Apprentice Income Recovery Officer

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Oldbury (2 available locations)

Closes in 12 days (Monday 2 November 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 19 October 2026

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Summary

An exciting opportunity to join the Income Management Team at Sandwell Council, who are responsible for managing, monitoring, & recovering arrears of rent and other housing related charges. So if you have a genuine interest in supporting others and take pride in delivering exceptional customer service, then we want to hear from you.

Wage

£15,392 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Customer service practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8.00am and 6.30pm, with a minimum of 3 working days from an office location.

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 4 January 2027

Duration

1 year

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

  • Help to identify and effectively monitor all former accounts, including taking payments and to take appropriate action in accordance with established procedures.  As and when required, assist in resolving low level/static current tenant debt.
  • Support with utilising all legal avenues available, in recovering an outstanding debt, i.e. attachment of earnings, third party deductions, alternative payment arrangements, charging orders.
  • Help to manage the Universal Credit landlord portal and manual SRS requests in verifying a customer’s housing circumstances, requesting alternative payment arrangements and third-party deductions.
  • Undertake routine clerical and administrative duties as required for the day to day operational needs of the service, as requested by management, i.e. stationary, handling incoming and outgoing post, petty cash, postage, filing, photocopying, scanning and maintaining inventories.
  • Assist with ordering goods, services and to raise and receipt requisitions on the Oracle Fusion system in accordance with relevant financial regulations.
  • Support with the production of letters, mail merge, reports, e-mails, agendas, minutes, data analysis, statistics and reports for performance reporting.
  • Help respond to general enquiries relating to the service, i.e. rent account information, scheduled appointments, triage, direct debits, rent statements, ICON payments.
  • Operate and maintain manual and computerised systems in line with the general data protection regulations.  To record all contact with customers and stakeholders, ensuring that such records are clear, correct and precise.
  • Assist with managing information on the relevant systems, databases and spreadsheets, i.e. SQL reports, customer contacts, raising court and eviction dates, court orders and costs.
  • Undertake all aspects of legal administration as directed by the team, i.e. creating court/warrant applications, recording court outcomes, court dates, court supervisions.
  • Liaise with all relevant departments in connection with legal action being taken by the team, i.e. Repairs, Bailiffs, Sandwell Locals, Legal Services, Housing Solutions, Adults and Children’s Services.
  • Liaise with debt collection agencies on tracing, referrals and repayments, ensuring that payments received are posted to customers’ accounts in a timely manner, acting as the first point of contact for queries.
  • Help manage applications/rejections/queries and cancellations relating to the Department for Work and Pensions third party deduction scheme.
  • Carry out your responsibilities with due regard to the Council’s policy, organisation and arrangements for Health and Safety at Work.
  • Carry out your responsibilities with regards to the Council’s policy on Data Protection/Information Management.

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

  • Operations & Development Centre, Direct 2 Industrial Park, Roway Lane, Oldbury, B69 3ES
  • PO Box 2374, Oldbury, B69 3DE

Training

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

Training provider

SANDWELL COLLEGE

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

The apprenticeship training will be delivered in the workplace, as you will receive visits from a college assessor. 

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 9-4/A-C)
  • Maths (grade 9-4/A-C)

Functional Skills in:

  • English (grade Level 2)
  • Maths (grade Level 2)

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
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Number skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience
  • Empathy & understanding
  • Punctual & reliable
  • Adhere to data protection
  • Client confidentiality

Other requirements

Proof of qualification certificates will be required during the recruitment process. Please be aware that you will come into contact with sensitive information, of which data security must be maintained.

You will need to be flexible and be very confident in talking to people at all levels. You must be prepared to adhere with Council Policies including the Data Protection Act. 

We reserve the right to close vacancies prior to their advertised date, if we receive a large number of applications. Therefore, you are strongly advised to complete and return your application as soon as possible. 

About this employer

Sandwell is a large, multicultural metropolitan borough situated in the heart of the Black Country, to the west of Birmingham, within the West Midlands conurbation and with a population of over 280,000. The Council is one of the largest employers in the Borough with employees in a variety of occupations, providing a comprehensive range of services. Find out more information on Sandwell’s Values and Behaviours on the council’s webpage. For more information on careers in local government you can view a copy of the Local Government Career Guide.

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

Disability Confident

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

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

The skills, knowledge and experience gained in this apprenticeship will allow you to gain future opportunities in this sector.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SANDWELL COLLEGE

elle_walker@sandwell.gov.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000059727.

Apply now

Closes in 12 days (Monday 2 November 2026 at 11:59pm)