Court Officer – Temporary Accommodation , Temporary Accommodation Strategy

Birmingham City Council; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Birmingham City Council is seeking a skilled professional to join the Temporary Accommodation Income Team within the Rents Service in Birmingham. You will manage licence accounts, monitor arrears and drive income recovery while ensuring accuracy and compliance with relevant legislation.

The role also involves preparing legal documents, representing the Council at hearings, advising customers on obligations and arranging fair payment plans.

Qualifications

• 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 under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to prepare accurate reports, legal documentation and evidence for court proceedings.
• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills, with the confidence to engage with customers, colleagues and stakeholders at different levels.
• Good IT and administrative skills, including querying, updating and retrieving information from computer systems and using Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Manage temporary accommodation licence accounts, monitoring arrears and taking action to prevent debt escalation and maximise income recovery.
• Prepare and process legal documentation, including notices, witness statements, evidence bundles and court applications, ensuring accuracy and compliance with legislation.
• Represent the Rent Service at court hearings and negotiations, presenting cases on behalf of the Council and liaising with legal representatives, customers and advocates.
• Provide guidance to customers on licence obligations, legal processes, arrears recovery and payment arrangements, ensuring fair, proportionate decisions and enforcement.
• Identify safeguarding concerns and refer to appropriate agencies in line with Council policies.
• Maintain accurate account records and update case management systems with recovery actions, decisions and enforcement activity.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders, prepare performance information and respond to enquiries.

Skills

Financial analysis

Arrears data analysis

Stakeholder liaison

Written communication

IT and admin

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

£36,581 - £45,529

Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Equal Pay Programme

Working 36.5 hours per week

Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

About The Role

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.

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.

What We’re Looking For

• 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.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people.

We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

For any informal enquiries please contact: [e-mail]

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be undertaken.

Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Information for applicants with a disability:

We are a proud Disability Confident Employer. We encourage applicants to disclose disabilities, so we can support them fully during our recruitment process and make any necessary reasonable adjustments. Please contact: 0121 675 7070 option 3 (lines open between 8.45am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday).

If you require an application in an alternative format, such as Braille or you are unable to complete an application form via WMJOBS, please contact [e-mail]. When you have completed your application form this can be returned to [e-mail] or for Braille applications these can be posted to, Recruitment Team, 2nd Floor, 10 Woodcock Street, B7 4BG.

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.

Birmingham City Council is a Foundation Living wage employer - known as the Birmingham Living Wage. The Birmingham Living Wage, is determined by the Living Wage Foundation on an annual basis by the Centre of Research in Society Polity at Loughborough University. The current rate can be found at: www.livingwage.org.uk.

For the awards and support for our employees, please follow https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/homepage/169/job_vacancies

Website http://birmingham.gov.uk/ Telephone [phone] Location Birmingham City Council Birmingham West Midlands B2 2XU United Kingdom