Customer Service Advisor

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 261017**Salary**:

- £21,775**Job grade**:

- Administrative Officer- AO**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Type of role**:

- Operational Delivery**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 7Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- This position is based at SOUTH TYNESIDE BERKELY WAY LAA JARROW, NE31 1SFAbout the job

**Job summary**:

- Please refer to Job Description**Job description**:
**Job Title**: Customer Service Advisor

**Contract Type**: Permanent

**Grade**: AO

**Salary**: National: £21,775

Please note that unless you are currently employed by the Civil Service and are earning more than the minimum above, if successful you will be offered the minimum for the grade depending on your location.

**Location**: South Tyneside

**Directorate**: Case Management

**Team**: Civil Customer Service Team

**Working Pattern**: The post is supported by the MOJ flexible working policy and includes colleagues who work flexibly, remotely, part time or as part of a job share etc.

**Reporting to**: Team Manager and Team Supervisor

**The Legal Aid Agency**
We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We provide civil and criminal legal aid and advice in England and Wales to help people deal with their legal problems.
Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.

**Our LAA commitment to Diversity and Inclusion**
The LAA is committed to diversity and inclusion and we positively promote flexible working, including job shares.

**Case Management**

The Case Management department is the delivery function of the Legal Aid Agency and our staff ensure that each year 600,000 new clients are able to access the justice they require, and that their providers are fairly remunerated for the delivery of the legal aid. With over 800 staff based across 11 sites we deliver services for those facing both criminal and civil legal problems.

**Civil Customer Service Team**

**Job Summary**

Role holders will be responsible for providing exceptional levels of customer service by answering incoming calls, dealing with queries and providing first time resolution. They will be expected to seek to continuously improve customer knowledge and internal processes to reduce failure demand.

Key Responsibilities:

- Receive inbound calls from providers of legal aid, members of the public and other customers with regards to Legal Aid - establish a high-quality working relationship with a variety of customers and take personal ownership of problems, ensuring successful resolution
- Work to reduce the number of incoming calls by educating providers regarding their submissions
- Communicate clearly and effectively with all callers
- Work cooperatively and flexibly to ensure adequate staffing of customer service telephone lines at all times
- Recognise and manage assertive customer calls, referring to a Senior Customer Services Advisor where necessary
- Organise and prioritise own workload including length of call handling
- Ensure colleagues working in all areas of the organisation are kept informed of feedback from customers, actively promoting continuous improvement

**Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills**
- Effective communication skills both written and verbal dealing with both external and internal stakeholders
- Excellent customer service skills including handling complex situations and dealing with uncertainty
- Effective analytical and numerical skills
- Ability to work with mínimal supervision and as part of a team

**Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills**
- Knowledge of Legal Aid
- Previous experience of working in a telephony environment

**Person Specification**
- Customer focused
- Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment
- Adaptable
- Able to solve problems quickly

**Assessment approach**

**Application Process**
- Interview / assessment Process
- Strengths relevant to the role
- The following Behaviours:

- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
- In the event of a tie break, the Managing a Quality Service behaviour score will be used.
- Civil Service Behaviour definitions:
**Managing a Quality Service** - Gain a clear understanding of customers’ needs and expectations. Plan, organise and manage your own time to deliver a high quality service which gives taxpayers a good return for their money. Act to prevent problems by identifying issues, reporting them and providing solutions. Keep customers and all colleagues up to date with progress. Show customers where to access relevant information and support that will help them to use services more effectively.

**Interviews will take place regularly throughout the three-month period the advert is live. You will be provided with at least a week’s notice if offered a