Direct Payments Officer - Lambeth

Direct Payments Officer – Lambeth (Temp Vacancy)

Umbrella Pay Rate: £18.00ph

Full-Time (37 hours)

Job Purpose:

• To be part of a centralised team managing all payments matters in children’s social care.
• To generate payments in accordance with the council’s payments policy system requirements (purchase orders, supplier set-up etc.)
• To act as a single point of resolution for all providers in payment dispute with the service.
• To interface with colleagues in the Council’s Corporate and Finance Services to improve internal processes and secure resolutions.
• To assist in delivering a payments service to social workers and providers; working as part of a team offering a customer focused telephone enquiry and information service.
• To assist in promoting the use of direct payments and support Children’s Social Care staff to access these services on behalf of their service users.

Accountabilities:  

• To accurately input (supplier set-up), track and arrange payments and allowances in children’s social care in accordance with the council’s policies and procedures.
• To provide timely financial information in accordance with financial regulations and Council policies and procedures.
• To receive and process daily information and documentation in relation to payments including confidential documentation.
• To be directly responsible for the monitoring of the payments process, ensuring that payments are in line with system requirements and council policies and procedures.
• To review payments requests to ensure accuracy, identify errors and take corrective actions. To alert the Direct Payments Team Manager to any identified errors and a plan for recovery of overpayments.
• To recover overpayments as identified and agreed with the Direct Payments Team Manager.
• To provide advice and support to social workers on matters relating to payments (cash and non-cash) and be fully conversant with all internal and external financial systems linked to payments.
• To be able to organise, plan and prioritise work, taking into account competing demands and work load, informing the Payments Team Manager/Payments Advanced Practitioner of any issues or shortfalls.
• To maintain office systems that allow the recording, storage and retrieval of children’s details including contracts and agreements and financial monitoring documentation.
• To keep fully up to date with new and existing legislation in the area of payments and other related areas.
• To contribute and cooperate with discussions relating to personal development and to use a personal development plan as a career development tool.

• To undertake the necessary training to ensure that the council’s payments polices and processes are correctly followed
• To recognise and act on safeguarding concerns relating to children and contribute to the response to such concerns.
• To recognise and act on financial fraud or accounting irregularities relating to the Council’s payment of providers or invoicing from providers
• To work flexibly in undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this job, and participate as required in multi-disciplinary cross-department and cross-organisational groups and task teams.
• To take responsibility, relevant to the post, for ensuring that Council statutes and government legislation is upheld. This includes, amongst others; Council’s Scheme of Delegation, Management Compliance Charter, Environmental Policy, Data Protection Act, Race Equality Action Plan, Quality Assurance Plan, Health & Safety, Sustainable Construction and Recycling.
• To take responsibility, appropriate to the post for tackling racism and promoting good race, ethnic and community relations.
• To undertake other duties (within the post’s scope of responsibilities) which might be reasonably requested from time to time.

We offer:

• 24 hour one on one specialist consultant based within your geographical area
• 4Recruitment Services Employee Benefits Programme
• Our own dedicated payroll support ensuring you get the full benefits of your payment

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. 4Recruitment Services is an equal opportunities employer.

To discuss this vacancy or other vacancies in your area please contact  parbejm@4recruitmentservices.com