Our Values

In line with our One Coventry Values we strive to have a workforce that reflects our local communities and welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds, applicants who have a disability and applicants who are from the LGBTQ+ community to apply for our senior leadership roles. 

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

About the team we are recruiting to

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

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?

Customer Services is one of the largest teams in Coventry City Council, we act as the initial contact point for the organisation whether that is via telephone, email, social media or in person. The council delivers over 40 wide ranging services for the City from Election Services, Council Tax & Benefits, Waste Collections, Highways, Planning, Childrens Social Care, Adult Social Care and Housing to name a few. 

Our fast-paced teams deal with thousands of customers a week for all services, we have a Customer Service Centre with around 2500 visitors a week approaching us for a wide range of enquiries or seeking help to access services and dedicated support teams who process bookings, timesheets, and general administration work for the whole organisation. 

Joining Customer Services is a good introduction to what could be a long-term career with the Council. 

We have an opportunity for an apprenticeship within our meet and greet service and our Community Support Team.   

Apprenticeship summary  

Successful candidates will join our fast-paced and dynamic teams to provide Customer Service and general administrative support to a wide-range of customers.  

You will be given on the job training to help you learn a variety of skills alongside your apprenticeship qualification.  

Typical duties in the apprenticeship will involve:  

• Answering customer enquiries  
• Raising service requests for customers using a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)  
• Working in our Front Facing Customer service locations  
• Offering a quality customer service experience  
• Managing team email inboxes and prioritising where appropriate  
• Ordering goods and services / raising invoices  
• Basic financial and statistical calculations  

You will undertake the Level 3 Business Administrator apprenticeship. Further information for this apprenticeship can be found on: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/business-administrator-v1-0 

This apprenticeship role is a fixed term contract for 21 months in line with the length of the apprenticeship training. 

If you would like to know more before applying, call us for a chat at 024 7697 7406 or 024 7697 7524  we would love to hear from you and explain a little more about working for the council and why it’s a really good career plan as well as know a little bit about why you are interested.  

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate;

• 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. 

The closing date is midnight on 29/09/2024. 

The application and selection process for candidates is as follows:  
Stage 1 – 30/09/2024 - Candidates will be shortlisted based on the answers given  
Stage 2 – 11/10/2024 - Pre-interview and Maths & English assessment*  
Stage 3 -  18/10/2024 - Final interview and work-related role play.  

* (The pre-interview is a short session to give you further details of the apprenticeship role and to help you understand what to expect from and how to prepare for the final interview. You will also complete a short diagnostic assessment to check the level of Maths and English that you are currently working at and identify any support you may require).  

Did you know that there is support available to help you with your application? 

If you would like support in completing your application or have any questions about our recruitment and selection processes, help is available at The Job Shop. 

We would recommend that all applicants take advantage of this service in order to maximise the chances of being shortlisted. 

Address: West Orchard Way, Coventry CV1 1FY 
Phone: 024 7678 5740 
Email: jobshop@coventry.gov.uk      
Website: http://www.coventry.gov.uk/jobshop 

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you. 

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards & benefits package which includes:

• Flexible working arrangements
• An outstanding local government pension scheme
• Great opportunities to develop with access to accredited courses.
• Access to an award-winning Occupational Health Service
• Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Coventry City Council