About the Role

To administer, collect and recover Housing Rent, and Temporary accommodation charges. To support the team and delivery against our statutory responsibilities.

We would expect the successful candidate to demonstrate the following competencies (not limited to):

1. • Experience working within Housing rent recovery
   • Experience working with multiple stakeholders to deliver services to customers
   • Experience working in a customer-focused environment and delivering outcomes to meet customer needs

About Us

The team is part of the Shared Finance Service between The London Borough of Sutton and the London Borough of Kingston, however, the team serves the Kingston side of the business and works with Kingston residents only.  As such the team is based in the Guildhall complex in Kingston.

The purpose of the team is to work within the Shared Finance Service to:

1. • Prevent rent arrears from escalating in line with the Council’s rent collection policies and procedures in an effort to prevent serious debt and homelessness
   • Identify where tenants may be experiencing difficulty in meeting their commitment to pay rent (and other such bills as council tax) and be able to provide debt counselling and advice or referral to the Financial Inclusion Team.
   • To refer tenants to internal and external support agencies, where appropriate, to ensure that the tenancy can be sustained and the tenant is supported throughout.
   • To work proactively and contribute ideas to improve income maximisation for the council and for individual tenants.
   • To make regular and early contact with all tenants in arrears through home visits, telephone calls, office interviews etc; sometimes outside regular working hours.
   • Negotiate repayment arrangements with tenants and take corrective action where such agreements are not maintained.
   • To prepare and serve Notices of Seeking Possession and, in the cases of introductory tenants to determine the appropriateness of the service of Notice of Possession Proceedings and ensure all pre-court protocol is followed.
   • To attend any Court Hearings as necessary in the absence of the Rent Arrears Recovery Lead
   • To liaise with Kingston Councils Housing department, Adult Social Care and Financial Inclusion to work towards the prevention of escalating arrears and homelessness.

About You

This is a busy, varied and exciting role and although the ideal candidate will come from a social housing background, we are open to applications from people with transferable skills.

For candidates with strong customer service skills and experience in a customer-facing role, an eagerness to learn, we are always keen to grow and develop talent and encourage applications from those who have the interest to pursue a career in Finance within the Council.