Income and Admin Officer in Sittingbourne

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £28,031.56 per annum

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Working Pattern: Mon to Fri 8am-4pm / 9am-5pm, flexible between 7am-7pm to suit the business and employee

Location: The Quays, Sittingbourne

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter.

The difference you will make as an Income and Administration Officer:

• Work collaboratively as part of a committed team to provide income management advice, guidance and support to customers and colleagues.
• The focus of this role is to support customers to sustain their tenancies, maximise the organisation’s rental income and deliver income administration across a defined number of properties.

About you:

• Experience of working with vulnerable and diverse customer groups and individuals with complex needs.
• Experience of working in a customer-facing environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide advice, support and empathise with customers facing a range of issues.
• Be confident and consistent with the ability to make decisions for effective rent arrears management.
• Competent level of literacy, numeracy, administrative and IT systems skills (to produce reports and other communications).

Why Riverside?

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 25 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues. Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability.

Role Profile:

• Take responsibility for arrears management, rent collection and maximising income, working in partnership with colleagues using psychologically informed environments (PIE) and trauma informed care principles.
• Ensure customers have a clear understanding of their responsibilities regarding the payment of rent and service charges and their impact on maintaining their tenure.
• Support colleagues by proactively engaging customers providing advice, guidance and co-producing plans as part of the responsive rent arrears management process.
• Manage the income management process by co-producing a bespoke payment plan tailored to the individual’s circumstances.
• Provide guidance and advice to customers to ensure they are financially included, sign-posting to relevant resources relating to benefit claims, debt issues, and money management.
• Make referrals to the Riverside Income Maximisation Team when dealing with complex cases.
• Proactively provide up-date advice relating to effective tenancy sustainment approaches to colleagues to assist in supporting customers with income management.
• Initiate discussions on complex arrears cases to present facts about how the arrears will be managed.
• Support colleagues dealing with evictions where required.
• Provide advice to customers around setting up efficient payment options.

Provide administrative support by:

• Administrating petty cash for the required services.
• Assisting with the monitoring of income and expenditure.
• Generating and communicating rent statements to customers and colleagues as required.
• Maintaining and updating tenancy information, rent accounts and financial information on the appropriate digital platforms.
• Collating and submitting information, including funding and performance returns.
• Producing reports and other written documentation to support income management delivery as required.

Other Duties:

• You will be required to work normal office hours, which may include some flexibility to meet customer and business needs.
• You will be required to travel to different properties within the defined area as and when required.
• Use the Lone Worker system as necessary.
• Ensure customers are safe at all times - carrying out all duties within Riverside’s Policy and Procedure framework e.g. health & safety, safeguarding, dignity at work, GDPR opportunities, cash handling, etc.
• Deliver your role in line with Riverside company values – “Our Riverside Way”.
• Participate in team meetings, attend regular supervisions and reflecting practice sessions.
• Undertake regular training and take responsibility for continuous development to enable you to deliver your role safely.
• From time to time you may be required to undertake additional duties and responsibilities in consultation with your Line Manager.

Additional Information:

• The Group has offices across the UK and there may be a requirement to travel to other locations to effectively perform this role.
• The role will be exposed to sensitive information; therefore, the role holder is expected to maintain levels of confidentiality at all times.
• In order to fulfil the requirements of this role, you will be required to work flexibly during the hours of operation.
• The role holder is expected to be committed to equal opportunities and to promote non-discriminatory practices in all aspects of work undertaken.

Person specification:

• Essential Knowledge & Experience:
• Experience of working with vulnerable and diverse customer groups and individuals with complex needs.
• Experience of working in a customer-facing environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide advice, support and empathise with customers facing a range of issues.
• Be a team player, flexible with a resilient, can-do attitude.
• Be confident and consistent with the ability to make decisions for effective rent arrears management.
• Competent level of literacy, numeracy, administrative and IT systems skills (to produce reports and other communications).

• Desirable Knowledge:
• Knowledge of current benefit systems.
• Experience of working in care and support services.
• Ability to plan, prioritise and organise tasks to achieve results.
• Knowledge of debt management.