Service Development And Support Officer

Number of Vacancies:

1

Time Type:

Full time

Worker Type:

Regular

Proposed Interview Date:

Monday, November 9, 2026

Hours of Work:

37

Hiring Manager:

Tina Skelton

Contact Number:

01482 613986

Job Description

Summary

This is a Full Time Permanent Position

Interviews will take place week commencing 9 November 2026

We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic individual to join our Development and Support team in a challenging and fast paced service area. We are looking for someone with the right values, skills and attributes, who can work flexibly to deliver the role.

This is a small team which contributes towards the continuous improvement and development of the Revenues and Benefits Service. This includes but is not limited to, working on projects, preparing and delivering training, mitigating risks through quality assurance, providing specialist advice and assistance, monitoring service complaints and Freedom of information requests as well as preparing for and representing the council at tribunal hearings.

The ideal candidate will:

• have professional knowledge acquired by relevant experience in a Revenues and Benefits or Finance setting.
• have a good understanding of Council Tax, Housing Benefits, Adult Social Care legislation and Welfare Benefits.
• have experience of interpreting legislative information and provide options for problem solving and process improvement.
• be a confident, assertive, enthusiastic, hardworking individual willing to take on a challenge and is committed to developing their skills and knowledge.
• be organised, manage your time effectively and be able to prioritise a demanding and varied workload.
• be able to collate, analyse and provide management information to tight timescales.
• be flexible and can adapt to a changing environment, both personally and in identifying practices and procedures requiring amendment.
• have excellent interpersonal and communication skills to interact with people at all levels and work in partnership with other Council services including Finance, Housing, Customer Services and Adult Social Care colleagues as well as external agencies.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Tina Skelton, Service Development and Adjudication Team Leader on 01482 613 986 or tina.skelton@hullcc.gov.uk

ROLE AND PURPOSE

To contribute towards the continuous improvement and development of the Revenues and Benefits Services. This involves monitoring performance, quality assurance checks, analysing risks, challenging procedures, processes and working practice to enable the implementation of change and ensure that all staff are equipped with the skills, knowledge and tools to enable them to carry out their role. Contributes to the implementation of service wide schemes from statutory legislative changes to local initiatives within an ever-changing environment.

Represents the Council in the absence of the Service Development and Adjudication Team Leader at Appeal Tribunals and Valuation Tribunals. Leads on service wide projects and the staff working on them as directed. Takes the lead in the training of staff, customers and stakeholders and the planning and design of customer communications. To provide specialist advice and assistance to internal and external customers which includes monitoring and overseeing the services complaints, freedom of information requests and requests from 3rd parties.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. To contribute towards the ongoing service development of and delivery of a comprehensive, effective training programme for Revenue and Benefits Staff, internal and external customers. Provides expert advice and support to Team leaders and colleagues with regard to Government legislation, guidance, schemes, and local initiatives to provide options for

continuous service improvements which would be compliant with wider Council priorities including promoting digialisation of communication, billing and automation to enhance the customer experience and make efficiencies in the back office. Manages and contributes to local projects until proof of concept, supporting the handover into the operational environment. Deputise for the Service Development and Adjudication Team Leader in their absence and provide supervisory cover across the service as required.

2. Statutory Obligations – Represents the Council in the absence of the Service Development and Adjudication Team Leader at Appeal Tribunals and Valuation Tribunals, undertaking preparatory work for court ensuring that appeals are efficiently processed within given timescales and customers receive accurate and timely information in accordance with legislation, Council policy and guidance. Develops and maintains an advanced knowledge of current working practises, policy and legislation and any related matters that affect the Revenues and Benefits Service, and ensure amendments made to working practices and procedures are communicated to staff, colleagues and stakeholders that inform up to date procedures that comply with complex legislation and the ever-changing environment.

3. Customer Focus - Takes the lead in the training of Revenues and Benefits staff, internal colleagues, Customer Services and Housing, and external customers by developing, designing, and presenting information in a clear and interesting format appropriate to the needs of the audience. This includes the induction of new staff, training staff on system enhancements, operational matters, or remedial action. Takes the lead in training partner organisations such as Housing Associations and Landlords etc on legislation, guidance and office practice which helps drive the delivery of an efficient, effective service that recognises our stakeholder needs and complies with complex legislation and has the customer at the fore front. Takes the lead in the planning and design of the Councils web content including publicity and take up activity, ensuring that customers and stakeholders have access to accurate information.

4. Leads on service wide projects and specialist work as directed, overseeing staff involved from all areas of Revenues and Benefits to develop more efficient work practices and procedures from changes in statutory legislation, system enhancements or local initiatives. To ensure the delivery of excellent customer focused services that are value for money and meet regulatory requirements.

5. To research improvements with other Local Authorities, suppliers and 3rd parties’ highlighting best practice and new ways of working. To work with colleagues in the Revenues and Benefits service including Adult and Social Care Teams to scope, support and implement changes via the development of procedures and delivery of training.

6. To administer a rolling programme of risk-based management checks across all areas of Revenues and Benefits, reporting internally to the Service Development and Adjudication Team Leader on the findings. This will include identifying training requirements and any office procedural shortfalls, to put forward options and recommendations for remedial actions that mitigate risk. These can include recommending potential system enhancements to prevent error, including preventing incorrect payments being issued and overpayments created, along with improvements to advance the quality and effective assurances of the service.

7. Policy/Legislation - To work with integrity, professionalism and to carry out duties in a confidential manner, taking account of Revenues and Benefits Legislation and Acts including the Fraud Act, the Local Government Finance Acts and associated legislation, The Care Act, Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act. Is responsible for cases received as part of the Council’s Corporate Customer Feedback scheme relating to Revenues and Benefits services, liaising with and coordinating the response from colleagues within the Revenues and Benefits Service. Coordinate the response to Freedom of Information Requests and Data Protection breaches, liaising with Team Leaders and Managers. The preparation and organisation of information to be presented to Members Panels or the Ombudsman as and when required. Respond to urgent request for information from external partners i.e. DWP, Police, NHS.

8. Demonstrates effective behaviours in line with the Councils competency framework.

9. Work holistically with Team Leaders and senior officers sharing expertise that embeds new working practices. In particular provides assistance and support to Revenue and Benefit Team Leaders. In periods of the absence of Team Leaders within the Service Development, Financial Assessments, Adjudication and Systems teams, supervise staff and lead team activities within a performance driven culture to meet the aims and objectives of Revenues and Benefits service delivery.

10. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation places responsibilities for health and safety on Hull City Council, as your employer and you as an employee of the council. In addition to the Councils overall duties, the post holder has personal responsibility for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of other employees; additional and more specific responsibilities are identified in the Council’s Corporate H&S policy.

NC4911. Service Development & Support Officer.docx

Compensation Grades:

GRADES 7.

Pay Ranges:

£33,673.00 - £36,581.00

Job Classifications:

2- Basic with BPSS - (Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)), 3- Not Politically Restricted - Designated As Not Politically Sensitive (Politically Restricted Posts), Casual - (Travel Allowance Policy), No - (Childcare Disqualification Requirement), No - (Statutory Post)

Benefits of Working of Hull City Council:

• A competitive salary
• An excellent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Initially 23 days annual leave depending on length of service. You will also get eight public holidays per year, and three additional days off, one in May/August and one during the Christmas/New year period
• Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods
• Supportive and forward-thinking culture
• Great career development opportunities
• Please ensure that you complete and submit your application by midnight prior to the closing date. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria against the person specification as listed in the job description.
• We are committed to increasing the diversity, equality, and inclusion within our workforce to represent the people we serve and build an environment in which everyone can feel like they belong. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.
• We adopt a ‘name blind’ approach to shortlisting. Recruiting managers will not have access to personal information, including your name and contact details, until a shortlisting decision has been made. Equality monitoring information is not accessible by recruiting managers at any stage.
• We reserve the right to amend the dates associated with this advert, which may include closing the advert early where required.
• The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
• Online searches, including social media, may be carried out as part of the recruitment process.