The Insolvency Service
AO Customer Service Advisor
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Job Summary
The Insolvency Service is a leading government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.
The Business Services Directorate (BSD) is an operational delivery directorate, covering some 300 staff and a budget of £12m, providing high volume, often transactional, services to the public or supporting the provision of these services by others.
BSD Supports The Main Purpose Of The Insolvency Service, Delivering Economic Confidence, Supporting Those In Financial Distress, Tackling Financial Wrongdoing And Maximising Returns To Creditors By
- making statutory redundancy payments to employees of insolvent companies
- managing the Debt Relief Order process, administering the online bankruptcy application process, and Breathing Space process
- identifying wrongdoing associated with Debt Relief Orders and redundancy payment applications
- providing a first point of contact for all insolvency related telephone enquiries
- processing distributions to creditors from PPI compensation payments
- providing estate accounting and other business services to the Agency
Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 9 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability network group, Employee Assistance, Representatives, FACES Network Group, LGBT+, Mind Matters, Part Time Workers, The Shed - Men’s Network Group and Women’s Network Group.
We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, through our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.
The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!
Job Description
We have an exciting opportunity to join our Customer Service Team that is based in Edinburgh and Leeds.
The successful applicants will be part of a team that receives customers queries via telephone or email and is responsible for resolving these or referring more complex queries to other teams for further investigation. The team is also responsible for completing administration tasks that support the wider Insolvency Service.
Post holders will need to be flexible to accommodate the rapidly changing needs of the agency, along with having the ability to work independently or with colleagues.
A Customer Service Advisor is responsible for handling telephone calls, emails, and online enquiries from members of the public and other stakeholders.
The Role Involves
- providing information on insolvency procedures, bankruptcy, Debt Relief Orders (DROs), and redundancy payment claims
- supporting customers who may be experiencing financial difficulty or who have been affected by a company becoming insolvent
- investigating customer enquiries using internal case management systems and ensuring accurate records are maintained
- delivering excellent customer service through active listening, clear communication, and empathy
- meeting performance standards relating to quality, productivity, customer service, and compliance with Civil Service policies and security requirements
- escalating complex cases where appropriate and working collaboratively with colleagues across the agency to achieve the best outcomes for customers
- the role requires strong communication skills, attention to detail, resilience, and a commitment to delivering a professional and supportive service to customers during what can often be difficult and stressful circumstances
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Responsibilities
Roles and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- answering a broad spectrum of customer service enquiries (telephone & emails) for multiple business units
- providing excellent customer service both orally and in writing
- providing administrative assistance to various business units within BSD
- ensure all correspondence is dealt with in a timely manner
- delivery of professional, prompt & efficient performance in line with processes and guidance
- learn and apply correct security protocols
- to understand when queries cannot be answered at first point of contact and be able to accurately refer them to the appropriate business unit in accordance with the service level agreement
- liaise with relevant professional and technical experts, to ensure that cases progress to their appropriate conclusion in a timely manner
- maintain accurate records and safeguard customer data in accordance with agreed policies and processes
- participate in continuous improvement, training, development, engagement, and change management activities
Person specification
This role is likely to suit someone who can confidently handle a high volume of customer contact while maintaining professionalism, accuracy and empathy. Success in the role comes from being able to balance customer needs with legislative requirements, processes and service standards.
The Successful Individual Will Need To
- communicate clearly and professionally with customers who may be experiencing financial difficulty, redundancy or personal distress
- listen carefully, ask appropriate questions and fully understand customer circumstances before providing advice or guidance
- investigate enquiries using multiple systems, interpret information accurately and provide complete responses
- manage telephone and email enquiries efficiently while maintaining quality and customer service standards
- remain calm and resilient when dealing with challenging, emotional or complex customer situations
- take ownership of customer enquiries and see them through to resolution wherever possible
- work within established legislation, policies and procedures whilst exercising sound judgement
- pay close attention to detail when recording information, reviewing case notes and responding to customers
- adapt quickly to changes in processes, legislation, systems and business priorities
- work collaboratively with colleagues, sharing knowledge and supporting wider team objectives
- use a range of digital systems and resources to research information and resolve customer enquiries
- manage workload effectively, prioritising tasks to meet individual and team performance targets
- demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and applying feedback to improve performance
- handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately, maintaining high standards of security and compliance
- contribute positively to a team environment and support the delivery of an excellent customer experience
Essential Criteria
Must have customer service experience within a call/contact centre.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
Managing a Quality Service
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Alongside your salary of £26,670, Insolvency Service contributes £7,726 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Benefits
We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:
- flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
- full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
- in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
- competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
- 5 days paid leave for learning and development
- 5 days paid for volunteering
- a Cycle to work scheme
- staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.
As part of the sift process, you will be asked to complete:
- Online Test
- CV
- Personal Statement
- Behaviours
- Behaviour 1 – Managing a Quality Service
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement, assessing candidates against the essential criteria. Only those who meet the essential criteria at this stage will proceed to a full assessment of their application. If a candidate does not meet the minimum requirements during the initial sift, the remainder of their application will not be reviewed. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
Where high volumes of strong applications are expected or received, we may raise the ‘benchmark’ minimum score required at the sift stage. If a high volume of candidates meet the benchmark score, we may further raise the score required for interview selection. Scores will be applied fairly and consistently. Applicants eligible under a recruitment scheme may, where appropriate, continue to be considered against the agreed ‘benchmark’ score, to support the purpose of the scheme.
Before submission of your application you will be invited to complete a Customer Service Skills Test.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (or no
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