Brent Council are looking for a Debt Recovery Officer to join their team. As part of the Council’s focused Debt Recovery Project, post holders are required to maximise the recovery and enforcement of debts owed to the Council.
This role is subject to hybrid working arrangements; postholders are required to work from the office (Wembley) 1 day per week.
Job Purpose:
1. The post holder is required to recover and enforce collection for debts including Council Tax, Parking and Road Traffic, Housing Benefit Overpayments, Adult Social Care, Sundry Debt and/or any debt recovery portfolio managed within the Council.
2. To recover all debts in an efficient and objective manner, giving absolute attention to the financial interests of the Council in terms of all revenue and debt streams, and the Council’s ethical debt recovery policy.
3. Ensure that all debt is collected in accordance with prevailing legislation, case law and local policy.
4. To provide advice, information and assistance with enquiries relating to the collection of debt, resolution of service requests, complaints, subject access requests, freedom of information, and other complex or specialist areas of casework as required based on service priorities.
Principal Accountabilities and Responsibilities:
1. Use a variety of debt recovery techniques to enable successful recovery of all debts and minimise financial and/or subsidy loss to the Council, demonstrating sensitivity to the financial constraints clients may face balanced with the financial interests of the Council.
2. Take ownership of debt cases, making arrangements, pursuing payment, and taking cases through the debt recovery process.
3. Maintain debt cases and produce, interpret, maintain and analyse reports and spreadsheets to meet individual, team, and council-wide statistics.
4. Act as the first point of contact within the recovery and enforcement team, maintaining professional communications with internal and external customers by taking responsibility for all post, telephone, and electronic queries.
5. Ensure all cases are continually monitored by following up on arrangements that have been defaulted on and locating debtors who have absconded.
6. Maintain accurate, appropriate, and comprehensive records relating to customer accounts and contact.
7. Maintain positive relationships with all internal and external stakeholders to ensure the Council’s overall debt strategy is achieved.
8. Provide responses to correspondence and enquiries as necessary, always with a view to collecting debt expediently and in line with the Customer Promise.
9. Liaise with audit and investigations, and government departments on potential fraud cases in relation to recovery of debt.
10. Liaise with and work closely with internal and external legal services providers, enforcement agents, and debt collection agencies to ensure the maximum recovery of debts.
11. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and all employees are required to act in such a way that at all times safeguards the health and well-being of children and vulnerable adults.
12. Carry out duties with due regard to the Council’s Customer Care, Equal Opportunities, Information Governance, Data Protection, Health and Safety, and Emergency Planning & Awareness (including to provide assistance where available) policies and procedures.
13. Employees should embed environmental sustainability into their work, actively contributing to Brent becoming a carbon-neutral borough in 2030.
14. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of this post.
Skills and Abilities:
1. Ability to work independently as well as being able to contribute to a “total team” culture where there is a shared responsibility to achieve recovery target objectives.
2. Effective negotiation, persuasion, numerical, analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, and written communication skills.
3. Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
If you are interested in this role, please do reach out to me via email or telephone!
Email: amberrayment@carringtonblakerecruitment.com
Phone: 020 753 766 07
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