Housing Finance Team leader

The team are responsible for the delivery of the following service functions:

• Provision of the statutory homeless service
• Provision of temporary accommodation
• Management of the housing register
• Co-ordination of support to citizens rough sleeping
• Commissioning of homeless services, and
• Responsibility for housing strategy
The Council has a strategic vision that is clearly set out in both the Housing & Homelessness and the Rough Sleeping Strategies which were both approved in 2019. By becoming part of an expanding team who are focused on preventing households from becoming homeless as well as providing tailored support and interventions when someone does become homeless this is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our city., To manage a small team of finance and admin officers to provide excellent customer service while maximising rent payments from temporary accommodation residents. Collaborate with the Housing Benefit Team to ensure rental payments are active, addressing any issues promptly. Work with the Corporate Income Team to minimise debt and escalate non-payments per policy. Ensure invoices are paid according to council procedures. Issue rent and storage charges in line with the Charging Policy. Ensure compliance with financial regulations and develop partnerships to optimise income collection standards This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.


• Current knowledge of Housing and Homelessness, Housing Benefit and Council Tax legislation. An understanding of temporary accommodation subsidy regulations would be an advantage but not mandatory.
• Experience of working closely with Housing Benefit services and associated IT systems, including Academy or similar platforms
• Experience in managing teams, using a range of management, team building, and motivational techniques to drive performance
• Strong negotiating skills, advocacy skills and IT skills.
• Resilience and determination to achieve right outcomes for Homeless people/families.
• You will be able to use your initiative, be forward thinking and solutions led due to this being a reactive role.
• Ability to work under pressure.
  
  In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.
Our Values are:
• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.
We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias. The Housing and Homelessness Service is a very busy environment and faces several challenges to meet the housing needs of citizens of Coventry. The team have grown significantly during the last 12 months and this reflects the fact that Housing & Homelessness are now a key council priority., Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change. We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse. At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things. To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities. If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition