Job info	Job info details
Job title	Permit & Appeals Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Place
Service	Parking Services
Business unit	Business Services
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Parking Operations Manager
Accountable to (line manager)	Parking Operations Manager
Salary grade	E
JE ref	COMSA37

1. Key purpose of job

• To provide general clerical and administrative support within Parking Services specifically in connection with Penalty Charge Notice processing and Permit issue.
• To ensure Penalty Charge Notices are processed in compliance with current legislation, Council policies and timescales, including dealing with correspondence, statutory notices, representations, appeals and debt recovery.
• To ensuring parking permits are processed in line with Council Policies and timescales.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• To provide an efficient but fair parking service to the public administered and operated in accordance with current legislation and Council policies.
• Advise members of the public on all parking related matters on the telephone an inform the Senior Appeals Officer of any urgent issues.
• Making decisions on Penalty Charge Notices and responding to correspondence in line with legislation under the Traffic Management Act 2004.
• Dealing with adhoc permit applications and ensuring that all protocols are followed where the criteria is not met.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• Parking Appeals, Enforcement & Permits:
  • To become familiar with and follow all aspects of the legislation and regulations relating to parking control and enforcement, and the Council’s policies, procedures and priorities regarding parking and enforcement.
  • To advise the Senior Appeals Officer on all issues with regard to notice processing, and general administration.
  • To effectively use the dedicated parking and enforcement IT system and other office IT to process all relevant correspondence, statutory notices, forms etc. in accordance with the requirements of the legislation and Council policy including payments, representations, appeals, bailiff enforcement and debtor tracing in an efficient and timely manner.
  • To process parking permit applications in accordance with agreed policies and timescales, in an efficient and timely manner.
  • To adopt a pro-active approach to ensuring that permits are only issued to bona fide residents/businesses and to the prevention of permit fraud.
  • In relation to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal Service, ensure the required standard of summaries of evidence are prepared and submitted in accordance with compulsory timescales and to monitor appeals and results and making recommendations for changes to enforcement, procedures where necessary.
  • To liaise with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal and Traffic Enforcement Centre where required.
  • Assist with ad-hoc duties required to allow for the progression or cancellation of parking tickets.
  • Liaise with the Civil Enforcement Officers and the Enforcement Office via phone and email and advise on queries that may arise.
  • To collate data for interpretation to allow for effective beat management.
• Correspondence, enquiries, complaints and customer care:
  • To provide a high quality standard of customer care when dealing with members of the public.
  • To provide a high quality and timely response to correspondence including carrying out investigations and composing detailed replies and drafts.
  • To deal effectively with enquiries by telephone, letter and on occasions face to face, in what can often be sensitive situations.
  • Maintain an efficient system of all related documentation, filing and permit applications.
  • As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• Processing daily penalty charge notice and permit cheque payments. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working environment and conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical effort. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Processing daily penalty charge notice and permit cheque payments.

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External
  • Receiving and dealing with general enquiries from the public and other agencies, including DVLA, TPT and TEC in correspondence, both written and electronic, or by telephone in a prompt, informative and courteous manner.
• Internal
  • Working as part of an effective team, liaising with colleagues in parking services and other divisions, in a prompt, informative and courteous manner.

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

• All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children's Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is office based at Town Hall but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• The post is eligible for hybrid working.
• You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is a customer facing role and meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2017 (part 7) the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Permit & Appeals Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Place
Service	Parking Services
Business unit	Business Services

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Effective communication skills with a customer focussed approach, including the ability to resolve conflict.
• Ability to carry out tasks with minimal supervision.
• Effective listening skills with the ability to deal effectively with a wide range of people, on the telephone and face to face.
• Ability to produce correspondence and reports in a clear and concise manner.
• Use of electronic document management systems including scanning, indexing and work task flow.
• Effective organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and to manage your day-to-day workload.
• Self-discipline with the ability to work as part of a team or on own initiative to meet targets and deadlines and solve problems.
• Ability to work to conflicting deadlines in a busy, noisy environment. 
• As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post. 

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Knowledge of the Traffic Management Act 2004.
• Knowledge of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal Procedures and Traffic Enforcement Centre.

Desirable knowledge

• Use of GIS mapping systems.
• Knowledge of the procedures and best practice relating to parking enforcement and notice processing.
• Understanding of Local Authority structure and procedures.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Demonstrable experience of working effectively in a similar role.
• Experience of working with databases plus the use of Microsoft word to produce professional correspondence.
• Customer Service Experience, dealing with conflict.

Desirable experience and achievements

N/A

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• GCSE’s or equivalent in Maths and English. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• MOS Qualification or Equivalent. 
• NVQ II or equivalent in Customer Service/IT 3.

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
• Ability to accommodate shift patterns.
• Ability to accommodate on-call working.
• Ability to accommodate occasional/permanent home-working.