Housing Finance Officer

PURPOSE OF JOB Housing Finance Officer

Support the delivery and provision of an effective and high-quality rental income collection service for all Swale owned temporary accommodation (TA), private provider and nightly paid TA, private rented landlord and resettlement homes and rough sleeper TA placements.

Achieve income collection performance targets, including the management of effective arrears actions working with the Accommodation and Housing Teams to support customers to sustain their tenancies.

Work with external partners such as the DWP, private landlords and TA providers to reconcile invoices and accurately monitor customer payments and debts. Work closely with Finance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax other teams across the Council to support good practice customer account management.

Provide an effective accounts payable service for Swales Accommodation and Housing Teams, ensuring procedures and systems are in place to manage invoices and payments to third party providers and contractors, ensuring this remains compliant with Swales Financial Regulations.

Fully understand and use the housing management system, policies, processes and procedures to provide effective tools for income collection, debt collection, reconciliation, and performance monitoring and other relevant data reporting.

Undertake data analysis to identify TA trends to maximise income and enable cost effective decisions regarding TA placements. Assist the Accommodation and Housing managers to monitor expenditure against corporate budgets identifying projects to improve services and increase income.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES Housing Finance Officer

• Create new TA placements on the housing database (Huume) and other relevant systems or spreadsheets, setting up and managing rent accounts and other repayment plans for all TA tenants.
• Work closely with Accommodation Officers, TA customers and the Councils Housing Benefit and Council Tax team to maximise income and monitor repayment plans to effectively meet budget targets.
• Manage and verify Council Tax payments for all SBC TA homes during void periods.
• Work with the Accommodation and Resettlement Manager to effectively manage data relating to the SBC owned TA homes, including running reports to demonstrate cost effectiveness and programme progression.
• Ensure all compliance standards and laws are adhered to for the SBC TA homes, with required documentation and information collected and stored on a cyclical and/or annual basis.
• Monitor Universal Credit (UC) payments, allocating to the correct clients on the accounting and financial spreadsheet.
• Manage and resolve current and former arrears, working in close partnership with council teams, external organisations, and support agencies to minimise debt recovery action.
• Work closely with the finance department to ensure accurate and clear understanding of rental income and arrears levels at all times.
• Process payments to external TA and PRS (Landlord and Rough Sleeper) housing providers, utility companies and others that deliver services on behalf of the Accommodation and Housing teams.
• Work proactively to ensure effective tenancy and rent account data entry and successful exchange of data between all relevant systems, including Aggresso & Huume.
• Analyse the use of TA to identify trends to improve service delivery, providing clear analytical data reports and concise information to Senior Managers.
• Use sector reporting to develop and present accurate and timely reports for the Accommodation and Housing Managers highlighting performance, progress, and project opportunities.
• Reconcile processes, systems, data and reporting to ensure all legislative and regulatory requirements are adhered to.
• Work with the Accommodation and Housing team officers to maintain a good standard of data quality ensuring the provision of accurate and timely reporting and analysis.
• Maintain excellent working relationships with key partners, including Finance, Housing Benefits, Council Tax, DWP, landlords and TA providers.

Experience Housing Finance Officer

Extensive experience of rent account management, financial management, data and systems analysis and report writing.

Experience of using business analysis skills to challenge systems to improve quality and performance.

Experience of reconciling data and managing data quality processes, data analysis and presenting reports.

Demonstratable critical thinking skills with the ability to create financial projects focusing on cost effectiveness and income maximisation.

Excellent numerical accuracy with a strong ability to organise and clearly set out data.

Excellent people and communication skills at all levels, takes initiative and is conscientious.

Ability to develop service provision through ongoing research and monitoring and keep up to date with analytical and evaluation techniques.

Ability to summarise information effectively, presenting it in clear and appropriate formats for a range of audiences.

Good organisational skills with the ability effectively prioritise and plan own workload.