Senior Debt Advice Officer - Reading, United Kingdom - Reading Borough Council

Reading Borough Council
Reading Borough Council
Verified Company
Reading, United Kingdom

3 weeks ago

Tom O´Connor

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter
Description
Job description

Full Time - Fixed Term for 12 months

We are a friendly Debt Advice Team working within Tenant Services.

We provide impartial advice to council tenants or any resident of Reading at risk of homelessness to explore ways they can increase income, reduce outgoings, and review debt options to prevent homelessness and improve their situations.


We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success.

Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.


About the role
We require an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join the Debt Advice Team. The role will require you to

  • Train and develop team members to develop a thorough and uptodate working knowledge of relivant procedures, policies, guidance and legislation.
  • Assist with quality control checking and providing constructive feedback to team members to improve performance, taking any necessary action to resolve issues.
  • To provide specialist support and advice on more complex cases to Debt Advice Team members, Housing, and partner organisations.
  • Promote an awareness of welfare benefits and oversee take up campaigns.
  • To resolve service users' issues based on a thorough specialist knowledge of relevant policies, procedures and legislation (including those that are complex and contentious contacts where judgement needs to be exercised).
  • To respond to all customer contacts; complaints, requests for services in the agreed timescales using the policies and procedures appropriate to the service area needs.


You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability.

As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.


Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success.

Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:


Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do


Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential


Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance - striving to be even better - and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way


Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed


About you


You'll have excellent customer service skills, experience of giving help and advice to the public whilst maintaining confidentiality, as well as experience in quality checking work and providing constructive feedback and training.

The following will also help you to hit the ground running:


  • Proven record of working on own initiative, using own judgement to research and solve problems.
  • Ability to manage and balance your own workload having regard for competing demands in an often highly pressurised environment.
  • Ability to assimilate information quickly, assess situations and make recommendations.

Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across.

Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

  • Generous holiday entitlement
  • 24 days holiday each year plus bank holidays
  • rising to 32 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
  • A wide range of flexible working opportunities
  • Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
  • Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
  • Onsite day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted, and a salary sacrifice scheme to help lower the cost of your nursery fees
  • Season Ticket Loan to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
  • Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date: 24 January 2023

Interview Date: 7 February 2023
More jobs from Reading Borough Council
See all jobs of Reading Borough Council