Income & Admin Officer

Job Title: Income and Administration Officer

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £29,713.46 per annum

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday

Location: Arlington, London, NW1 7HE

Job Overview

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 and support, and to empathise with customers facing a range of issues.
• Confidence to make decisions and deal with effective rent arrears management.
• Competent level of literacy, numeracy, administrative and IT systems skills (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.

Benefits

• 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. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role they will be guaranteed an interview.

Role Profile

• Ensure customers have a clear understanding of their responsibilities regarding payment of rent and service charges and their impact on maintaining tenure.
• Support colleagues by proactively engaging customers, providing advice, guidance and co producing 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.
• Initiate 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.

Administrative Support

• Administrate petty cash for the required services.
• Assist with monitoring of income and expenditure.
• Generate and communicate rent statements to customers and colleagues as required.
• Maintain and update tenancy information, rent accounts and financial information on the appropriate digital platforms.
• Collate and submit information, including funding and performance returns.
• Produce reports and other written documentation to support income management delivery as required.

Other Duties

• Work normal office hours, with flexibility to meet customer and business needs.
• 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 duties within Riverside's policy and procedure framework (health & safety, safeguarding, dignity at work, GDPR, cash handling, etc.).
• Deliver the role in line with Riverside company values - "Our Riverside Way".
• Participate in team meetings, attend regular supervisions and reflective practice sessions.
• Undertake regular training and take responsibility for continuous development to enable safe delivery of the role.
• From time to time may be required to undertake additional duties and responsibilities in consultation with the line manager.

Additional Information

• The group has offices across the UK and may require travel to other locations.
• The role will be exposed to sensitive information; the holder is expected to maintain confidentiality.
• The role requires flexible work during hours of operation.
• The holder is expected to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of work.

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 and support, and to empathise with customers facing a range of issues.
• Be a team player, flexible, resilient and with a can do attitude.
• Confidence to make decisions and deal with effective rent arrears management.
• Competent level of literacy, numeracy, administrative and IT systems skills (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.