Customer Service Adviser (First Line)

Adur and Worthing Councils place the customer at the very heart of their business and are committed to the communities we represent.

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, professional and confident individual who thrives on providing great customer service.

You will need to provide information and advice to customers regarding 16 different council service areas both face to face and on the telephone. Customers who contact us can be vulnerable, frustrated or distressed, so high levels of personal resilience and sophisticated communication skills are essential.

We expect all team members to be able to work flexibly. The role is based within our Contact Centre in Worthing Town Hall, but you will be asked to provide assistance when needed at our face to face offices in Worthing and Shoreham.

This role provides a crucial front line service for the Councils so you will need an ability to confidently handle telephone calls and visitors regarding Council business and to use IT systems to resolve customer enquiries effectively.

Previous customer service experience and knowledge of Council business would be useful, but training will be given. We are looking for hardworking, adaptable advisers committed to ensuring excellent customer service, even when the council is unable to provide the resolution the customer desires.

Advisers are often approached for input when the Councils are looking to improve services, so the right applicant will be comfortable in actively assisting in continual service improvement work.

The successful candidate will be subject to a Basic DBS clearance and three years employment referencing.

At Adur & Worthing, we are committed to supporting care leavers, in accordance with the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Children and Social Work Act 2017. To that end, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for anyone meeting the essential criteria of the role they are applying for. In order to be considered for this, you will need to be a care leaver under the age of 25 at the time of application. Please confirm that you are a care leaver in the "Showing how you meet the person specification and job description" section of the application form.

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of applicants declaring a disability, that meet the essential criteria for this position, will be offered an interview.

Staff are our most important asset and we therefore have a benefit package which reflects our continuing commitment to our employees. This includes:

• Generous leave entitlement; a minimum of 26 days Bank Holiday entitlement

• Local Government Pension

• Training & development

• Occupational Health

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• Employee resource groups/networks

• Buddy Support Programme

• Flexible working options

We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. Staff work in a supportive and safe environment, recognising their responsibility to value and respect each other’s contributions. Standards of conduct must be of the highest level to ensure that no-one is harassed, bullied or victimised. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, staff engagement forums and are keen to hear from applicants from a variety of different backgrounds.

Fair, Green & Local - Please see link below to our corporate plan with our key priorities for Adur and Worthing (2025-2028):

https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/fair-green-and-local/