JOB DESCRIPTION HCC0496
READING BOROUGH COUNCIL
Post Reference No: HCC0496
Department/Directorate: Housing and
Community Care
Location: 19 Bennet Road
Job Title: Sundry Accounts Officer
Grade/Salary Range: Scale 5
JOB PURPOSE
1. To carry out a wide range of clerical and administrative duties relating to former
tenant arrears, rent administration, service charge administration for leaseholders and
tenants, and other housing related debts.
2. To identify former tenants and other housing related sundry debtors who are not
paying, negotiate and monitor repayment agreements, and carry out any appropriate
action to maximise our income.
3. Where necessary, to visit debtors who live within the Borough in order to resolve any
debtor related problems efficiently and effectively.
4. To help and advise all customers who raise queries either about their existing sundry
accounts or other related matters.
DESIGNATION OF POST AND POSITION WITHIN DEPARTMENTAL STRUCTURE
1. Reports to the Sundry Accounts Manager.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Corporate Responsibilities
1. To deal with colleagues and residents of Reading fairly and in accordance with the
Councils Customer care and Equal Opportunities policies.
2. To recover former arrears, garage arrears and sundry debts according to legal
guidelines and council procedures.
3. To carry out the posts duties in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations
and Standing Orders.
Direct Service Responsibilities
1. To raise invoices and pursue payment from sundry debtors, former tenants and former
garage tenants according to the relevant agreed procedure.
2. To extract information from the computerised systems answering any queries and
identifying former tenants, former garage tenants, and other housing related sundry
debtors who have a debt that is not being paid.
3. To contact people and negotiate agreements to pay off the debts.
4. To investigate and answer enquiries relating to the teams work from debtors, other
Council Officers and, where relevant, outside organisations.
5. To set up, change and close sundry debtor accounts according to information received
from other Sections within Housing.
6. To keep former tenants, and other housing related sundry debtors informed of any
changes made to their account.
7. To keep up to date records of any contact the post holder has with former tenants and
other sundry debtors of any action taken in relation to the account.
8. To identify and audit sundry debt accounts in credit, liaising with other departments
(i.e. Council Tax) to ensure there are no other debts to the council, and if appropriate,
co-ordinating refunds.
9. To administer the different payment methods available for current and former
tenants, and other Housing related sundry debtors.
10. To extract information from the Housing Benefit, Council Tax and Debtors
computerised systems in addition to the Rent Accounting system when investigating
and solving account problems.
11. To liaise with Neighbourhood Officers and other sections (e.g. Legal Services, Housing
Benefits, Council Tax, Anti Fraud etc) where necessary to carry out the post’s duties.
12. To liaise with other outside organisations as required (e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau,
Welfare Rights, Department of Social Security, Mental Health Teams, Debt Collection
Agencies).
13. To administer and allocate payments received from the external debt collection
agencies keeping accurate and up to date records to report to management on a
weekly basis.
14. To pursue repayments of debts until cleared and recommend cases for referral to
external debt collection agencies, or ‘write off’ where all other avenues have been
exhausted, according to council policies and procedures.
15. To keep accurate statistics and up to date records of all sundry debt recovery,
reporting progress to management as requested.
16. To negotiate realistic agreements to reduce Sundry Debts and Former tenant arrears
by answering telephone enquiries, interviewing tenants at the public counter and
visiting residents of the Borough in their own homes where necessary. This would
involve taking part in a duty rota covering the telephone and counter between 9am
and 5pm.
SCOPE OF JOB (Budgetary/Resource control, Impact)
No budgetary responsibility
SPECIAL/OTHER REQUIREMENTS or RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS POST
What level of CRB check is required for this post ?
Standard
Does the post require a Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) check?
Does the post require a Protection of Children Act (POCA) check ?
NO
NO
What other security/safer recruitment clearances are required for this post (excluding standard
identity/work permit/education qualification checks)? - None
Is this post 'politically restricted'?
NO
What Level H&S Responsibilities are applicable to this post? LEVEL 1
Please specify responsibility for implementing the Council's risk management strategy as it applies to the
service, ensuring risks to service delivery and specific projects or initiatives are recognized and that
actions are taken and monitored to mitigate risks identified
All activities are assessed for risks by the post holder or management and escalated when
deemed appropriate.
Please specify below any other Statutory Duties and/or responsibilities of this post not already covered in
the 'Main Duties and Responsibilities' above
None
PERSON SPECIFICATION
READING BOROUGH COUNCIL
Department/Directorate:
Housing and
Community Care
Job Title:
Sundry Accounts Officer
Post Reference No: HCC0496
Qualifications/Education/Training:
1. Good general level of education. GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths
Experience:
1. Experience within Income Management or Housing OR work of a similar nature, or able
to demonstrate the ability to acquire specific knowledge through training.
2. Experience of Income maximisation, giving help and advice to the public on financial
matters.
3. Experience of Computer systems, particularly spreadsheets, is essential.
Skills and Abilities:
1. Proven record of working on own initiative, and using own judgement to research and
solve problems.
2. Ability to listen to debtors’ problems and to deal fairly but firmly with them over the
phone or face-to-face.
3. Ability to make judgements about courses of actions and reasoned arguments to
support/recommend them.
4. Successful record of consistently achieving work targets within set deadlines.
5. Excellent negotiation skills in order to make realistic arrears agreements with the
debtors and to maximise income collection.
6. Good numerical skills in order to audit rent accounts.
7. A confidence in dealing with the public, an awareness of customer care and an
awareness of the need for confidentiality.
8. Evidence of working successfully under pressure.
9. Proven record of working well within a team.
10. Well-developed written communication skills in order to produce letters and memos
etc.
11. Well-developed verbal communication skills in order to explain basic problems and
procedures to customers and colleagues.
12. Ability to learn and understand straightforward procedures and regulations in order to
fulfil the job description for the post and deal with enquiries from tenants.
13. Ability to build and maintain effective contacts with members of other sections and
outside organisations.
Specific Working Requirements:
1.
Health & Safety Responsibility Level 1 to be undertaken