Vacancy Information

Hourly rate of pay: £14.85 - £15.91

Days and Hours of Work:
Tuesday, 09:00-17:00
Wednesday & Thursday, 09:00-12:30
Working days are negotiable, flexi time is applicable, and starting and finishing times are flexible.
To start asap.

An opportunity has arisen for a Rent Income Adviser to work within the Council's Revenues Service. This post would normally be based at John Muir House, Haddington but an application for homeworking from the successful applicant can be considered. IT equipment would be provided.

Whilst recovering from the significant financial pressures created as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are now dealing with the biggest cost of living crisis since the 1970s and many households are now struggling to meet day to day living costs.

The role of the Rent Income Adviser is to protect Council income streams and maximise collection levels whilst balancing the pressures faced by so many households at this time.

The successful candidate will assist with the charging and collection of rental income in line with policy and procedures, ensuring a preventative approach is adopted to stop rent arrears accruing and ensuring early intervention to prevent the situation from escalating.

The successful candidate will work closely with tenants to negotiate repayment of any debt accrued and to identify opportunities to maximise the household income via take-up of welfare benefits and grants available, where eligibility exists.

The successful candidate will also have a role to play in the development of the Rent Income team, contributing to service improvement work.

The successful candidate must demonstrate experience of working within a customer focused environment and will have the ability to work in a caring and empathetic manner with people who are experiencing financial difficulties. Experience of working with vulnerable people in adverse social circumstances and experience of working in a debt management environment is desirable.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated and will have excellent communication, organisational and negotiation skills and be able to work remotely in an effective way, using Microsoft Office applications and other Council IT systems.

There will be a requirement for the successful candidate to use their own vehicle to visit Council tenants in their homes and visit local Council offices to meet with tenants and attend rent surgeries and meetings. A current, full UK driving licence is required.

Home Working Consideration
Applications for homeworking or hybrid working will be considered for this post, subject to a trial period and in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies which can be found here. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview. All applicants must live in the UK and will be expected to attend Council offices from time to time as required.

Job Details

As part of Team deliver an efficient and effective Rent Income Section service to all Council tenants in East Lothian and commit to achieving the lowest level of current and former tenant rent arrears by minimising arrears and maximising income to ensure the Council has the finances to deliver quality Housing services by ensuring customers are fully supported throughout the process and in compliance with the rent recovery process.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’– values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours. Please refer to the document via the link to familiarise yourself with them.

Job Requirements

Relevant Qualifications
NC/SVQ Level 2/Higher or equivalent level of knowledge and/or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge, skills and competencies gained through relevant experience.

Driving Licence
As the duties of this role require you to effectively travel to successfully undertake the full remit of the role, you must hold a current driving licence and have access to a vehicle.*
(*Where a disability precludes you from obtaining a driving licence, ELC will take into account its responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to allow for your disability.)

Disclosure
The preferred candidate for this position may be subject to a Basic Disclosure provided by Disclosure Scotland prior to a formal offer of employment being made by East Lothian Council.

Please note:
If a Disclosure check is required and you have spent more than 3 months working or living outwith the UK in the last 5 years then you will also be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link:
www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us.

If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk

Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form. Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form.