Job Profile Questionnaire

Louise Bullock - Council Tax Administration Assistant

Exchequer and Support Services

Describe a typical working day
I work on a very busy team within the Council Tax section. It is my job to ensure that the council tax is collected on time and the records are updated as and when necessary. There are 96,000 properties within Tameside and with people moving house or changing circumstances all the time, this can be quite a demanding role.

What attracted you to working for us?
Tameside is local employer and provides really good employee benefits. There are always new training opportunities available and scope for career advancement. I was attracted to working within the Council Tax office as there is a lot of contact with the public and I enjoy helping people.

What advice would you give someone looking for opportunities in this area?
To work in the Council Tax office you should enjoy working in a busy environment as part of a team. You should be knowledgeable on all the discount and exemptions that are available so that you can advise chargepayers on ways to reduce their bills. You must be polite when dealing with customers and have the ability to work under pressure, not everyone is pleased when they receive a reminder from us.

What qualifications or experience are essential for this kind of work?
I think it is essential that anyone working within this office has good numeracy and literacy skills. Also experience of dealing with telephone calls and enquiries from members of the public should be gained before working in this environment as this a large percentage of the work which is carried out. Also people with a debt recovery background may find this work challenging as the office have very tight recovery procedure which are followed to ensure that council tax collection rates remain high.

Officers working within the council tax office are given the opportiunity to attend different courses to enhance their skills. There is also a professional qualification with the IRRV ( Institute of Revenues and Rating Valuation) which is encouraged within my department.

What is the best thing about your work?
I find my job very rewarding as I enjoy helping people. I also like the challenge of working in a busy environment and ensuring collection targets are met.

I enjoy working as part of a team and all the people I work with are friendly and supportive.

What opportunities does your local authority provide you that you cannot get elsewhere?
Working for Tameside has lots of employee benefits, These range from training and promotion opportunities right through to flexible working hours and saving schemes.