiality, Health & Safety.
The range of outcomes we expect you to do are set out above, however this is not intended as a complete description of your job. We reserve the right to ask you to undertake any tasks that are consistent with the grade to ensure effective service delivery. This may include working in any other service areas and / or varying hours of work, as may be reasonably required of you.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential:
• Experience/successful track record of providing collection/financial assessment services.
• Adaptable and keen to be part of a pooled resource across the assessment hub
• Experience of processing income related and other claims, changes in circumstance and other enquiries within a collection/assessment related environment delivering high quality services
• Good written and oral communications skills and the ability to communicate complex matters effectively to customers.
• Good IT/Technical skills, knowledge
• Evidence of continuous professional development of skills and knowledge
Desirable:
Experience of collection/assessment related roles
Business administration/professional collection/assessment qualification
Competencies:
1. Influence
a. Build Relationships
b. Communicating Information
2. Solving Problems
a. Investigating Issues
b. Creating Innovation
3. Adaptability
a. Resilience
b. Giving Support
4. Deliver Results
a. Driving Success
b. Planning and Managing Resources
Knowledge
1. A good understanding of collection, income/financial related assessments and benefit services delivered across the Council
2. A good knowledge of best practice approaches in collection/financial assessments of income related and other reductions within a local authority environment
3. A good understanding of welfare benefits and best practice approaches to aligning decision making with value for money principles
Qualification(s)
1. Business administration/Local Government professional qualification in collection/benefit/welfare reform services or equivalent
If you are interested in this role please do reach out to me via email or telephone!
amberrayment@carringtonblakerecruitment.com
020 753 766 07
