We're delighted that you're interested in working with us. You'd be joining us at a very exciting time.
We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.
At Gateshead Council you'd be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexitime and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we're confident that it isn't just the salary that attracts our staff.
Our construction colleagues have significant responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of one of the region's largest property portfolios. With work spanning responsive and planned repairs, cyclical maintenance and emergency out of hours repairs, fire and building safety, disabled adaptations, asset improvement, stores, purchasing and waste, call handling and customer support, this is a high-performing team operating on the front line with a truly vital role to play in ensuring safe living and working conditions for residents and employees of Gateshead.
About the role.
We have exciting opportunities for Customer Care Officers to join our brilliant team whose ambition is to deliver on the promises we make to our customers. Interested in joining a great organisation with an employee offer and experience that rivals others, then this could be an opportunity you just don't want to miss.
You will be working as a Customer Care Officer providing support to customers throughout the process of repairs and maintenance works to their home.
As a Customer Care Officer, you will develop positive working relationships with customers whilst providing communication and support before, during and after the works ensuring the highest level of customer support is provided.
You will also be responsible for investigating and responding to Repairs and Maintenance corporate complaints and member enquiries from across the borough.
What you'll be involved in...
* To be the main point of contact for customers throughout works to their home, ensuring they are fully aware of all works due to happen advising them of works planned, keeping them updated throughout the process and to ensure any queries or concerns they have are addressed swiftly.
* To liaise closely with operational delivery teams, associated agencies and other services to ensure that the needs and requirements of the customer are met.
* To arrange any necessary support for vulnerable customers, ensuring work can be completed without causing them stress and inconvenience.
* To provide an excellent level of customer service to all customers in order to ensure a consistently high level of customer satisfaction.
* To identify and highlight to the operational teams any issues that may cause delays to delivery of works, e.g. dirty or cluttered properties, and work closely with other services and agencies to address concerns in a co-ordinated and timely manner.
* To maintain accurate records within required systems, including NEC, Agresso and Advance Dynamic Resource Scheduler.
Such other responsibilities allocated that are appropriate to the grade of the post.
What you'll need to be successful...
The Knowledge
* An understanding of the challenges faced by some of our customers in their day to day lives and the support available to help them
* An understanding of equality and diversity within the housing environment
* An understanding of relevant housing legislation.
The Experience
* Dealing with difficult situations
* Effective partnership working
* Ability to work on your own initiative as well as part of a team
* Working in a customer service environment
* Resilience and strong negotiation skills
* Providing support to vulnerable people
* Good level of IT competence
* 5 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above, or relevant experience
The Skills
* Keen problem-solving skills
* Excellent communication skills written and verbal
* Good organisation and time management skills, with an ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines
* Non-confrontational complaint resolution
Full UK Driving License or access to mobility support
What's in it for you
* Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience.
* Outstanding Pension Scheme: We don't just offer a great salary we invest in your future too. Find out what benefits a Local Government Pension provides:
* Generous Annual Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, rising to 32 days after 5 years (2 of which can be fixed by the Council), plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
* Flexible Working Hours: Benefit from up to 26 flexi days per year (subject to business needs), giving you more control over your time.
* Hybrid & Flexible Working: We support a healthy work-life balance with flexible and hybrid working options.
* Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development, and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
* Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships through our partner GLL to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
* Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax-efficient cycle to work programme.
* Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Through our VIVUP employee benefits platform, enjoy discounts on shopping, travel, and services plus salary sacrifice options on white goods, electronics, and more, helping you spread the cost of essential purchases.
Our commitment to you
We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. At Gateshead Council we are an employer who embraces, and welcomes diversity, who's truly inclusive and who demonstrates equality for all. We'll go the extra mile so that our approach is representative of the communities we serve and each other. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
How to apply
You can apply online using the link below. Within the form, you'll be asked for details about you, your career history, skills, experiences and qualifications.
We advise you to be as detailed and specific as possible, paying particular attention to any of the above which are relevant to the role to which you are applying.
If you have any questions about your application, please don't hesitate to reach out to our recruitment team via
Please note: As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. However, in high-volume recruitment situations, it may not always be practicable to interview every eligible candidate. In such cases, we may need to prioritise those who best meet the essential criteria, based on the information provided in the application.
Additionally, the Council reserves the right to close this vacancy early or adjust the shortlisting criteria, including the pass mark for interview selection, to ensure a fair and manageable recruitment process. We encourage early applications.