We have a vacancy for an experienced Debt Recovery Officer who would join our Debt Recovery Tower on our Collections & Recovery Team working on our North Somerset contract. You will manage a caseload of unpaid Adult Social Care invoices, carrying out early-stage recovery through reminders and sensitive contact with customers, families, and representatives by phone and email to resolve arrears and support timely payment.
Key Responsibilities:
-
Debt Management: Monitor aged debt reports, identify priority cases and take proactive steps to maximise recovery of unpaid Adult Social Care invoices, ensuring debts progress through the recovery cycle in a timely and appropriate manner.
-
Debt Identification: Assess individual circumstances to determine the most suitable recovery approach, including payment plans, Direct Debits, or referrals to Social Services for further support.
-
Customer Communications: Handle correspondence from debtors and third parties via post, email and telephone, including sensitive interactions with vulnerable customers or their representatives (e.g. Power of Attorneys, Solicitors).
-
Referral & Escalation: Refer cases to external Debt Collection Agencies or recommend legal action where appropriate.
-
Write-Off Recommendations: Present clear and accurate recommendations for debt write-offs.
-
Record Keeping: Maintain accurate, timely and fully documented records of all recovery actions within the appropriate IT systems.
-
Compliance: Ensure all work complies with SLAs, regulatory requirements and audit standards to support consistent, high-quality service delivery.
Essential Skills and Attributes:
-
Debt Recovery Experience: Proven experience in recovering outstanding debts, including proactive contact with service users or their representatives via phone and written correspondence, ideally within a local authority or social care setting.
-
Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage clearly, professionally and sensitively with vulnerable individuals, carers and representatives.
-
IT Competency: Competent in the use of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Outlook and Excel. Experience of using financial or case management systems such as Unit4 ERP (Agresso) is advantageous.
-
Customer-Focused Approach: Ability to balance effective debt recovery with empathy and understanding, ensuring a fair, respectful and person-centred approach in line with social care values.
-
Organisation & Self-Management: Able to manage a varied caseload, prioritise effectively and work independently to meet deadlines, targets and statutory timescales.
-
Attention to Detail: High level of accuracy in maintaining financial records, updating case notes and preparing written communications.
-
Flexibility: Able to adapt to changing policies, procedures, systems and the evolving needs of the service and its users.
-
Team Player: Works collaboratively with colleagues, sharing knowledge and contributing to the achievement of team and service objectives.
Security vetting and checks:
All successful candidates must meet the government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).
-
External candidates: The BPSS includes a basic criminal record check (for unspent convictions). There will also be an Adverse Financial Check (AFC) which will be renewed annually. An Adverse Finance Check looks for CCJs, IVAs, bankruptcies, Scottish decrees, or Administration Orders.
-
Internal candidates: An annual adverse finance check will be required.
PLEASE NOTE – For external candidates, the AFC will be conducted prior to interview.
If you do not meet these requirements, your offer may be withdrawn.
Liberata is one of the UK’s leading providers of business process outsourcing and support services for the public and commercial sectors.
Founded in 1975, Liberata has been serving central and local government for over 45 years as a trusted and reliable operating partner. Delivering specialist business process services where business knowledge is critical at every stage, our highly experienced and dedicated teams care about helping governments get results and achieve the highest levels of service.
Many of our services and solutions are available for procurement under various Government frameworks.
