Who got that job?

What do you actually do?

I monitor rental income collection for Barnet Homes, the arm’s-length management organisation of Barnet council in north London.

This involves liaising with tenants via the telephone and through writing letters to be sure that payment agreements are kept. I also have to attend court sometimes to put the council’s case if a tenant continually avoids paying their rent.

Describe an average week

No two are exactly the same. But there is a broad routine. At the beginning of the week, I usually monitor my patches to see if tenants are up to date with payments.

By mid week, I will decide what action to take on those accounts that are falling behind. The kind of action will vary from a simple letter reminding the tenant that they are not fulfilling the undertaking they’ve made. Or I advise the tenant that it has been some time since a payment was received.

I sometimes come across a case where a tenant is clearly in financial difficulty. In that case, we’ll advise on things that could help – is the tenant receiving all the benefits they’re entitled to, for example? We do this by working in conjunction with other agencies, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and Barnet council’s housing benefit department.

Where did you work before?

I was an administrative assistant at Barnet council for about two-and-a-half years.

This was very useful because it gave me an insight into what housing officers actually do. I worked alongside some officers who are now colleagues of mine.

Also, I was very much involved in frontline services. I saw tenants every day of the week at reception, which meant I was able to familiarise myself with many of the issues with which I now deal.

What do you make of the job so far?

At the moment I am enjoying it. This is made possible by the team I work with – they are an excellent group of people – and also by the fact that every day I find I am learning something new.

What skills do you need for the job?

Patience – in this type of job you inevitably come across people who are really frustrated. When that happens, the best thing to do is just to be patient and have the ability to listen to what is being said.

Where would you like to be in five years’ time?

At the moment, I want to concentrate on learning as much as possible. As the saying goes: you’ve got to learn to walk before you can run. But I would like to think that I am building up enough knowledge to progress further in the field of housing.