Please note that these are fixed term contract opportunities until March 31, 2024.
This position is an Anywhere Worker role with the expectation that the successful worker will attend County Hall, Chelmsford one day per week.
Interviews will be conducted remotely using Microsoft Teams.
Please note this is a credit control and not an accounting role. Customer interaction via phone/email is the primary function so good communication skills are essential.
The role
Purchase to Pay (P2P) and Income aim to provide a complete service for financial transactions and support, maximizing new and innovative technologies to provide excellent customer service using a multi-skilled workforce.
Working within revenue collection to maximize revenue generated for Essex County Council’s aged care services, alongside ensuring effective recovery of arrears. Financial Assistants will work with clients to ensure their invoices for aged care services are paid in a timely manner with a view to arranging automated future payments including direct debits.
Experience working as a team member in a flexible and multi-skilled workforce providing excellent customer service. You will need to manage and respond to customer inquiries to seek resolution.
Knowledge of revenue collection processes is desirable but not required as full training will be provided. The role requires good interpersonal and communication skills to provide excellent customer service.
Responsibilities
- Ensure effective recovery of social care income for the elderly
- Work to effectively build relationships with key stakeholders and effectively manage conversations to resolve debt issues.
- Contribute to the achievement of key KPIs by achieving the above requirements in an efficient, compassionate and compliant manner.
- Effective in managing inquiries and disputes to ensure effective resolutions.
- Negotiate payments and promote automated processes for service users to reduce the likelihood of recurring obligations.
- Contributes to the delivery of the business plan for financial transactions, in support of the broader organizational vision.
- Responsible for processing and managing financial transactions, following specific business processes, entering and interpreting data to ensure quality, consistency, accuracy, timeliness and high performance.
- Responsible for the execution of all activities to meet established deadlines, proactively reporting any risks or issues for early resolution.
- Provides support and guidance to internal and external customers in a professional manner, in accordance with financial processes, ensuring compliance with policy and legislation.
- Performs essential reporting that contributes to organizational performance management, maximizes revenue and ensures compliance with financial regulations and ECC policies.
- Work flexibly and collaboratively between P2P and Income to provide financial support.
- Recommend process improvements and redesigns to achieve best practices and organizational efficiencies.
- Contributes to keeping abreast of legislative changes and translating them into local policy and procedure, identifying and reviewing potential technology changes.
- Specific individual and shared goals and objectives are set annually in the performance management framework.
The experience you will bring
- Excellent communication skills are essential, as is the ability to build and establish relationships. Good telephone manners are required along with a firm, honest and friendly approach.
- Negotiation skills are helpful but not essential.
- Ability to perform effective administrative duties; well organized, reliable and able to meet deadlines while handling confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
- RQF Level 2 (GCSE) education must include English and Maths or equivalent by experience.
- Commitment to continuous personal development in a work environment.
- Some familiarity with P2P/Income systems and demonstrable accounts payable, receivables, purchase to pay and e-invoicing experience desired.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Ability and willingness to work flexibly in multi-skilled operational teams.
- A good level of competence in the use of Microsoft office suites, including Outlook, Word and Excel.
- Ability to interpret diverse information to support continuous improvements in service delivery.
- Ability to build effective working relationships with internal and external customers, suppliers and partners.
To read more about us, please visit: Corporate Services
Why Essex?
Essex County Council has a place to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest city, Colchester, and two of its newest, Basildon and Harlow, are right here. Together with the town of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our main population centres. This means real choice and makes Essex the perfect place for your career. Read more about us here.
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interviewing all disabled candidates who decide to apply under our job interview scheme if they meet the minimum requirements for the job. Please speak to our recruitment specialists if you need reasonable adjustments during the process.
We are also committed to interviewing all veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements for the role they are applying for.
What should you do next?
To apply for this role, please ensure that you submit an up-to-date CV and complete the personal statement section of the application, ensuring that you demonstrate how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the criteria above.
As part of working for Essex County Council (ECC), if your role requires a DBS check, you will need to register with the DBS Update Service. The DBS Update Service ensures that all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorized parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring that it is maintained. For further information about the DBS update service please visit https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service
Essex County Council is committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to keep up to date with other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry news at Essex County Council, please join the Essex Talent Community here.
If you have any questions about this role or require anything further please email Laura.O’Connor@essex.gov.uk
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