Child Maintenance Service - Deduction Order Case Manager

As the UK governments largest public service provider, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policies.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) supports parents who are unable to reach a private financial agreement by ensuring and when necessary, enforcing their legal responsibility to contribute to their childs living costs. Our mission is simple: to get money to children, because it makes a real difference in their lives.

While weve made significant progress in transforming our service, we remain ambitious about what more we can achieve for the families who rely on us. CMS is a dynamic and rewarding place to work. Step into any of our service centres and youll find passionate, dedicated professionals committed to supporting our customers.

We are proud to foster an inclusive and diverse workforce where everyone can thrive. If you're looking to make a difference, this could be the career for you.

This is a fantastic opportunity to start or grow a fulfilling career in the Civil Service. We offer a flexible work-life balance, along with opportunities for growth, challenge, and personal development.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is offering an exciting opportunity for motivated individuals to join our Deduction Order Team as Case Managers. These roles play a vital part in helping children and families across the UK receive the financial support they are entitled to.

Deduction Orders are an enforcement measure used to collect child maintenance and arrears directly from a paying parent's bank or building society account where voluntary payments have not been made and other collection methods, such as a Deduction from Earnings Order, are not appropriate or have been unsuccessful.

This is a fast-paced and rewarding role that requires strong case management, analytical and communication skills. You will use the CMS 2012 system to manage and progress cases, engaging with customers, financial institutions, colleagues and other stakeholders through both written and telephone contact. Working collaboratively with internal teams, you will ensure cases are progressed accurately, efficiently and in line with legislative requirements.

As a Deduction Order Case Manager, you will be responsible for managing all aspects of a case while it is subject to Deduction Order action. This may include:

• Making informed decisions and exercising sound judgement when selecting the most appropriate enforcement route for each case.
• Applying appropriate legislative powers to enforce and manage deduction orders to collect ongoing maintenance and arrears directly from bank and building society accounts.
• Using a range of intelligence sources, including Credit Reference Agency data, to support enforcement activity and identify appropriate collection routes.
• Building a reputation for fair, consistent and effective enforcement action that encourages future compliance and deters non-compliance.
• Referring cases to the Financial Investigations Unit where there is evidence of potential fraud or financial irregularity.
• Liaising with financial institutions and internal CMS teams to ensure deduction orders are implemented correctly, and payments are received to achieve the best outcomes for families.
• Monitoring compliance, investigating failed or missed payments, and recommending further enforcement action where necessary.
• Communicating professionally and securely with parents, colleagues and external stakeholders to obtain and provide information, to resolve issues and progress cases.
• Maintain accurate case records and ensure all actions are completed in line with relevant legislation, policy and procedures.
• Deliver excellent customer service while handling complex and sometimes sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy.
• Contributing to continuous service improvement by delivering a professional, customer-focused service and ensuring children remain at the heart of everything we do.

Important:

There is an expectation that you will undertake full-time office based training of 10 weeks. An additional 12 weeks training will be required for candidates who have no experience of the Child Maintenance 2012 system.This training is mandatory and non-negotiable. This training is essential to ensure you gain the knowledge, confidence, and capability needed to support the CMS in delivering high-quality customer experience and service for the families who rely on us.

This training will be split across the following timeline:

• 12 weeks Training (only required for candidates with no CMS 2012 system experience)
• 4 weeks Training
• 8 weeks Consolidation
• 6 weeks Training
• 8 weeks Consolidation

Hybrid working options will be considered for consolidation periods on account that the training periods have been successfully completed.

Attendance throughout both phases is compulsory, and individuals must be fully committed to completing the training and attending the office as required.

The examples and evidence in your written statement will be tested at sift stage against the following essential criteria:

• Sound judgement and decision-making skills, with the ability to work accurately and efficiently in a fast-paced environment, managing competing priorities and challenging deadlines. (Lead Criteria)
• Demonstrable ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload, delivering accurate outcomes within demanding timescales.
• Excellent communication skills, with strong written and verbal abilities across a range of channels, including digital and telephony, and the confidence to manage challenging and sensitive conversations with resilience, professionalism and empathy.
• A flexible and collaborative approach, supporting the wider team, building effective working relationships, and engaging confidently with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes within required timescales.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, adapting effectively to changing priorities and customer needs.
• A proven track record of delivering excellent customer service, demonstrating professionalism, credibility and a commitment to achieving the best outcomes for customers and stakeholders.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a debt enforcement environment or similar.