Nikhil Shah

Have an accounting background, worked in charity organisations and in Local Authority in Education in Compliance and Housing repairs. 

Have done volunteer work for Tower Hamlets doing Welfare and Debt.

A highly motivated, organised and adaptable individual experienced in Business Support. Meticulous with keen attention to detail, excellent time management and skills - ensuring all duties are completed efficiently and to the highest possible standard within allotted time frames. 

Looking for work in  Social Housing to develop my abilities.

EXPERIENCE        

VOLUNTEER ADVICE WORKER | Tower Hamlets Council                                                                                                         May 2019 – March 2020                                                                   

• Drop-in sessions and telephone advice sessions for local residents. Offer independent advice on a wide range of debt issues and housing on entitlement to benefits, ‘better-off’ calculations, reviews, appeals and tribunal hearings, welfare benefits, housing, debt, employment, immigration and an outline of consumer rights.
• The customer will receive help with basic advice, written advice, assisting with form filling, letter writing, follow up letters and advice issues. The client will receive continuous support on open cases. Carrying out interviewing clients, advice and advocacy work duties case recording on system Advice Pro. Being aware of confidentiality and equal opportunities. 

SPORTS TRADER                                                                                                                                                                                                    Jan 2017 – Onwards

• I have been successfully trading on sports markets as an alternate source of income. I use strategies and algorithms to profit through sports exchange platforms and monitoring risk factors for hedging activities.

BUSINESS SUPPORT OFFICER | Southwark Council                                                                                                     Aug 2016 – Oct 2016             

• Managing repair projects and ensuring that they are completed by deadlines.
• Investigating repair requests and undertaking accurate fault identification then arranging for repair work to be undertaken.
• Using systems such as the Avaya database to find resolutions in Housing (environment) queries via email.
• Raising tickets on CRM, for jobs to be carried out as per customers’ requests and to log escalations.
• Performing general administrative and office-based duties. 

TRANSPORT ADMINISTRATOR | Hackney Learning Trust (Hackney Council)                                                                       Oct 2014 – Mar 2016 

• Responsible for legal compliance and administrative support for Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) Travel from home to school including reimbursement of fares through BACS and production of annual reports.
• Preparing due diligence for applications for transport which is taken to panel. Dealing with appeals, sending appropriate paperwork to educational establishments for assessments and transport solutions.
• Providing information, guidance and support and dealing with queries by email and letter with parents, educational establishments and external agencies in addition to updating the transport rounds list. 
• Updating CAPITA database, filing documents on the IT systems, filing manual paperwork and dealing with post; as well as entering new notifications for early years on CAPITA.
• Advising staff and parents/carers with queries, application process and status of claims from process to decision. 

SOLE TRADER | Home Residence                                                                                                                                        Jan 2013 –Jul 2014 

Buying and selling international home furnishings from private residence. 

BUSINESS PARTNER | Locum Express                                                                                      Sep 2011 – Sep 2012 

• Partner of business specialising in recruiting and placing pharmacist and optometrist professionals for locum work across UK based private healthcare services.
• Documentation management and recruitment for all pharmacies and company staff as well as overseeing all  financial accounts and reporting. 
• Co-managed business development, contract negotiations, social networking and marketing. 
• Responsible for overseeing database management as well as complaints resolution.   

ANALYST | Ministry Of Defence                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Dec 2010 – May 2011

• Conducting special research projects, including gathering, compiling and analysing information; provides alternatives and makes recommendations on courses of action.
• Compiles information and maintains complex databases for tracking information for reporting purposes.
• Handling incoming / outgoing calls, correspondence and filing. 
• Faxing, printing, photocopying and scanning. 
• Creating and modifying documents using Microsoft Office. 
• Updating, processing and filing of all documents.

STORE MANAGER | Natural TONIC Juice Bar                                                                                                                                Apr 2009 – Nov 2010

Responsible for the day-to-day operation of a juice bar inside St James’ Park Station. 

SUMMARY OF FIXED TERM CONTRACT ROLES:                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2007 – 2009

Tribal Newchurch, Accounts Assistant; Aero Inventory (UK) Ltd, Accounts Assistant; Training and Development Agency For Schools, Accounts Assistant; Edexcel Ltd, Recruitment Specialist; Ocean Connect, Accounts Assistant; Solitaire Property Management, Accounts Assistant; University London, Finance Assistant.

CUSTOMER SERVICES/ACCOUNTS | Motability Finance                                                                        Feb 2001 – Mar 2007

• Helpdesk advisor responding promptly and effectively to customer queries and complaints. Mentoring and training new staff.
• Dealt with Finances and Credit Control.  Used SAP for accounts records, to collect and chase overdue payments, arrange instalment plans, calculate settlement figures, pro rata refunds and repayments on hire purchase rates. 
• Chased debts by phone and letter, put and remove accounts on suspensions, looked into long term arrears files, tracing and allocating payments. 
• Responsible for researching and updating policies on the intranet for the department of 60 people.
• Set a new precedent by doing my own market research and listing the findings to the Directors.
• Using KPI’s to analyse customer dissatisfaction and present them to managers to make changes on the scheme which increased customer satisfaction by 12% in the year and leading a team in Customer Complaints.
• Leading a team of four successfully producing The Monthly Procedure Guide for staff so all the latest policies and important information can be seen at a glance. 
• Creating new letter templates and statements for the department to send to customers to make it easier for them to understand.

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER | First National Tricity Finance Ltd                                                                                          Aug 1993 – Aug 2000                                                         

• Fulfilled the following key roles over a seven-year period; Customer Service Manager / New Business Officer/ Credit Assessor.
• Winning the first ‘Eagle Eye of the Month’ award in which I spotted and prevented the most money being lost to attempted fraud.

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

NVQ Level 3 Certificate in Advice and Guidance: Advice Skills, Welfare Rights, Housing and Debt                                     2019 – 2020

City & Guilds Level 2in Fuel Debt Advice                                       2020                                                                                                                           

NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievements                                                                                      2012

ITQ Level 2 Microsoft                                                                2010                                         

ITQ IT Level 1 Microsoft                                                            2007                                                                                                                                                                  

Diploma in Finance                                                         2006 – 2008 (Pitman)                                                                                                      

Modules: Bookkeeping, Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger, Final Accounts 1, Final Accounts 2, Sage Line 50 and Excel Proficient.

2‘A’ Levels: Accounting and Business Studies           Southgate College                                                                              1988 – 1990

6 ‘O’ Levels including Maths and English                    Minchenden School                                                                               1981 – 1987

Also received comprehensive CPD training in accounts packages such as SAP, MS Great Plains Dynamics