Locality Management Officer – Temporary Accommodation , Temporary Accommodation Strategy

WMJobs; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Wollborg Michelson Personnel Service Inc on behalf of Birmingham City Council is seeking a Locality Management Officer for Temporary Accommodation. The post involves managing a caseload of residents in temporary housing, monitoring arrears and guiding households toward sustainable accommodation.

You will engage with customers by phone, letters and home visits, explain licence obligations and repayment options, and, where necessary, progress legal and enforcement actions in line with housing

Qualifications

• Experience of managing accounts and analysing arrears data to support effective decision-making and income recovery.
• Ability to manage a complex workload under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Excellent written communication skills, including experience preparing reports and maintaining records.
• Good IT skills, including use of case management systems and MS Office.
• Knowledge of housing legislation, welfare benefits and income recovery processes, plus safeguarding awareness.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a personal vehicle are essential for this role.

Responsibilities

• Manage temporary accommodation licence accounts, monitor arrears and take timely action to maximise income recovery and minimise financial loss.
• Engage proactively with customers via telephone, letters and home visits to discuss balances, explain licence obligations and agree next steps.
• Provide guidance on arrears recovery options, repayment arrangements and relevant legal processes.
• Progress legal and enforcement action where required, including notices and court applications.
• Maintain accurate account records and update case management systems with actions and outcomes.
• Identify safeguarding concerns and refer to appropriate internal/external services.
• Prepare performance information and respond to inquiries from stakeholders and audits.

Skills

Managing accounts

Financial analysis

Arrears recovery

Communication skills

Report writing

IT skills

Housing legislation knowledge

Driving licence

Job description

Locality Management Officer – Temporary Accommodation

Permanent

Grade C- £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.

We’re looking for proactive, resilient and customer-focused Temporary Accommodation Locality Management Officers to join our Income Team. You’ll manage a varied caseload and work directly with households experiencing homelessness and financial difficulty, taking a supportive but firm approach to prevent arrears from escalating and help residents sustain their accommodation.

You’ll take responsibility for monitoring licence accounts, engaging with customers to address outstanding arrears and taking appropriate action to support income recovery. This will include advising customers on their licence obligations and repayment options, undertaking home visits and progressing legal and enforcement action where necessary.

Working collaboratively with colleagues, Legal Services and external partners, you’ll help minimise financial losses, ensure compliance with legislation and Council procedures, and deliver a fair and effective approach to debt recovery. You’ll also contribute to service improvements, provide accurate performance information and help ensure customers are treated consistently and appropriately throughout the recovery process.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Manage temporary accommodation licence accounts, monitor arrears and take timely action to maximise income recovery and minimise financial loss.
• Engage proactively with customers through telephone calls, written correspondence and home visits to discuss outstanding balances, explain licence obligations and agree appropriate next steps.
• Provide advice and guidance on arrears recovery options, payment arrangements and relevant legal processes, ensuring decisions and actions are fair, proportionate and consistent.
• Progress legal and enforcement action where required, including serving notices, preparing witness statements and evidence bundles, submitting court applications and overseeing eviction activities.
• Maintain accurate account records and update case management systems with recovery actions, decisions, outcomes and enforcement activity, ensuring information is complete and up to date.
• Identify safeguarding concerns and additional support needs, make appropriate referrals and work with internal teams and external agencies to support customers while progressing recovery activity.
• Prepare performance information, management reports and statistical data; respond to enquiries from Councillors, MPs, senior managers and other stakeholders; review cases for potential write-offs in line with Financial Regulations; and contribute to audits and service improvements.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience of managing accounts, analysing financial information and reviewing arrears data to support effective decision-making and income recovery.
• Experience of managing a complex workload, prioritising competing demands and working effectively under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Strong communication and customer service skills, with the ability to engage confidently with customers, colleagues, senior managers, Councillors and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written communication skills, including experience preparing reports, presenting information and maintaining accurate records.
• Good IT skills, including experience using case management systems, analysing and retrieving information, and working with Microsoft Office applications.
• Knowledge of housing legislation, welfare benefits and income recovery processes, alongside an understanding of the importance of safeguarding, equality and proportionate enforcement.
• A collaborative and proactive approach, with the ability to support colleagues, contribute to service planning and improvement, and work effectively within agreed timescales and resources.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a personal vehicle are also essential for this role.

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 enquires 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.