Description
We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.
The starting salary for this full-time, permanent position is £61,784 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.
We are excited to be hiring an ambitious and innovative Lead Assessment and Income Manager, to lead on both debt prevention and debt recovery; driving continuous improvement and excellence to maximise income recovery.
This is a county-wide role and is open to hybrid working. As a team we split our time between collaborating together in the office and working from home.
Rewards and Benefits
1. 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
2. Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
3. An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
4. Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
5. Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
6. A generous local government salary related pension
7. Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
8. 2 paid volunteering days per year
9. Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
About the Role
This role sits within the Financial Assessment & Income Collections service, which is part of the Adults, Wellbeing and Health Partnerships (AWHP) Directorate.
As our Lead Assessment and Income Manager your role will be crucial to debt recovery for AWHP care charges. You will be responsible for planning and implementing strategies and initiatives to maximise income, and lead a team responsible for the prevention and recovery of outstanding social care charges. Working with the Head of Service, and collaboratively with the other Lead Manager, you will demonstrate strong leadership and communication skills to inspire and motivate a team to deliver positive outcomes.
You will be part of a forward-thinking team that values innovation, collaboration, and compassion.
This is a highly varied and interesting role, which includes:
10. Leading a team of approximately 30 staff, including five direct reports, with the primary aim of delivering a high-quality service
11. Driving continuous improvement through performance monitoring, reporting, and the adoption of digital solutions
12. Using your understanding of legislation and the debt profile to lead on recovery performance, and identify areas for improvement
13. Liaising with key stakeholders, including legal teams, to resolve complex cases and to lead on solutions
14. Responding constructively to challenges and turn them into opportunities
Shortlisting Criteria
To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:
15. Authoritative understanding of the relevant legislation and practice standards, together with broad sector awareness
16. Ability to exercise a significant degree of interpretive and constructive thinking, and evaluative judgement appropriately
17. Knowledge of the concepts of change management, project management and continuous improvement, and their practical application
18. Ability to balance policy development with effective operational management
19. Ability to inspire, motivate, coach and develop team members to high levels of performance
20. Strong written and spoken communication and interpersonal skills, which includes negotiation and influencing, and the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners
Application Questions:
21. Please describe a time when you led a team through a period of change or improvement. How did you inspire and motivate your team, and what strategies did you use to ensure high performance and engagement throughout the process?
22. Please provide an example of a process or service improvement you led that resulted in measurable benefits? What tools or approaches did you use, and how did you ensure the change was embedded successfully within the team or service?
23. Please give an example of how you have worked collaboratively with internal or external partners to resolve a challenging issue. How did you use your communication and influencing skills to achieve a positive outcome?
24. Please can you tell us what has motivated you to apply for this position
Contact Us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.
For an informal discussion please contact Natalie Gaynor-Turner or Ursula Clarke by email.
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 28.08.2025 with interviews to follow.
We look forward to receiving your application,