HARINGY COUNCIL JOB SCRIPTION irectorate: Adult and Housing Services Business Unit: Community Housing Services Job Title: Income Recovery Team Leader Post No: 50079577 Grade: Reports to: PO4 Temporary Accommodation Service Manager Responsible for: Senior Income Recovery Officer (PO2) Income Recovery Officers (9 x PO1) MAIN PURPOS To provide an efficient, high quality customer-centred Income Recovery Service that maximises the collection of rent and service charges from the residents of temporary accommodation, and ensures that all rent accounts are closely monitored and that appropriate and timely action is taken to address the reasons for non-payment and late payment. To develop, update and implement clear and effective multi agency arrangements for the delivery of a comprehensive welfare benefit and money advice and support service for residents of temporary accommodation in order to maximise their income, minimise arrears and indebtedness, help them sustain their tenancies, and tackle fuel poverty, child poverty and worklessness. To deputise for the Temporary Accommodation Service Manager as required, work in partnership with the Tenancy Support Team Leader and provide the Temporary Accommodation Service with management cover in the absence of the Tenancy Support Team Leader. ROL AN UTIS 1. Manage, motivate and develop the Income Recovery Team to achieve high standards of customer care, ensuring that work is closely monitored and carried out in line with legislation, regulations, service standards and the Council s policies and procedures. Jf Income Recovery Team Leader v1.1.doc Updated September 2011 Page 1 of 7
2. Provide the Senior and Income Recovery Officers with regular supervision and appraisal, setting professional standards as appropriate, in order to ensure a consistently high standard of work, an equitable distribution of the workload, and the effective monitoring of performance and outputs. 3. irect and develop members of the Income Recovery Team in a manner that makes best use of the human, housing and financial resources available to the Council, taking into account local conditions, government priorities, new regulations and legislation, customer care initiatives and the development of housing and employment options, Haringey s Homelessness and the Council s commitment to maximising residents income and tackling fuel poverty, child poverty and worklessness. 4. nsure that the Income Recovery Service is culturally sensitive, challenges discrimination and is delivered in a manner that is welcoming and accessible to vulnerable adults, people whose first language is not nglish, and people who have a disability, a learning difficulty or find it difficult to read or write. 5. Work with the Temporary Accommodation Service Manager to monitor and manage budgets in a way that makes best use of resources in accordance with good practice, the principles of Best Value, and the Council s financial regulations. 6. nsure that all members of the Income Recovery Team are aware of relevant regulations and legislation, including homelessness legislation and the Council s legal obligations as a landlord and manager of temporary accommodation. 7. Represent the Housing Service and the Council on a variety of forums, working parties and multi-agency panels for the purpose of exchanging information, coordinating the actions of service providers, managing risk, developing strategy, agreeing new ways of working, and meeting the housing, support and advice needs of specific service users. 8. Provide Management and members of the Income Recovery Team with specialist advice on a wide range of matters (including legislative requirements, case law and good practice) and manage the team in a manner that encourages joint working and problem solving, ensures effective planning and monitoring, and is in line with the Council s performance management framework. 9. nsure that all rent and service charge accounts are set up and terminated in a timely manner, especially those relating to accommodation provided by commercial housing suppliers, in order to assist prompt payment and avoid or limit any build-up of arrears. 10. Analyse temporary accommodation charges, comparing them to the charge entry transactions, in order to identify and resolve any discrepancies. 11. nsure that all residents of temporary accommodation receive clear written confirmation of the amount they need to pay in rent and service charges, how and where to make payments, and full details of their dedicated Income Recovery Officer. 12. Make full use of all available information, data and IT systems (including Crystal, Comino, I-world, SAP and OHMS) to support the work of the Income Recovery Team and enable the team to communicate efficiently and effectively with colleagues, service users and other stakeholders, and to commission changes Jf Income Recovery Team Leader v1.1.doc Updated 16 September 2011 Page 2 of 7
and enhancements that will reduce avoidable contact, address problems with the IT systems, improve efficiency and the quality of the data and reports and to input, analyse and extract financial and other data, in order to maximise income, improve efficiency and reverse negative trends. 13. nsure that the rent accounts of all residents in the Council s temporary accommodation are monitored effectively and that appropriate and timely action is taken to address the reasons for non-payment and late payment (including the assessment and payment of Housing Benefit, residents unmet support needs and changes in residents personal and financial circumstances) and that an accurate record is made of residents circumstances and payment undertakings. 14. Work collaboratively with a wide range of external partners, including the epartment for Work and Pensions and advice and support providers, in order to maximise the collection of rent and service charges, minimise service users arrears and indebtedness, and help tackle fuel poverty, child poverty and worklessness. 15. Work collaboratively with a wide range of external partners (including Citizen Advice, floating support providers, accommodation and support providers, hospitals, prisons, Children s Services, Adult Social Care, the National Offender Management Service, and Connexions) to develop and implement joint working arrangements and protocols to improve liaison, assist information sharing, encourage referrals, prevent homelessness and help service users to bid and or move on in a planned way. 16. Work proactively with the Tenancy Support and Housing Related Support Teams, other agencies, partners and the Vulnerable Adults Team to ensure vulnerable adults have access to the help and support they need to pay their charge, minimise arrears, sustain their tenancies and move on from temporary accommodation. 17. nsure that all members of the Income Recovery Team are familiar with Haringey s policies and procedures for safeguarding children, teenage parents, 16 & 17 year olds, people with children and/or special needs, or affected by domestic violence or other vulnerable adults and that they alert Children s Services and/or Adult Social Care where they suspect that a child or vulnerable adult might be being abused, neglected or harmed, or that a child is residing with a perpetrator of domestic violence. 18. nsure that all members of the Income Recovery Team are familiar with and can advise on Haringey s policies and procedures for re-housing options residents of temporary accommodation, taking into account their needs and aspirations, their eligibility for assistance under the homelessness legislation, their priority on the housing register, and their ability to meet their housing needs through home ownership or the private rented sector 19. Work proactively with the Tenancy Support Team and other stakeholders to establish and maintain a comprehensive, well co-ordinated advice and support service for residents of temporary accommodation in order to maximise residents income, encourage and enable residents to access training and employment, intervene early to prevent the build-up of arrears and indebtedness, and help sustain tenancies. Jf Income Recovery Team Leader v1.1.doc Updated 16 September 2011 Page 3 of 7
20. nsure that all Income Recovery Officers are fully conversant with the Housing Benefit regulations, have a sound understanding of complex issues affecting welfare benefit entitlement (including immigration status and student claims), and have a good working knowledge of the homelessness legislation and the way in which the Council s temporary accommodation is let and managed. 21. evelop effective working relations with the Benefits & Local Taxation Service in order to ensure that the Housing Benefit Assessment Officers are fully trained, updated with local and national changes in housing benefit in particular and welfare benefit in general that they are supported to undertake accurate assessment of housing benefit 22. Meet regularly with the Temporary Accommodation Service Manager, HB Assessment Officers and Senior Managers from the Benefits & Local Taxation Service to review the status of all Housing Benefit claims (submitted by households living in the Council s temporary accommodation) that remain undetermined after 12 weeks, and to decide on the course of action to be taken to assess each of the claims within agreed timescales. 23. Contribute to the development and updating of the Council s policies and procedures relating to the management of rent collection and arrears in temporary accommodation, ensuring that they reflect good practice, are robust and fit for purpose, compatible with the work of other services and partners, fully compliant with the relevant legislation and regulations, and do not leave the Council vulnerable to legal challenge. 24. Work proactively and collaboratively with the Homelessness Team, Vulnerable Adults Team and the Temporary Accommodation Visiting and Lettings Team in all matters relating to the cancellation and withdrawal of temporary accommodation and the legal action taken to recover debts owing to the Council, in order to assist decision making, improve joint working and achieve positive outcomes for the Council and its service users. 25. Make recommendations for the write-off of uncollected rent and service charges, for consideration by Members and the Chief Financial Officer, ensuring they are accurate, justified and comply with the Council s financial regulations and policies. 26. Contribute positively to the development of new working practices and initiatives that tackle and prevent homelessness, reduce the Council s use of temporary accommodation, and assist the successful and timely implementation of Haringey s housing strategy and homelessness strategy. 27. Support the delivery of a comprehensive programme of consultation and service user involvement, ensuring that the views of service users are acted upon and help shape the nature and delivery of services provided by the Income Recovery Team. 28. Work proactively with colleagues and other stakeholders to increase efficiency, improve service delivery, encourage multi agency working, develop strategy and policy, and agree new and more innovative ways of working. 29. Contribute to the development and implementation of new ways of monitoring and improving the performance of the Income Recovery Team and of assessing its effectiveness in sustaining tenancies, increasing the take-up welfare benefits Jf Income Recovery Team Leader v1.1.doc Updated 16 September 2011 Page 4 of 7
and tax credits, maximising the collection of rent and service charges, and helping to minimise the amount of time that the Council takes to assess Housing Benefit claims. 30. Work proactively and collaboratively with all stakeholders to maximise the collection of Housing Benefit and cash from former residents of temporary accommodation in order to minimise the Council s bad debt provision. 31. Undertake pre-eviction interviews to review make recommendations or authorise evictions requested by Income Recovery Officers to ensure that all decisions made comply with the Council s Financial Regulations, qual Opportunity and other policies. 32. nsure proper liaison and arrears monitoring are carried out by the team before authorising the cancellation and reinstatement of B&B and licensed accommodation. 33. Investigate, analyse and respond promptly to customer complaints and suggestions, Freedom of Information requests and enquiries from Councillors and MPs concerning the Income Recovery Service, taking appropriate action to address procedural failings and ensure that future service changes reflect the lessons learned. 34. nsure that all statutory returns are completed accurately and on time, in accordance with the government s requirements and the Council s procedures, and provide Management and Members with reports and updates, as required, on service developments relating to the Income Recovery Team. 35. Maintain professional competence and keep abreast of developments and relevant case law, legislation and regulations through research and reading, and by attending relevant courses, meetings and supervision, in order to meet the Audit Commission s KLO standards for the delivery of an excellent income collection service. 36. evelop the Income Recovery Team, ensuring that conditions exist for staff to grow and develop in a positive learning environment. 37. nsure that all members of the Income Recovery Team have a safe working environment and are aware of their Health and Safety obligations. 38. Create and maintain accurate records (using manual and computer systems) on all aspects of the service to ensure compliance with agreed reporting arrangements and provide management with the information it requires to monitor performance and service standards in accordance with Council policy and current legislation. 39. nsure that Management is provided with early alerts in the event of poor or failing performance, or a suspicion of fraud, corruption or impropriety. 40. Perform any other duties (appropriate to the grading of the post) that are required by the Temporary Accommodation Service Manager in order to ensure the delivery of a high quality, responsive and caring Temporary Accommodation Service. Jf Income Recovery Team Leader v1.1.doc Updated 16 September 2011 Page 5 of 7
ducation / Qualification xperience Skills / Abilities Income Recovery Team Leader PRSON SPCIFICATION 1. ducated to A level standard. 2. Literate and highly numerate 3. Accountancy or financial qualification 1. xtensive experience of collecting rent, service charges and arrears from the residents of social housing and/or temporary housing. 2. xperience of developing and sustaining effective working relationships and communications, both internally and externally, with a range of contacts 3. xperience of using IT applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases and those relating to Housing Benefit and the collection of rent and service charges. 4. xperience of collating and evaluating monitoring and performance information 5. xperience of improving services through effective partnerships with colleagues and/or external service providers. 6. xperience of interpreting and explaining complex legislation and guidance. 7. xperience of managing social housing and/or temporary accommodation. 8. xperience of managing staff. 9. xperience of public consultation processes and service user involvement. 1. An effective team player with the ability to motivate and support members of the team. 2. xcellent negotiating and advocacy skills, and the drive and commitment to achieve positive outcomes for service users. 3. xcellent communication skills (verbal and written) and the ability to influence a variety of audiences, including the Council s partners. 4. An effective problem-solver with an organised and imaginative approach to work and the ability to manage difficult situations. (ssential) (esirable) A/I/T Application Interview Test Jf Income Recovery Team Leader v1.1.doc Updated 16 September 2011 Page 6 of 7
Knowledge Other 5. Ability to provide good leadership and to create effective working relationships with teams, individuals and organisations. 6. Ability to work effectively under pressure, to prioritise own work and achieve targets. 7. The commitment and ability to develop positive relationships with Members. 8. Performance management skills, including the ability to provide direction, set clear targets and standards, and provide staff with clear feedback on performance. 9. Ability to look critically at existing practices, evaluate options and to recommend better ways of doing things. 10. Ability to analyse, manage and interpret information and data, using it to improve services. 11. Ability to interpret and explain complex legislation and guidance, to a variety of audiences, and to make clear, consistent decisions. 12. Ability to initiate and manage change. 13. Track record of meeting tight deadlines. 1. Knowledge of housing management and the homelessness legislation, and their impact on the collection of rent and service charges. 2. Knowledge of performance management and quality assurance techniques. 3. etailed knowledge of the techniques and processes relating to the successful collection of rent, service charges and arrears. 4. etailed knowledge of the eligibility criteria and regulations relating to Housing Benefit, tax credits and welfare benefits. 5. An understanding of the principles of managing performance and what is required to ensure that services meet the required standards and achieve agreed objectives and targets. 1. An understanding of, and commitment to, the Council s equal opportunities policy. 2. Full driving licence and access to own transport. 3. Ability to work evenings and weekends when required Jf Income Recovery Team Leader v1.1.doc Updated 16 September 2011 Page 7 of 7