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

Please note that whilst we will accept applications on the basis of any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK, we will be surrendering the Riverside Sponsorship licence, so for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to apply for any further sponsorships whether on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.

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 with the ability to empathise with customers who are facing a range of issues.
• Be confident and consistent and have confidence to make decisions to deal with effective rent arrears management.
• Competent level of literacy, numeracy, administrational and IT Systems skills (to be able to produce reports and other communications).

Why Riverside?

• At Riverside, we're a housing association with a difference - enhancing the everyday for all our customers.
• For 90 years, we've been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.
• We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK.
• Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you'll enjoy:

• 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-produce 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-to-date advice relating to effective tenancy sustainment approaches to colleagues to assist in supporting customers with income management.
• Initiate a discussion with relevant parties 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 the 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 and when necessary.
• Ensure customers are safe at all times - carrying out all of your 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 on this basis, there may be the 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 with the ability to empathise with customers who are facing a range of issues.
• Be a team player, be flexible with a resilient, can-do attitude.
• Be confident and consistent and have confidence to make decisions to deal with effective rent arrears management.
• Competent level of literacy, numeracy, administrational and IT Systems skills (to be able to produce reports and other communications).

Desirable:

• 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.

About Us:

Riverside is one of the UK's leading not-for-profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing around 75,000 homes from Irvine to Kent. We are a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods dates back over 90 years. We have plans to build over 15,000 affordable homes over the next decade.