About the team we are recruiting to

Customer Services is one of the largest departments in Coventry City Council and are the front face of the organisation.  We are usually the first port of call for customer enquiries across the council.  Our fast-paced telephone teams deal with thousands of calls and emails a week, we have a dynamic Customer Service Centre with around 2500 visitors a week approaching us for a wide range of enquiries from paying their council tax to seeking help to access services and dedicated support teams who process bookings, timesheets and general administration work for the whole organisation.

You may be based in one of several locations, we have a Customer Service Centre right in the heart of the city; Friargate – a large purpose built office by the train station along with several reception points across the city.

Joining Customer Services is a really good stepping stone into a long term career with the Council, depending on the role you are offered you will learn about other parts of the organisation

We want every single customer to have a positive experience when approaching the council and would welcome you being part of the team.

What is the job role?

Community Support Officer – Fixed Term 18 months, Full Time

Passionate about people and really want to make a positive contribution to helping people in the local community?

In response to the pandemic Customer Services established a team to handle requests for assistance, people contacted us for all sorts of things – from needing help with food and medicine to dog walking during the first lockdown.  The service has evolved since then and we have a telephone team contacting customers that have asked for help; understanding their circumstances and carrying out research to find solutions that will help them to address the challenges that they face.

We are looking to expand on the success of this team with an initial face to face pilot based in Bell Green – the postholder will be working from the Moat House Leisure Centre engaging directly with the community to:

• Respond to people and their specific circumstances, gain their trust and understanding when issues may be deeper than the original request, so you’ll need to have excellent communication and problem-solving skills
• Build a network of contacts both within the Council and across the voluntary network to assist with enquiries and identify opportunities to help people
• Support people to gain some digital skills to help them to safely use on-line tools

There will be times when you’ll need the ability to deliver difficult messages and manage expectations, while we try our best there aren’t always straight forward solutions to the challenges that people face. Resilience is important in this equally challenging and rewarding role.

This is an initial pilot, we want the postholder to help us to explore what might be possible in this area and keep the records necessary to inform potential other areas within the City.

The role is initially for a period of 18 months, to be reviewed in line with business needs.

Assessments will consist of a virtual interview and a work-based role play.

If you would like to find out more about the role or have any questions, please approach Andy for an informal chat on 07967 236668 during office hours.

Closing date for applications is 6th September with assessments scheduled for 17th September

Who are we looking for?

• Care about delivering an excellent service to every internal and external customer
• Excellent communication skills, confident in face to face, telephone and written activity
• Ability to support a diverse customer base
• Ability to deliver in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to respond to change positively
• To Be Flexible to the needs of the service
• Good IT skills
• An understanding of the range of services provided by the council.

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

All attachments for the job can be found here

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About Coventry

Coventry is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces old and new. Around the modern city centre there are traces of history everywhere – in the old city walls, the timber-framed buildings and the reconstructed medieval Spon Street. But Coventry has always had an eye on the future, and is now firmly focused on regenerating and re-inventing itself to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. With major developments and new projects taking place right across the city, Coventry City Council is the place to be!

There's a huge buzz about the city – Coventry ranks as the 8th best city to live, work and do business in the UK, and is the UK City of Culture 2021 ! We believe this will help put Coventry on the map for all the right reasons. You can feel the sense of local pride throughout the city as we build towards this momentous year. It also offers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to those joining us to play their part in it.

We genuinely believe that Coventry City Council is a special place. You will be joining Coventry City Council during an exciting time to become part of a team that contribute to achieving our visions for the city. We have made our council a place where we look after our people, making sure you're happy in your work and given everything you need to succeed. We've created friendly, welcoming workplaces where everyone is working towards the same cause, providing the best possible services for the city of Coventry.

As a council with improvement at its heart, we’re committed to making life better for the people who live and work in Coventry. We’re equally concerned with the quality of life enjoyed by our people, so by joining us, you won’t just be helping the community, you’ll be helping yourself too.

Not only do you get to work alongside great people that are helping to improve services for our community we offer great benefits too! For your valued contribution we will provide a fantastic benefits package including;

• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Outstanding local government pension scheme
• Learning & Development with access to certified courses.
• Access to an award winning Occupational Health Team
• Vibrant employee networks 

Coventry City Council