Role Purpose

Visiting officers provide high level quality, professional and comprehensive visiting collection/assessment service across the Assessment Hub, are adaptable and are able to follow standard operating procedures with limited supervision
Deliver an effective, efficient and customer focused service in line with Corporate Policies and within national and local legislative requirements.
Visiting officers should actively support continuous improvement and the implementation of automation and efficient ways of working.

Responsibilities

Deal with customer enquiries at all levels and follow through to resolution, ensuring all relevant systems are updated and the adequate audit trails are in place.
Proactively develop skills, understanding and abilities in delivering support services in order to carry out standardised processes in a consistent and efficient manner
Deal professionally and effectively with all contacts from a wide range of people, using tact and discretion, assessing needs and re-directing enquiries, where appropriate.
Understand and be responsive to the needs of customers, offering technical assessment and collection advice and guidance both written and verbal, and present a positive and professional image to the customer at all times, ensuring a high standard of customer service
Maintain clear and up to date records of customer contact and work undertaken across the shared resource and proactively establish areas of specialism within the Assessment Hub
Provide an accessible customer focused service and effectively engage with vulnerable/challenging customers and situations.
Maintain a wide knowledge of policies, procedures and statutory legislation and to regularly update that knowledge in order to give correct service information and advice.
Work as a team to encourage customers to use the council website as a knowledge base and customer portal for financial assessment, income, debt and income maximisation enquiries.

Requirements

A good understanding of collection, income-related assessments and benefit services delivered across the Council
A good knowledge of best practice approaches in collection/assessment of income related and other reductions within a local authority environment
A good understanding of welfare benefits and best practice approaches to aligning decision making with value for money principles
Business administration/Local Government professional qualification in collection/benefit/welfare reform services or equivalent
Experience/successful track record of providing a visiting services.
Adaptable and keen to be part of a pooled resource across the assessment hub
Experience of dealing with income related and other claims, changes in circumstance and other enquiries within a collection/assessment related environment delivering high quality services

Visiting Officer

Job Description