Apprentice Customer Service Advisor

About the role

Role Summary

To be the first point of contact with our customers, ensuring customer satisfaction in line with our service strategy, working as part of a team to provide a comprehensive customer experience.

Salary:

£26,873

Hours of Work:

35

Contract:

Permanent

Probation Period:

6 months

Notice Period:

1 month

Who are we?

We provide more than 13,000 homes across Kent, Sussex and Surrey. Over the years we have invested heavily in our homes and continue to do so as part of the Peabody Group. We promote hybrid working and have more than 300 employees based in various locations across our operating area.

Meet your Manager

I have been with TCH 15 years, and the colleagues I work with have made it such a great place to work. I really love what we do for our residents and enjoy being part of the Customer Services Team.

In Customer Services we are the front-line team taking the initial calls and enquiries from residents, regarding everything from ASB to Repairs. Every call is different, and the team have incredible knowledge on many different topics. It is so rewarding working with such great colleagues and seeing the ways in which we can help our residents.

Emma Browning Customer Service Team Leader

What will you be doing?

Role Specific Responsibilities

During your apprenticeship you will

• Dedicate at least 20% of your working hours to training or studying by attend training sessions, workshops, and meetings to gain essential knowledge in the field.
• Participate in off and on-the-job training to apply your learning in real-world scenarios, enhancing your practical skills and understanding.
• Complete assignments, assessments, and coursework to fulfil the programmes requirements.
• Engage in 1:1 sessions and performance reviews, providing valuable insights for personal growth and skill development.
• Receive mentoring and support from experienced professionals, offering guidance to help you succeed.
• Have opportunities for career development within the company, exploring potential growth and advancement.
• Complete a final end point assessment to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and competence at the end of your apprenticeship. If you have not yet achieved a Level 2 in Functional Skills in math’s and English (or equivalent, such as GCSEs at grades A-C/9-4), you will also be required to complete these qualifications during your apprenticeship.

Ensure effective customer contact is achieved within set timescales, and in line with policy and procedure, using all communication platforms, including taking telephone calls and responding to e-mails/webchats.

Respond to online customers general/ repairs enquiries and provide standard written responses in line with guidance.

Taking customer repairs calls, diagnosing issues & booking repairs appointments.

To maintain accurate and timely record keeping.

Participate in training, following identification of needs through a training needs analysis.

Take an active role in the implementation of new customer service initiatives.

Participate in projects and working groups at the request of the Customer Services Manager.

Assist the Customer Services Manager in the implementation of policies and processes aligned with a good customer experience, with a view to improving performance by listening to and acting on customer feedback.

Assist with the creation and review of processes for the customer services team and ensure processes are adhered to.

Ensure full business continuity is achieved by providing cover for the operation where necessary, this may include working in any of our offices from time to time.

Apply professional curiosity to help identify if residents' have circumstances which may make them potentially vulnerability and if they have additional support needs; signpost to internal and/ or external support services.

Promote resident engagement opportunities and capture resident feedback to support our resident engagement objectives, with a view to continuous improvement.

Effectively liaise with other departments/staff/outside agencies as appropriate.

Provide day to day facilities cover as needed.

General

To adhere to the equality, diversity and inclusion policy and actively promote equality of opportunity wherever possible.

Recognise, respect, and promote the different roles and diversity of individuals.

To actively contribute towards the key performance indicators and professional standards.

Work in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection Law and be responsible for the integrity of personal information you process. This may include identifying anomalies in data and investigating and correcting them where appropriate. Ensure you attend training on data protection regularly.

To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and relevant EC directives.

To participate in training, attend other meetings, and staff events as required.

Be an effective member of your team, presenting a positive impression of your section and the Group.

Take responsibility for recognising and recording customer complaints, however made, and ensure that any complaints allocated to you are responded to within policy requirements.

Maintain professional curiosity in all interactions with residents, be aware of and report and record any potential safeguarding issues promptly and appropriately.

Maintain awareness of budget requirements and value for money while delivering your role.

Consider and highlight any risk to the organisation or individuals whilst delivering your role.

Consider resident feedback (the resident voice) in all service delivery, using data and insight and actively engaging with residents to understand their needs, views and priorities and tailor services accordingly.

About You

Education & Qualifications

GCSE or equivalent education

Key Skills & Competencies

Office administration experience

Customer service experience

Microsoft Office experience

Knowledge of housing policy and procedure, including diversity, equality and inclusion, and an understanding of housing associations

Behaviours

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for apprenticeship funding you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• You must have been a resident in the UK, or EEA, Switzerland, or Gibraltar if you are an EEA national with pre-settled status in the EUSS, for at least the previous three years (you will be asked to provide evidence of this)
• You must not hold a qualification at the same level or higher in the same subject
• You will need to be 18 or older at the start of the apprenticeship

If you are unsure whether you meet the eligibility criteria please contact recruitment@tch.org.uk and one of the team will be happy to discuss your application with you.

Calm, confident, and approachable manner

Excellent communication skills, face to face, in writing and via telephone

Ability to think and act quickly in a pressurised environment.

Proven ability to negotiate outcomes and solve problems.

Experience of using own initiative to implement and improve work systems.

Ability to prepare and interpret numerical data and to explain to others.

Proven ability to plan and manage own workload.

Ability to work well as part of a team.

Desire to provide excellent customer service.

Resilience when dealing with difficult situations

Why Choose Us

• Contributory pension scheme 4% to 10% matched contributions
• Hybrid working
• Free onsite car parking
• Life assurance of 4x annual salary (Terms and Conditions apply)
• 30 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays
• Two volunteer days per year
• Employee assistance programme (24/7 telephone advice, information portal & face to face counselling sessions)
• Corporate eye care scheme providing free eye tests and free VDU glasses or contribution towards VDU glasses
• Extensive annual Staff Wellbeing programme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave provision
• Flexible annual benefits (for dental, healthcare, shopping vouchers, technology etc.)
• Annual flu vaccinations
• Access to an extensive range of corporate discounts on shopping, travel & days out
• Social events, including lunchtime walking, rounders, festive Fridays
• Travel loan

Our Values

Our culture is about the shared values, beliefs and behaviours that determine how we do things, then the ways and systems of working that help to get those things done.

Our new values, principles and behaviours will put customers at the heart and provide the foundation for the culture of the new organisation. Only by delivering a cohesive and customer-focused culture will we be able to achieve our purpose and priorites.

We have taken an inclusive and collaborative approach to developing the following values, working together with colleagues, customers and the Board:

Equal Opportunities Statement

TCH is an equal opportunities employer committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity or paternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, or caring responsibilities.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join TCH.

We are recognised as a ‘Disability Confident Committed Employer’. As part of this commitment, individuals who disclose at application stage that they have a disability, will be invited to interview provided they demonstrate that they meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. Candidates will be asked if they require any support or reasonable adjustments to enable them to fully participate in the recruitment process.

Apply

Internal Applications

Please send a letter clearly demonstrating how your skills and experience meet the criteria contained on the job description and person specification to the HR inbox.

For internal staff only: Please note, if you're currently on legacy TCH, Rosebery, InTouch, Family Mosaic etc Terms and Conditions and are successful in your application, you will automatically be transferred to the new Peabody Terms and Conditions.

Additionally, if you move to a TCH role on a secondment basis, your Terms and Conditions will not change.

If you have any questions, or require further clarification, please speak to HR.

External Applications

Please complete our online application form by clicking the Apply button below. We reserve the right to bring the closing date forward, so we strongly encourage early applications.

Please note: As an employer, Town & Country Housing does not provide sponsorship as a licensed UK employer.

Key dates

Applications Close:

Wednesday, 3 September 2025

Interview Date:

Friday, 12 September 2025