Apprentice Debt Officers
Southampton City Council
Hampshire (SO14 7LY)
Closes in 15 days (Sunday 23 November 2025)
Posted on 7 November 2025
Contents
Summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for two Apprentice Debt Officers to join the Debt Management Centre at Southampton City Council.
- Wage
-
£24,795 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
At Southampton City Council we are committed to paying Foundation Living Wage as a minimum and we believe apprentices should also be paid fairly. The salary is £24,795.
- Training course
- Senior credit controller and debt collection specialist (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm - some potential flexibility required.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 5 January 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 8 months
- Positions available
-
2
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
- Support the achievement of individual and team targets within the Debt Management Centre, contributing to the successful recovery of debt across the council under supervision and as part of apprenticeship development
- Assist in managing a portfolio of debtor accounts across multiple systems, gradually building applied knowledge of the legislative framework surrounding debt recovery to help maximise income to the council
- Carry out investigations with guidance, including requesting further information from customers, internal and external departments, and other relevant stakeholders. Record findings appropriately and communicate outcomes with support as needed
- Respond to enquiries arising from recovery actions, learning to agree and monitor repayment plans of increasing complexity, and referring to Debt Technicians/Specialists for support where appropriate
- Develop and maintain working knowledge of relevant legislation, ensuring correct application under supervision and with ongoing training
- Use multiple systems with guidance to support decision-making on recovery options, timing, and methods, including service suspension or third-party/legal escalation, as appropriate to the apprentice’s level
- Support the setup, maintenance, and closure of customer accounts and Direct Debit schedules, handling queries and making adjustments within council guidelines under supervision
Where you'll work
Civic Centre
Southampton
Hampshire
SO14 7LY
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CSA (SERVICES) LTD
Training course
Senior credit controller and debt collection specialist (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Engage with stakeholders on accounts, for example to resolve issues, leverage payment, support business growth.
- Negotiate good credit management or debt collection outcomes, in line with organisational policies.
- Use questioning techniques to acquire information from customers to understand the customer’s financial situation or specialist needs or requirements and develop acceptable solutions, adapting communication style to suit audience.
- Identify, defuse and resolve account issues which have multiple strands or involve sensitive situations, such as critical business accounts or vulnerable customers.
- Develop strong, positive and sustained relationships with stakeholders, recognising the business context of relationships and their importance to the organisation, while dealing with a challenging situation.
- Comply with relevant governance, policies and procedures.
- Follow the environmental, social and governance requirements of their organisation.
- Take ownership of work through to resolution, re-negotiating or escalating when required.
- Make evidence-based decisions on credit and debt cases.
- Use management information tools to identify emerging risks, prioritise high risk accounts and plan workload.
- Complete actions in a reliable and timely way in line with organisation policy, values and standards.
- Make ethical and secure use of systems, tools and processes including digital technology and data analytics to deliver services to customers.
- Select credit management or debt collection strategies to resolve issues.
- Use key data and performance reports and team leadership or team working techniques to support the achievement of credit management and debt collection outcomes.
- Collaborate with own team and stakeholders to build and maintain relationships.
- Communicate with own team and stakeholders, verbally and in writing.
- Review own business working practices to identify areas for improvement.
- Facilitate changes to working practices.
- Use feedback to identify areas for personal development.
- Plan and undertake continuing professional development (CPD) and support the development of others.
- Review and analyse customer applications, seeking additional financial and non-financial information when required, and assisting with the reporting of credit checks and credit limits.
- Analyse customer credit risk and develop strategies, making evidence-based decisions on credit limits in line with regulatory and organisational requirements.
- Advise on account issues and give expert support, including referral to specialist colleagues or agencies, to find a clear path to payment or resolution for those facing financial difficulty that minimises risks of overdues or bad debts for either corporate business accounts; individual customers; or third parties, for example debt collection agencies, debt advice agencies.
- Support consistent decision making, practice and compliance with policies, regulatory requirements, and procedures by challenging any inaccuracies in customer or debt data, monitoring performance measures and advising colleagues, third party suppliers and the wider business within your remit.
- Remove controlled goods in line with organisational, legal and regulatory requirements, including the National Standards.
- Sell controlled goods in line with organisational, legal and regulatory requirements, including Taking Control of Goods National Standards.
- Engage with stakeholders on accounts, for example to resolve issues, leverage payment, support business growth.
- Negotiate good credit management or debt collection outcomes, in line with organisational policies.
- Use questioning techniques to acquire information from customers to understand the customer’s financial situation or specialist needs or requirements and develop acceptable solutions, adapting communication style to suit audience.
- Identify, defuse and resolve account issues which have multiple strands or involve sensitive situations, such as critical business accounts or vulnerable customers.
- Develop strong, positive and sustained relationships with stakeholders, recognising the business context of relationships and their importance to the organisation, while dealing with a challenging situation.
- Comply with relevant governance, policies and procedures.
- Follow the environmental, social and governance requirements of their organisation.
- Take ownership of work through to resolution, re-negotiating or escalating when required.
- Make evidence-based decisions on credit and debt cases.
- Use management information tools to identify emerging risks, prioritise high risk accounts and plan workload.
- Complete actions in a reliable and timely way in line with organisation policy, values and standards.
- Make ethical and secure use of systems, tools and processes including digital technology and data analytics to deliver services to customers.
- Select credit management or debt collection strategies to resolve issues.
- Use key data and performance reports and team leadership or team working techniques to support the achievement of credit management and debt collection outcomes.
- Collaborate with own team and stakeholders to build and maintain relationships.
- Communicate with own team and stakeholders, verbally and in writing.
- Review own business working practices to identify areas for improvement.
- Facilitate changes to working practices.
- Use feedback to identify areas for personal development.
- Plan and undertake continuing professional development (CPD) and support the development of others.
Training schedule
- Level 3 Senior Credit Controller and Debt Collection Specialist Standard
- Functional skills if required
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
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
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
About this employer
Being part of the Southampton City Council team requires people who are willing to take personal responsibility for delivering excellence, to work with others to achieve the best possible outcomes, to embrace change and new opportunities, to make the most of the resources available to us and to think and act in the best interests of our customers. Southampton City Council are responsible for providing a number of services to the residents of Southampton including waste, housing, benefits, libraries, community support, marriages etc. and our aim is to give our customers the best service possible.
https://www.southampton.gov.uk/ (opens in new tab)
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 Level 3 Senior Credit Controller and Debt Collection Specialist qualification will give the candidate the opportunity to move further through the council
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
Southampton City Council
Josie Kiernan
Josie.Kiernan@southampton.gov.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000350298.
Apply now
Closes in 15 days (Sunday 23 November 2025)
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