Case & Management Support Officer

Description

Role purpose

• A multi-skilled case officer processing applications and providing technical support, through knowledge and experience, to members of the public, businesses and to other colleagues within the Council. 

Responsibilities

• Work as part of a multi-skilled case management and service support team to deliver a wide range of statutory and non-statutory processes efficiently and effectively, providing a fast, high quality and continuously improving service for both internal and external customers, ensuring adequate cover during council opening hours.
• To be the first point of contact for all service requests including the processing of a wide variety of applications, notifications, queries and complaint work and act as case officer, in line with defined procedures ensuring the customer is at the centre of everything we do. This involves responsibility for case investigation work, problem solving and responding/ conclusion of case investigation, within the statutory requirements and service standards or ensuring response from others.
• Deliver a broad range of technical advice and management support activities e.g., system administration, report generation - both statutory and ad hoc, consultation processing and analysis, purchasing and procurement administration, data collation, web maintenance, arranging and managing meetings with external organisations, minute-taking and responding to Freedom of Information Requests.
• Assist in the management of the Civica & Assure Computer Systems for the Council, which requires management of the infrastructure of the system, regular maintenance and required changes as relevant legislation dictates.
• Detailed knowledge of licensing regulations and environmental health regulations to complete case work, ensuring on going compliance. 
• Technical advice provided to members of the public, businesses, and our partners, based on detailed knowledge of the relevant regulations and legislation.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to improve customer service e.g. highlight opportunities for empowering customers further, participate in multi departmental project teams.
• Accurately update and maintain all relevant information systems and be responsible for ensuring staff input data correctly by assisting with training and support as required.
• Along with legislative or regulatory changes, update all templates and systems to reflect the relevant changes.
• Undertake finance activities such as creating purchase orders, invoicing, and progressing the recovery of debt to the services.
• To develop and maintain sufficient service expertise, up to date knowledge of legislation, policy and procedure and use information made available on the Somerset website and those of others to provide advice and practical help, as well as proactive information to both internal and external customers.
• Regular contact with businesses and members of the public investigating cases where they will offer advice, negotiate, and influence behaviour to seek satisfactory outcomes under the supervision of the specialist officers/managers.
• Identify the most appropriate methodology to process many types of applications and resolve a wide range of technical service requests.  To achieve this, they may negotiate with members of the public, businesses and partners but will know when to seek advice from more senior officers when appropriate.
• To use their experience and technical knowledge to case manage and resolve a wide range of service requests supported by current legislation and operating procedures, maintaining some freedom for discretion as long as within policy guidance.
• Excellent organisational skills, as this is a multi-skilled role and will require daily reprioritisation of workloads.
• Handle and resolve where possible, customer and external stakeholder complaints.

Impact

• To be the first point of contact for all service requests including the processing of a wide variety of applications, notifications, queries, and complaint work. This will involve regular front line telephone or personal contact with service users and members of the public who on occasions might be distressed or challenging.
• Deliver a broad range of technical advice on all areas of Environmental Health and Licensing activities or signposting to wider Somerset Council services.
• Ensure all property databases are accurately update and maintain all relevant information. Be responsible for ensuring staff input data correctly by assisting with training and support as required.

Knowledge / Experience / Skills 

• Recognises when issues need to be referred to more experienced officers.
• A flexible and innovative approach to problem solving under supervision of Regulatory Services Support Manager Business Support Lead or other specialist officers/managers.
• Ability to contribute positively and innovatively to service review and development.
• Ability to follow operating procedures accurately and contribute to their development.
• Flexible, able to cope with a variety of tasks and an ability to prioritise completing demands.
• Excellent knowledge of a number of different services across the council
• Working knowledge of Database Administration.

Experience

• Experience of case managing in a similar role or in a regulatory services environment.
• Experience of dealing with members of the public.
• Experience of working with a variety of databases and generating reports for performance.  
• Experience of case managing service request, applications, and inspections.
• Experience of working with elected members or in a political environment.
• Experience of working as a system administrator.
• Qualifications / Registrations / Certifications
• Grade 4/C or higher at GCSE in English, Mathematics and Science, or equivalent experience.
• Educated to A-level standard, or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of licensing and environmental health legislation.
• Business Administration/IT Level 3 Qualification.
• ICDL – International Certification of Digital Literacy (Previously ECDL – European Computer Driving Licence), or equivalent.

Skills

• Excellent customer service skills.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Good communication skills.
• Excellent IT user familiar with database and reporting systems – ability to work accurately at speed. 
• Works well within a team.
• Ability to manage difficult situations.
• Ability to deal sympathetically and be empathetic with members of the public.
• Persuasive & encouraging – adopting a coaching style to enable customers.