We're looking for Customer Care Agents to join our busy Customer Hub team in Hull. You'll play a key role in supporting our Income Services team, helping to maintain sustainable tenancies within a fast‑paced contact centre environment. You will be the first point of contact for our customers, delivering a strong customer‑focused service and supporting customers with their rent accounts. This will include collecting payments in full, negotiating repayment arrangements, answering income‑related queries and working collaboratively with colleagues across Income Services to help customers avoid falling into debt. The role often involves engaging in sensitive, complex or challenging conversations, particularly where customers are experiencing arrears or financial difficulty. You will be expected to approach these conversations with empathy, professionalism and a solution‑focused mindset. Although this role can be challenging, it is also highly rewarding. We are looking for candidates who share our passion for delivering the best possible service for our customers, demonstrate excellent communication skills, show a positive can‑do attitude and are willing to learn and develop new skills within a supportive team environment.
Responsibilities
* Driving effective arrears recovery and arrears prevention, delivering a consistent, high‑quality service that ensures customers receive timely, accurate support at the earliest possible stage to prevent escalation
* Managing rent accounts proactively, including advising on balances, securing payments in full where possible and negotiating affordable, sustainable repayment arrangements using strong debt‑negotiation and affordability assessment skills
* Proactively managing unresolved arrears, clearly explaining account escalation processes, next steps and the potential consequences of non‑payment, while ensuring customers are treated fairly and with transparency
* Confidently handling challenging and sensitive conversations, using effective communication, de‑escalation and conflict‑resolution techniques to support customers experiencing financial hardship or resistance to engagement
* Supporting income maximisation, providing guidance on benefits, budgeting options and signposting to specialist internal and external support services where appropriate
* Building trust‑based, professional relationships with customers, balancing firmness on arrears with empathy, clarity and a solutions‑focused approach
* Identifying risks, vulnerabilities or service gaps early, taking appropriate and timely action to protect tenancies and reduce arrears escalation
* Maintaining accurate, timely and detailed records, ensuring all actions and decisions are fully documented in line with Sanctuary's policies, procedures and regulatory requirements
* Working collaboratively within the Income Services team, contributing to the achievement of individual and team targets, KPIs and SLA commitments
Qualifications
* Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to actively listen, demonstrate genuine empathy and clearly explain complex or sensitive information to customers in rent arrears
* Proven experience in Debt Recovery, Arrears Management or Consumer Credit Control within a regulated environment; experience within social housing rent arrears or priority debt is highly desirable
* Strong negotiation skills, with a demonstrated ability to agree sustainable and realistic repayment arrangements taking into account individual circumstances, affordability and vulnerability
* A sound understanding of or ability to quickly work within a policy‑driven collections framework, with a strong focus on fair treatment, compliance and responsible decision‑making
* Confidence handling difficult and sensitive conversations, including supporting customers experiencing financial hardship, vulnerability or resistance to engagement
* Experience working in a contact centre or high‑volume customer‑facing environment, ideally involving inbound and outbound arrears, income or collections activity
* Resilience and strong conflict‑management skills, with the ability to remain calm, professional and solution‑focused in pressurised situations
* A clear customer‑care ethos, balancing effective income recovery with tenancy sustainment, safeguarding and positive customer outcomes
* Experience using housing or income management systems such as SAP or similar housing management platforms is advantageous
* Knowledge of or experience in social housing, tenancy management, rent accounting or income services is advantageous
* Basic to intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, with confidence using systems as part of a fast‑paced role
Benefits
* 25 days annual leave (rising to a maximum of 30 days) plus public holidays
* A pension scheme with employer contributions from Sanctuary
* Life Assurance
* Employee Advice Service including counselling
* Cycle to Work scheme
* Voluntary health plans
* Employee discounts
* Wellbeing support and tools
* Employee recognition scheme
* Staff Networks, with a shared interest in inclusion, providing invaluable support to colleagues
* Role salary is £30,130 (rising to £31,716 after 12 months subject to satisfactory performance)
Inclusion is one of our core values. Our goal is to be a diverse, inclusive organisation where our people thrive and meet our customers' needs with fairness and empathy. We encourage and welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds to support this mission. We will make adjustments throughout your application process, in line with Sanctuary's commitment to our Disability Confident employer status. Building Equality and Diversity, Sanctuary Group encourages and welcomes applications from people from diverse backgrounds to support our commitment to offering an inclusive environment for our employees and customers. We work closely with the Home Office to prevent illegal working.
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