Charging, Recovery and Monitoring Manager – Client Finances Team
The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.
Job details
- Salary £50,269 to £56,730 Per year
- Contractual hours 37
- Basis Full time
- Region Permanent / Full-Time
- Job category/type Administration / Clerical, Adult Services, Finance, Managerial, Social Services
Are you an experienced manager with a strong background in Adult Social Care finances, income recovery, and service improvement? Do you have the leadership skills to develop high‑performing teams and the drive to deliver excellent outcomes for residents? This is a strategic and operational leadership role where you’ll oversee three critical functions: client charging, income recovery, and direct payment monitoring. You’ll drive high‑quality, customer‑focused services while ensuring compliance with the Care Act and delivering essential financial outcomes that support vulnerable residents within our Adult Social Care Client Finances Team.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.
About The Role
You will be responsible for ensuring accurate and timely charging, effective debt prevention and recovery, and robust monitoring of Direct Payments. Leading a team of skilled professionals, you will drive performance, deliver service improvements, ensure legislative compliance, and contribute to the strategic development of the service.
With responsibility for services managing approximately £93m annual income and £5m direct payments, this is an opportunity to make a real impact at scale.
What you’ll be doing:
- Lead and develop multi‑disciplinary teams across charging, recovery and monitoring functions
- Ensure accurate billing, effective debt prevention and recovery, and robust monitoring of direct payments
- Oversee complex and sensitive casework, providing expert guidance to your team
- Drive service improvements, performance targets and operational efficiency
- Develop and implement policies, procedures and transformation initiatives aligned with legislation and best practice
- Act as a key advisor on Adult Social Care financial matters, including Care Act requirements
- Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners (e.g. DWP, health services, voluntary sector)
- Deliver data‑driven insights, reporting and financial analysis to inform decision‑making
- Lead on customer experience, ensuring accessible, responsive and inclusive services
About You
You’ll bring a strong background in social care finance, client charging or income recovery, along with experience leading teams that deliver high‑quality, public‑facing services. Comfortable handling complex and sensitive cases, you’ll have a solid understanding of relevant legislation, including the Care Act, and be confident using data and systems to drive insights, performance and continuous service improvement.
You’re an effective and inspiring leader with excellent communication skills, able to translate complex financial information into clear, accessible guidance. Highly organised and analytical, you thrive in a fast‑paced, multi‑stakeholder environment and are driven to improve services, maximise efficiency and deliver better outcomes for customers and communities.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
- Work Together as one team – work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
- Drive Efficiency – show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.
- Be Ambitious – be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.
- Make a Difference to Reading – maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
- Generous holiday entitlement – 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays – rising to 30 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years’ service, with the option to buy additional leave
- A wide range of flexible working opportunities
- Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
- Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
- On‑site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
- Season Ticket Loan – a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
- Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
For more information on this position please contact Joanne Maslen, Client Finances Service Manager, on joanne.maslen@reading.gov.uk or 0118 937 3259.
Closing Date: Sunday 19 th July 2026. Interview Date: w/c 27 th July 2026. Interview Setup: In person interviews at the Civic Centre, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU.
#J-18808-Ljbffr…