Apprentice Income Recovery Officer

• Help to identify and effectively monitor all former accounts, including taking payments and to take appropriate action in accordance with established procedures.  As and when required, assist in resolving low level/static current tenant debt.
• Support with utilising all legal avenues available, in recovering an outstanding debt, i.e. attachment of earnings, third party deductions, alternative payment arrangements, charging orders.
• Help to manage the Universal Credit landlord portal and manual SRS requests in verifying a customer’s housing circumstances, requesting alternative payment arrangements and third-party deductions.
• Undertake routine clerical and administrative duties as required for the day to day operational needs of the service, as requested by management, i.e. stationary, handling incoming and outgoing post, petty cash, postage, filing, photocopying, scanning and maintaining inventories.
• Assist with ordering goods, services and to raise and receipt requisitions on the Oracle Fusion system in accordance with relevant financial regulations.
• Support with the production of letters, mail merge, reports, e-mails, agendas, minutes, data analysis, statistics and reports for performance reporting.
• Help respond to general enquiries relating to the service, i.e. rent account information, scheduled appointments, triage, direct debits, rent statements, ICON payments.
• Operate and maintain manual and computerised systems in line with the general data protection regulations.  To record all contact with customers and stakeholders, ensuring that such records are clear, correct and precise.
• Assist with managing information on the relevant systems, databases and spreadsheets, i.e. SQL reports, customer contacts, raising court and eviction dates, court orders and costs.
• Undertake all aspects of legal administration as directed by the team, i.e. creating court/warrant applications, recording court outcomes, court dates, court supervisions.
• Liaise with all relevant departments in connection with legal action being taken by the team, i.e. Repairs, Bailiffs, Sandwell Locals, Legal Services, Housing Solutions, Adults and Children’s Services.
• Liaise with debt collection agencies on tracing, referrals and repayments, ensuring that payments received are posted to customers’ accounts in a timely manner, acting as the first point of contact for queries.
• Help manage applications/rejections/queries and cancellations relating to the Department for Work and Pensions third party deduction scheme.
• Carry out your responsibilities with due regard to the Council’s policy, organisation and arrangements for Health and Safety at Work.
• Carry out your responsibilities with regards to the Council’s policy on Data Protection/Information Management.

The apprenticeship training will be delivered in the workplace, as you will receive visits from a college assessor. 

The skills, knowledge and experience gained in this apprenticeship will allow you to gain future opportunities in this sector.

Proof of qualification certificates will be required during the recruitment process. Please be aware that you will come into contact with sensitive information, of which data security must be maintained.

You will need to be flexible and be very confident in talking to people at all levels. You must be prepared to adhere with Council Policies including the Data Protection Act. 

We reserve the right to close vacancies prior to their advertised date, if we receive a large number of applications. Therefore, you are strongly advised to complete and return your application as soon as possible. 

Sandwell is a large, multicultural metropolitan borough situated in the heart of the Black Country, to the west of Birmingham, within the West Midlands conurbation and with a population of over 280,000. The Council is one of the largest employers in the Borough with employees in a variety of occupations, providing a comprehensive range of services. Find out more information on Sandwell’s Values and Behaviours on the council’s webpage. For more information on careers in local government you can view a copy of the Local Government Career Guide.