Early Intervention Officer

**Early Intervention Officer**

**Permanent 35 Hours per week**

**Based in Irvine**

**Salary £22,535 - £24,907**

**Working Pattern Monday - Friday 12:30-20:00pm**

Want to make a real difference to the lives of people? For over 90 years, The Riverside Group has been providing affordable housing across the UK to people as well as care for the elderly and support for those who face homelessness.

**The difference you’ll make**
This is a really important and rewarding role at Riverside in which you will support our customers over the phone offering money advice and helping them set up payment plans for their rent. Riverside pride ourselves in providing affordable homes for people across England and Scotland and we want to ensure, even through difficult times our customers can manage their rent and payments. In this role you will be key in helping prevent our customers falling into arrears and offer them the support and advice they need to get back on track. This could be by providing advice on claiming universal credit and processing claims in the DWP portal, encouraging our customers to pay rent in advance or helping them to set up payment plans and digital payment methods. You will be proactive in contacting customers offering guidance and ensuring they understand how to clear their arrears.
This is a great opportunity to start or progress your career in Housing with lots of opportunity to develop and grow.

**So, who are you?**
You don't need previous experience in housing to do this role, but you will need to be customer focused with great communication skills, both verbal and written as you'll be talking to and supporting lots of different customers.
Negotiation skills and the ability to manage conflicting priorities are important as you will need to manage business and customer requirements to reach outcomes that work for both. Although not essential as we recruit people with transferable skills, experience of working in a housing environment or in a debt collection call centre, would be an advantage.
**Enjoy the rewards**
Working with us, you’ll enjoy competitive pay, 28 days holidays plus bank holidays, a wide range of benefits, flexible working, and the chance to learn valuable new skills. We empower our people to do great work by investing in learning, personal development, and technology.
If you’re the kind of person that wants to do a really great job and make a difference to our customers, we think you’ll love it here. Sound like a challenge you’d like to take on? Then get in touch and let’s talk about how you can help us transform lives and revitalise neighbourhoods.
We encourage applicants from all sections of the community so that we can truly reflect the neighbourhoods in which we work.

**To support the Income Collection function to maximise and sustain rental income and other debts including former tenant arrears and rechargeable repairs and garage arrears by carrying out early intervention & prevention activity such as providing advice around claiming Universal Credit, processing UC claims in the DWP portal, encouraging rent in advance, setting up digital payment methods and managing Income collection administration such as preparation of court packs. To prevent arrears from escalating by supporting campaigns, managing proactive contact with customers who go into arrears and managing payment arrangements **.

**Role Profile**
- Manage other low level sundry debts caseloads owed to Riverside which could include garages, recharges, court costs etc
- Discuss cancelled/expired payment arrangements making affordable agreement which take into account customer income and expenditure. Promote digital payment methods including direct debits and recurring card payments.
- Advise on how to claim benefits and grants which will support residents to make rent payments.
- Monitor the timely receipt of payments for new tenancies and make contact with customers as early as possible to discuss payment options and identify any customer or tenancy support needs, making referrals where appropriate to tenancy sustainment services and other third parties.
- Work in partnership with Income Collection Officers and Housing Services, providing support where required to successfully deliver the right outcomes.
- Carry out account administration including balance transfers, tenant refunds, and write-offs in accordance with legislation and our policies and procedures.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of processes and procedures.
- Respond flexibly to any necessary changes in work priorities and undertake other duties when required to support the effective operation of the service.
- Ensure that all data protection requirements are met in accordance with the Group’s policy, procedures, and statutory requirements.
- Ensure that health and safety requirements are met in accordance with the Group’s policy, procedures, and statutory requirements.

**Person specification**

**Knowledge, Skills,