Our Values

It’s great to know that you are interested in working with us at Coventry City Council. As a prospective employee, it is important that everyone who works for us is committed to our One Coventry values and shares our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. 

Our Values are:

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.

Our work is varied and covers the assessment and administration of schemes that provide financial help and support for those in need. 

Specifically, the teams are responsible for the delivery of: 

• Housing Benefit and Discretionary Housing Payments which we administer on behalf of the Department for Works and Pensions. We also recover any overpaid housing benefit 
• Council Tax Support which is a local scheme that helps residents with their Council Tax charges 
• Free School Meals, by working closely with schools we aim to ensure every child who is entitled has a free school meal  
• Community Support Grant Scheme which includes assistance in extreme emergency situations and can provide citizens help to resettle back into the community by providing essential furniture items.  

We embrace the ONE COVENTRY approach, working closely with our external partners and other Council teams, such as the Housing and Homeless teams and Children’s teams, ensuring we have a holistic approach to supporting our residents.

What is the job role?

Coventry City Council Benefits section is looking for an Apprentice who will join our Housing Benefits Team. You will be supported by experienced staff who can assist you with your work and study. The role of the Apprentice Benefit Officer is to support the Housing Benefit administration and provide excellent customer focussed service to all our customers and partners.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Who are we looking for?

We are looking someone who is passionate about making a difference and using technology. You must be able to work using your own initiative, as well as working as part of a team to demonstrate a One Coventry ethos and a supportive working environment. If this is you then come and join us, be part of the team.

This exciting role will develop your skills and knowledge of Housing Benefits Legislation, supporting areas within the service area; providing administrative support to the Discretionary Grants team or Housing Benefits Overpayments team.

Ideally, you will have good IT, communication, analytical and organisational skills with the ability to manage a diverse task list to meet required deadlines.

You will be studying towards the Business Administrator - level 3 apprenticeship and Functional Skills in Maths and English (if required). Further information about this apprenticeship can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/business-administrator-v1-0

Assessment date: 20th July 2023 via MS Teams
Interview date: 25th July 2023 in person at One Friargate.

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

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: 1 Bull Yard, Coventry, CV1 1LH
Phone: 024 7678 5740
Email: jobshop@coventry.gov.uk     
Website: http://www.coventry.gov.uk/jobshop

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 4800 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