Income and Recovery Officer (Adult Social Care)

Fixed term until 31st March 2026 - Full time 37 hours per week

We're looking for a dedicated and motivated Income and Recovery Officer to join our Client Finances Team in Adult Social Care at Reading Borough Council. This is a fantastic opportunity to support the financial wellbeing of residents who receive care services, by ensuring accurate billing and effective recovery of income, while providing compassionate and informed advice.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

We support hybrid working, its important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you'll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.

About the role:

As an Income and Recovery Officer, you'll play a vital role in supporting the financial sustainability of Adult Social Care services. You'll be responsible for recovering outstanding care charges by engaging directly with customers, their families, and care providers. Whether its negotiating payment plans or providing advice to those experiencing financial difficulties, your focus will be on delivering a respectful, fair, and customer-centred service.

You'll process invoices, administer direct debits, and investigate payment queries, ensuring that records are accurate and up to date. You'll respond to enquiries across a range of channels - phone, email, face-to-face and work closely with internal teams and external agencies, including the Department for Work and Pensions, Citizens Advice, and legal representatives, to resolve complex issues and support vulnerable residents.

Depending on your experience and progression within the role, you may also be involved in more advanced tasks such as preparing legal cases, responding to formal complaints, making home visits, or representing the Council in court proceedings. You'll also help promote financial and digital inclusion, signpost customers to further support, and contribute to the Councils digital transformation and continuous service improvement.

About you:

We&©re looking for someone who is:

• Customer-focused and empathetic, with the ability to handle sensitive and challenging situations professionally.
• Organised and detail-oriented, capable of managing workloads independently.
• Confident with numbers and systems, able to navigate databases, payment systems, and Microsoft Office tools.
• A strong communicator, both in writing and verbally, with great negotiation skills.
• Committed to continuous improvement and learning, with a good understanding of income recovery processes, welfare benefits, and legal frameworks (or a willingness to develop this).

You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance - striving to be even better - and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer:

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at 19 Bennet Road, Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

For more information on this position please contact: Micheala Smith - Senior Income and Recovery Officer - micheala.smith@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 20th July 2025

Interview Date: to be confirmed

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.