Revenue Services Collection Officer

We have a vacancy in our Rent Collection Service and are looking for a capable and ambitious individual to join Richmond and Wandsworth Council's Shared Staffing Arrangement. You will be a team player, articulate and organised and help play a central role in achieving positive outcomes for our tenants.

You will be responsible for collecting rent from all tenants of residential and non-residential properties such as garages and store sheds. Rent Collection Service is a customer facing role and we are a first point of contact for our tenants who primarily contact us via telephone therefore, excellent telephone manner is essential.

About the role:

Patch management: You will manage your rent patch and assist tenants in sustaining their tenancies by being a dedicated point of contact. You will provide advice and support with rent arrears, benefit advice, signpost tenants to relevant in house and external support agencies, arrange suitable affordable repayments for rent arrears whilst considering tenants vulnerabilities.

Rent arrears work and decision making: You will be responsible for the preparation and hand delivery of Notices Seeking Possession and Notices to Quit on arrears cases. You will advise tenants as to the implications of further arrears action such as possession proceedings and eviction and prepare Court Referrals where eviction action is unavoidable ensuring tenants' vulnerabilities have been considered.

Empathetic and good listener: You will be emotionally mature and confident to work with people facing difficult circumstances by being a good listener and able to apply what you hear to the legal framework in which we work.

Organisation and communication: You will be organised in your work, able to write detailed case notes and complete accurate referrals to a high standard including discussing complex cases with other professionals, explaining different rent arrears options. You will be able to keep on top of changing priorities.

A thorough working knowledge of debt recovery procedures in a Social Housing environment.

Good knowledge of services, benefits and support available to applicants experiencing rent arrears and other debt issues.

Experience of effective communication with tenants by phone, email, letters and in person with a sensitive approach to identified vulnerabilities.

Experience of effective record keeping, including electronically held information.

Excellent communication skills including the ability to wite detailed case notes and letters.

Ability to work unsupervised, prioritise workloads and achieve targets and deadlines.

Highly motivated with a clear commitment to delivering a high-quality service.

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils