Welsh Administration Officer - Customer Service Centre
Valuation Office Agency
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 4th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are the public sector’s property valuation experts and advisers with a vision to be a world-leading provider of public sector valuations. Our work is vital to the collection of over £60 billion of revenue which goes back into communities, touching every citizen and every business across England and Wales.
We champion the values of professionalism, integrity, respect and innovation. We are committed to providing a collaborative and supportive working environment that encourages every colleague to contribute, grow and excel together. With opportunities to drive your own development and growth, we empower our colleagues to succeed by ensuring support at every step of their career journey.
Our Customer Service Centre (CSC) is the face of the VOA, helping customers navigate our processes and working together to create an outstanding customer experience. We are looking for talented people with a passion for helping others and working together to find new and better ways of doing things to join our team and help us in our mission to ensure all customers understand their responsibilities and how to carry them out.
Job description
Welsh Administration Officer - Customer Service Centre - Role Overview
Do you have a passion for public and customer services and want to make a difference? If so, we would like to hear from you. We’re seeking two candidates who are fluent in spoken and written Welsh to join our Customer Service Centre (CSC).
The CSC sits at the heart of our operations here in the Valuation Office Agency. The successful candidates will be carrying out a range of data processing and administrative tasks to support the operational functions such as responding to queries, general administration and providing telephony support. You’ll pay a crucial role supporting our customers’ needs and upholding the agency’s reputation through your excellence in telephony, email and written correspondence.
You will receive training on a variety of tasks to make sure you are always able to help with the most urgent activities. It’s a busy role that can be challenging at times but the satisfaction you get from supporting customers makes it really rewarding.
Check out our video to hear more from us on why you should become part of our CSC team.
Inside the Valuation Office Agency - customer service careers - YouTube
Welsh Administration Officer - Customer Service Centre - Key responsibilities
Responsibilities include:
- Providing excellent customer service via telephone, email and written correspondence in English and Welsh.
- Dealing with the customers and focusing on ensuring that they are content and understand our processes.
- Ensuring that customers provide all necessary information and providing them with clear advice based on their query.
- Providing assistance including explaining procedures or policies, giving reasons for enquiries and justifying decisions.
- General Admin including using our tools and databases to gather and analyse data.
- Completing short Welsh translation requests.
Person specification
We are looking for someone with good communication skills who’s passionate about customer service and enjoys the challenge of speaking directly with customers. Quality is central to everything we do here in the CSC and so you should be a performance driven individual motivated to meet targets and deliver against goals. To thrive as part of our CSC team you’ll be flexible and adaptable but above all, personable with the ability to put the needs of our customers first.
It’s not necessary for you to have experience in a previous customer facing role but you’ll be passionate about providing a high level of service and be a great team player.
Essential Requirements
- Fluent in English and Welsh Language. Fluency is to include speaking, listening, reading and writing.
- Proven use of bilingual skills to communicate both verbally and in writing to customers.
- Excellent listening skills with the ability to adaptively communicate to different types of people with a range of needs.
- Good IT skills including keyboard skills.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Willingness to learn new process and a positive attitude to work and the workplace.
Languages
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
Benefits
We offer a range of flexible working options, a generous leave allowance that starts at 25 days and goes up to 30 days after 5 years’ service and a Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- Family friendly policies including 26 weeks full pay for maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.
- Employee Assistance Programme offering comprehensive wellbeing support.
- To learn more about the extensive benefits we can offer you as a VOA employee please download our Benefits Booklet: pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Things you need to know
Selection process details
If you can meet our person requirements above, we are keen to hear from you.
To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following:
A Personal Statement (maximum 500 words), please outline your suitability for the role. Please pay particular attention to the ‘Essential Criteria’ and ‘Person Specification’ outlined in the advert when providing your answer.
Please ensure that your Personal Statement is written in Welsh.
Sift - 13th November 2024. Please note this date is provisional and may be subject to change.
We will assess you on your Personal Statement.
Interviews - 28th November 2024. Please note this date is provisional and may be subject to change. The date will be confirmed should you be invited to interview.
Interviews are currently taking place Face to Face. We will provide more detail if you are shortlisted for interview.
You will be invited to attend our Cardiff office location and the interview will take place in two sections:
- A panel interview with questions asked in both English and Welsh.
- An in-tray exercise consisting of a short translation task.
We will assess you on the Behaviours listed in the job description, strengths and the Welsh translation task
At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.
Behaviours
The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework 2018 (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.
You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.
You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.
When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did what your thought process was and so on.
In-tray exercise
The interview will be followed by an in-tray exercise based on examples of the work you might be expected to carry out in the role. The exercise could look specifically at how you consider, evaluate and present complex information as well as your decision-making abilities, judgement and communication skills.
Application Hints and Tips
For more information on Success Profiles, tips on how to write a successful application and find out more about what’s involved in the application process please visit About the application process , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)
Further Information
Any move to VOA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
In the VOA, we are an office-based organisation, but all colleagues have access to hybrid working by default, as our roles have aspects which can be completed from home.
With this role we’d be looking for colleagues to work around 3 days per week in the office once they have been trained. To help you get trained up as quickly and efficiently as possible, we ask that for your training period you come into the office 5 days a week. We will discuss this working pattern further with those wishing to work part time. Once we feel you are able to operate effectively without help you’ll be invited to discuss a hybrid working pattern with your manager. You and your manager will then continue to review your hybrid working pattern to make sure it meets your needs as well as the needs of the business.
The working hours for this role are determined by a rota. Whilst we try take personal circumstances into account wherever possible when setting the rotas, we are limited in allowing people to ‘fix’ set hours outside of these times. However, please do contact us if you would like to discuss any individual circumstances which may restrict your availability between these hours (e.g. caring responsibilities, or childcare) or wish to work part-time. We currently schedule our people between the hours of 7:30am and 6pm, Monday to Friday however, please be aware that this can change subject to business need.
VOA employees only: If you are currently in receipt of DTA as a result of a VOA office closure/restructure and it is agreed for you to take up this role in your current location, you may continue to receive DTA for the remainder of the period you can claim for. Please check with the Vacancy Holder on preferred locations for this role before you apply.
If you would require a Certificate of Sponsorship from the VOA to undertake this role, please contact resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk before submitting your application.
Pre-employment Checks
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Reasonable Adjustment
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, please click here for more information:
Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk) and contact voarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.
Terms & Conditions
Voluntary terms apply.
Reserve Lists
If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 6-month reserve list.
During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.
Starting Work
Successful candidates will normally take up duty within one month from notification of successful completion of pre-employment checks.
Applying
All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email voarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.
Please note that late applications will not be accepted.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Use of AI
You may utilise artificial intelligence (AI) tools and platforms to support you during the application process however, as with any application all information submitted must be factually accurate and all examples provided must be taken directly from your own experience. All presented information will be assessed at interview. Any applications where factual inaccuracy, plagiarism or copying of examples/answers from internet sources is detected will be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates.
Concerns/Complaints
The Valuation Office Agency’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the Central Recruitment Team at the following address: resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint you have the right to complain to the Civil Service Commissioners.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Alyn Evans
- Email : Alyn.evans@voa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : VOARecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
