Court Officer

Birmingham City Council; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Well-being support

Travel passes and city centreDiscounts

Job summary

Birmingham City Council is seeking proactive Temporary Accommodation Court Officers to support the Income Team within the Rents Service. You will manage complex arrears cases in temporary accommodation, progress enforcement actions, and ensure recovery is fair and proportionate.

You will prepare legal documents, support court proceedings, and represent the Council when required. Strong communication, IT skills, and knowledge of housing rules are essential for effective customer support and

Qualifications

• Experience handling complex arrears cases and enforcement actions.
• Strong written and verbal communication for court documents and stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of welfare benefits and housing legislation.
• Ability to work under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Collaborative approach with colleagues and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Manage temporary accommodation licence accounts, monitor arrears and take action to prevent debt escalation.
• Prepare legal documents, notices, witness statements and court applications.
• Represent the Council at court hearings and negotiations.
• Provide guidance to customers on licence obligations, arrears recovery and payment arrangements.
• Identify safeguarding concerns and refer to relevant agencies as needed.
• Maintain accurate account records and update case management systems.
• Prepare performance information and management reports; respond to enquiries from Councillors and MPs.
• Contribute to audits and service improvements.

Skills

Arrears management

Court proceedings

Customer service

Written communication

Analytical thinking

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Temporary Accommodation Income Team forms part of the Rents Service within Finance, providing a co-ordinated approach to income collection and debt recovery. This is an exciting time to join our developing team, with these new roles enhancing the existing structure and strengthening our ability to support residents, prevent debt escalation and reduce the Council's overall debt. We're looking for proactive, resilient and customer-focused Temporary Accommodation Court Officers to join our Income Team. You'll manage complex arrears cases involving households in temporary accommodation, progressing appropriate enforcement action and ensuring recovery action is timely, fair and proportionate, while working to prevent further debt escalation. You'll manage temporary accommodation licence accounts, taking a proactive approach to arrears prevention, income recovery and enforcement. You'll prepare legal documentation, support court proceedings and represent the Council when required, ensuring all actions are fair, proportionate and compliant with relevant legislation and policies. Working closely with Income Officers, Locality Management Officers, Legal Services and external partners, you'll help maximise income, minimise financial losses and support customers to understand their licence obligations and payment responsibilities. You'll also identify safeguarding concerns, maintain accurate records and contribute to service performance and continuous improvement. What you'll be doing

• Manage temporary accommodation licence accounts, monitoring arrears and taking appropriate action to prevent debt escalating and maximise income recovery.
• Prepare and process legal documentation, including notices, witness statements, evidence bundles and court applications, ensuring information is accurate and complies with relevant legislation and procedures.
• Represent the Rent Service at court hearings and negotiations where required, presenting cases on behalf of the Council and liaising with legal representatives, customers and their advocates.
• Provide guidance to customers on licence obligations, legal processes, arrears recovery and payment arrangements, ensuring decisions and enforcement action are fair, proportionate and consistent.
• Identify safeguarding concerns and additional support needs, making appropriate referrals and working with relevant agencies in line with Council policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate account records and update case management systems with recovery actions, decisions, court outcomes and enforcement activity, ensuring information is complete and up to date.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams and external stakeholders, prepare performance information and management reports, respond to enquiries from Councillors, MPs and other stakeholders, and contribute to audits and service improvements.
  Experience of analysing financial information, accounts and arrears data to support decision-making and effective income recovery.
• Experience of managing complex workloads, prioritising competing demands and working effectively under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to prepare accurate reports, legal documentation and evidence to support court proceedings.
• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills, with the confidence to engage with customers, colleagues, legal representatives and stakeholders at different levels.
• Good IT and administrative skills, including the ability to interrogate, update and retrieve information from computer systems and use Microsoft Office applications.
• Knowledge of welfare benefits, housing legislation and the processes involved in temporary accommodation income recovery, alongside an understanding of safeguarding and equality requirements.
• A collaborative and proactive approach, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues, support others through guidance and advice, and contribute to planning and delivering service objectives within allocated time and resources.
  Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city., The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence.

There is a clear vision which is ensuring that the Council is working for communities today and building for tomorrow, we focus our resources on five key priorities:

• A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
• An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.
• A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
• A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
• A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.

We see the Council's role as providing strategic leadership - that's being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision. We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision-making. We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision. We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long-term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.
In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well-being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.