Customer Service Apprentice

Worcester City Council

Worcester (WR1 2PW)

Closes in 13 days (Thursday 11 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 28 August 2025

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Summary

To work as part of the housing services team providing a high-quality housing advice service to the public. To contribute to and help implement improvements in all types of housing, homelessness and benefit advice and customer services and administer the effective operation of the housing systems.

• Wage:

  £14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

  National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Annual leave is 26 days, plus paid public holidays. • A generous flexitime scheme (where applicable) that can accrue an additional two days off per month • An additional fixed day off over the Christmas period

• Training course: Customer service practitioner (level 2)
• Hours: Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm.

  37 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 29 September 2025

• Duration:

  1 year 4 months

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• To provide an efficient, friendly information service to customers attending in person at the housing advice centre, by telephone and email
• Accurately administer the housing services systems
• Provide advice and support to customers with benefit enquiries, undertaking face to face and over the phone appointments
• To respond to customer queries in relation to their homelessness applications
• To support the delivery of the Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme, providing admin support and liaising with applicants, referral agencies and suppliers
• To keep updated with the latest guidance and information and maintain a good working knowledge of all procedures
• To work cooperatively with other members of the housing and homelessness service to ensure that customers are given correct advice and are dealt with in line with procedures and policy
• To contact other council departments and organisations on behalf of customers, as required to clarify and help resolve customer requests where appropriate
• To provide information to a range of organisations including internal departments such as Guildhall Customer Services and planning, to other councils and voluntary and statutory organisations regarding customer applications and enquiries.
• Work towards the council’s values, Committed People, Creative Council, Strong Performance, Good Governance, Customer Focus
• Aware of councils safeguarding policy and how to report any concerns
• Aware of the councils health and safety policy and committed to safe working practices

Where you'll work

Trinity Street
Worcester
WR1 2PW

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE GROUP TRAINING ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Training course

Customer service practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Use a range of questioning skills, including listening and responding in a way that builds rapport, determines customer needs and expectations and achieves positive engagement and delivery.
• Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with summarising language during face-to-face communications; and/or
• Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate communication skills, along with reinforcement techniques (to confirm understanding) during non-facing customer interactions.
• Depending on your job role and work environment: Use an appropriate ‘tone of voice’ in all communications, including written and digital, that reflect the organisation’s brand.
• Provide clear explanations and offer options in order to help customers make choices that are mutually beneficial to both the customer and your organisation.
• Be able to organise yourself, prioritise your own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate patience and calmness.
• Show you understand the customer’s point of view.
• Use appropriate sign-posting or resolution to meet your customers needs and manage expectations.
• Maintain informative communication during service recovery.

Training schedule

Formal training is delivered at HWGTA, located in Worcester (WR4 9GN).

You will receive a training plan that is specific to your qualification, with sessions that are delivered through a combination of face-to-face and remote.

Additional training for functional skills in English and Maths will be undertaken if needed.

You will receive monthly visits from your assigned Learning and Development Specialist, who will set you work, monitor your development and wellbeing, and discuss training sessions. They will also prepare you for your End Point Assessment to gain your Customer Service Practictioner Level 2 qualification.

There is also a five-day teambuilding residential trip that is held in the spring of each year offered to all apprentices on programme.

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Administrative skills
• Team working
• Initiative
• Time Management Skills

Other requirements

The role will involve hybrid working. However, there will be an expectation for a minimum of 3 office days per week, to enhance learning and practice. This may be more at the start whilst learning the role and getting to know the systems.

About this employer

This is an exciting time to join Worcester City Council! We may not be a large local authority but we still have ambitious plans, including the development of our historic and beautiful city, increasing tourism and driving economic vibrancy. Worcester City Council is always on the lookout for talented individuals, who want to make a real difference to our city and can help us to continue building on our success. We are committed to seeking excellence in everything we do, including smarter ways of working and enhancing employee wellbeing. We have moved away from traditional ways of working for the majority of our roles, towards hybrid working, including home working, hot desking and flexitime. By encouraging better work-life balance, we gain a healthy, happy, engaged and thriving workforce, who then deliver meaningful outcomes for Worcester.

http://www.worcester.gov.uk (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

•Flexible working options •Local Government Pension Scheme •A free and confidential employee assistance programme (EAP), available 24 hours, to aid your work life balance •Time off given for volunteering, for the benefit of Worcester

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

The role will help you develop key transferable skills and help to instil a good work ethic.

The experience you gain will stand you in good stead for the future and potentially open up options for further employment, if not with the City Council, then with other local authorities and beyond.

We have several employees still with us at the Council that once joined as an apprentice. Our opportunities are open to all employees and we would encourage anyone joining us to continue their career here.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE GROUP TRAINING ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Emily Jackson

emily.jackson@hwgta.org

01905 330732

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000339180.

Apply now

Closes in 13 days (Thursday 11 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

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