The role of Income - Customer Care Agent will include:
1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. Supporting income maximisation, providing guidance on benefits, budgeting options, and signposting to specialist internal and external support services where appropriate
6. Building trust‑based, professional relationships with customers, balancing firmness on arrears with empathy, clarity, and a solutions‑focused approach
7. Identifying risks, vulnerabilities, or service gaps early, taking appropriate and timely action to protect tenancies and reduce arrears escalation
8. Maintaining accurate, timely, and detailed records, ensuring all actions and decisions are fully documented in line with Sanctuary’s policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements
9. Working collaboratively within the Income Services team, contributing to the achievement of individual and team targets, KPIs, and SLA commitments
Skills and experience:
10. 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
11. 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
12. Strong negotiation skills, with a demonstrated ability to agree sustainable and realistic repayment arrangements, taking into account individual circumstances, affordability, and vulnerability
13. 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
14. Confidence handling difficult and sensitive conversations, including supporting customers experiencing financial hardship, vulnerability, or resistance to engagement
15. Experience working in a contact centre or high‑volume customer‑facing environment, ideally involving inbound and outbound arrears, income, or collections activity
16. Resilience and strong conflict‑management skills, with the ability to remain calm, professional, and solution‑focused in pressurised situations
17. A clear customer‑care ethos, balancing effective income recovery with tenancy sustainment, safeguarding, and positive customer outcomes
18. Experience using housing or income management systems (such as SAP or similar housing management platforms) is advantageous
19. Knowledge of or experience in social housing, tenancy management, rent accounting, or income services is advantageous
20. Basic to intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, with confidence using systems as part of a fast‑paced role
Why work for us?
We are a not-for-profit housing association, and own and manage around 125,000 homes. We foster a diverse and inclusive culture, and nurture and reward talent. Our customers are at the heart of all we do, and colleagues help make a real difference to people’s lives.
Our Benefits
As part of our commitment to making Sanctuary a great place to work, where your wellbeing is of genuine importance, we have developed an attractive employment package. The package recognises your contribution, supports your physical, mental and financial health and gives you the flexibility to tailor your employee benefits by offering:
21. 25 days annual leave (rising to a maximum of 30 days) plus public holidays
22. A pension scheme with employer contributions from Sanctuary
23. Life Assurance
24. Employee Advice Service including counselling
25. Cycle to Work scheme
26. Voluntary health plans
27. Employee discounts
28. Wellbeing support and tools
29. Employee recognition scheme
30. Staff Networks, with a shared interest in inclusion, and who provide invaluable support to colleagues
31. Role salary is £30,130 (rising to £31,716 after 12 months, subject to satisfactory performance)
View the job profile (if the link is unavailable please visit the Sanctuary careers website)