Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To work together with our clients and partners to ensure support responsibilities are met. To manage a caseload and where necessary to aggressively enforce and manage the resolution of client support issues and problems in accordance with court orders, legal agreements, governing legislation, treaty requirements and program goals, objectives and standards. To contribute to the development of policy, guidelines and procedures and efficient and cost-effective service and program delivery. To provide leadership to the team by orienting and job shadowing new staff.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Working on a case management team basis in a call centre environment with internal and external partners, the position coordinates the resolution of customers' family support issues and problems to ensure compliance with court orders, legal agreements and provincial, inter-jurisdictional and international legislative and treaty requirements. As such, the Incumbent:

1. Receives and responds to incoming calls from program clients, makes case related outbound calls as required and takes appropriate follow-up action as per legislation, policies and procedures. Reviews incoming court orders and legal agreements and reviews computerized and/or hard copy files to ensure all documents are current. (Note: Must adhere to established client service standards for the return of client calls).

2. Researches and analyzes court orders, legal documents and other manual and computerized data/information pertaining to the case. Analyzes and interprets with applicable legislation and takes appropriate enforcement action. Updates related manual and computerized case files, financial information records and data bases.

3. Takes client calls and makes outbound calls (minimum of 9 hours per week as part of a regular phone shift within the call centre) to define nature, scope, degree and impact of their family support issues and problems and resolves issues to prevent repeat inquiries, ensuring that release of personal information meets ministry and program confidentiality provisions.

4. Consults with Legal Counsel and other internal (e.g. Financial Officers, office/division/ministry management and staff) and external partners (e.g. police, welfare and social assistance agencies) to identify/analyze/evaluate options and obtain advice for effecting resolution of client issue. Determines appropriate enforcement action based on that and other advice as well as court orders, legal agreements and governing legislation and treaty requirements (e.g. Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act, Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Orders act, International Hague Convention Treaty regarding child abduction).

5. Analyzes and evaluates service results against performance targets and plans to identify variances and opportunities for policy, program and service improvements.

6. Delivers communications and educational initiatives to inform clients and stakeholders regarding office programs, services and related issues. Responds to correspondence from clients, partners and stakeholders and prepares draft correspondence for the Executive Director's, ADM's, Deputy's and Minister's signatures.

7. Provides team leadership to peers by demonstrating best practices and assisting in more complex enforcement measures. Assists the manager with work assignments and coordination as well as orientation, job shadowing and training of new client services staff. NOTE: Incumbents work on a case management team which provides service 9.5 hours a day (8:00 AM - 5:30 PM). Incumbents must be able to work on any assigned 7¼ hour shift to provide telephone service coverage which is the primary access point for clients of the Family Responsibility Office.

Staffing and Licencing :

Mandatory requirement for the bilingual positions-Proficiency in oral and written French at the advanced level

Knowledge :

Job requires knowledge of office mandate, programs, policies and legislation and the inter-relationship with related provincial, federal and inter-jurisdictional legislation, regulations and treaties (e.g. International Hague Convention regarding child abduction, FOI Act) to manage/enforce the resolution of support issues, interpret legislative requirements and legal agreements, determine most appropriate enforcement action and ensure confidentiality of restricted information. Job requires knowledge and understanding of Family Court procedures and practices to research and analyze court orders and other legal documents, ensure compliance with orders of the court and interpret/explain court processes and decisions to clients. Job requires knowledge of the organization and legislation of related ministries, jurisdictions and private sector partners to coordinate joint support issues, identify/evaluate options and obtain advice to determine appropriate resolution. Job requires knowledge of office program delivery processes and procedures to evaluate service results against performance targets, identify variances and opportunities for service improvements and provide input to program policies, standards and guidelines. Job requires knowledge of computer operation and program information systems and database applications to research computerized data pertaining to cases, update case management files, financial information records and data bases and prepare correspondence, program analysis reports and briefing materials on sensitive case related issues.

Skills :

Job requires analytical and problem solving skills to enforce and manage the resolution of complex client support issues in accordance with court orders and legal documents and legislation, interpret and analyze court orders and legal agreements to applicable legislation, determine the most appropriate enforcement action and ensure confidentiality provisions are adhered to. Job requires investigative and conflict resolution skills to deal with sensitive and emotionally charged issues with several parties (e.g. payors, recipients, legal representatives) and differing interests. Job requires administrative and organizational skills to set own priorities and deliver high quality, accurate and timely results, with flexibility to adapt to change and stressful work demands and meet high volume performance targets, cooperatively in a specialized team environment. Job requires consultative, interpersonal and facilitation skills to provide a high level of customer service and deal effectively with Legal Counsel and a wide variety of government and private sector partners. Job requires computer skills to utilize word processing software and other case management, financial and program data bases and computer applications to research/access data, update case information and prepare correspondence and reports. Job requires communication skills to provide input into the implementation of program and customer service policies, procedures, standards and guidelines, deliver information and training sessions and prepare program reports, correspondence, briefing and other program materials. Job requires attention to detail, ability to document performance results and recommend suggestions to improve customer service.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working independently within program policies, procedures and legislation and other related legislative requirements pertaining to family support issues and problems. Latitude for decision-making exists in: investigating and researching issues and determining the most appropriate enforcement action; resolving conflicts with various parties (e.g. payor, recipient); determining appropriate response to sensitive enforcement issues requiring unique resolution options; evaluating service results against goals and objectives; conducting analysis and recommending input to new program procedures and policies to improve office efficiency; interpreting court orders and legal agreements; and recommending educational materials to inform clients and stakeholders of office programs and services. Work is randomly reviewed by the supervisor for adherence to government/ministry objectives and compliance with legislation and office operational programs, policies and procedures. Job requires referring to the manager those issues of a confidential and sensitive nature that deviate radically from intent of existing guidelines