Head of revenue and benefits, Worcester

The team I manage collects council tax and business rates and pays housing benefit to residents on low incomes. We provide a service to local residents and businesses, although many of them may not see it that way.

Our work certainly generates a major part of the funding used to provide all council services. My personal responsibilities have not changed significantly in the last year. There has been some additional funding in my work area, but it is earmarked specifically to support the introduction of new legislation. While extra financial support is always welcome it is only being provided because we are being asked by central government to change the way we do things yet again.

Another drawback is that it isn't always possible to go out and "buy" the necessary resources. Experienced staff, for example, are difficult to find.

It has been a very difficult year for us. Among other things we have been subject to a Best Value review - an in-depth examination of what we do, how we do it and why. It was worthwhile because we found out more about what our customers thought about the service and identified our strengths and weaknesses. However, there is now the additional pressure of having to deliver the improvements in service needed to reach government performance targets and customer expectations.

Pay is not my prime motivation, but I think everyone's pay should match the level of responsibility they carry. As I mentioned last year, there are no jobs in the private sector that compare exactly and very few private sector companies are delivering this service on behalf of local authorities. My feeling is that the pay would probably be about the same, but there are no perks in local government and no bonuses for achieving targets.

I still believe the job is a vocation. Everyone uses local authority services and many people depend on the service we provide for their financial well-being. If we don't do a good job then some people's lives are made much harder.



The Common Good: March 21 2001

Head of revenue and benefits, Worcester
Salary: ?36,000

In a nutshell, I'm responsible for the people collecting council tax and business rates and those who process and pay out housing and council tax benefits in Worcester. I regard my job as very challenging, highly responsible and demanding. I manage a team of more than 60 and an annual benefits budget of ?15m.

Within local government, the public service aspect is quite significant. Through collection of tax and rates and the payment of benefit, I and my staff deal with every citizen in the city. This is a people's business.

I do feel valued by my colleagues, both senior and junior. It's difficult to say whether the public values me, especially when it comes down to the collection of tax. But people who receive benefits may do. Generally I think people accept that we have a tax system and it is used for the public good.

It's hard to say if I would be paid more in the private sector because there aren't really any comparable jobs. The only possible comparison would be if a local authority contracted out their revenue and benefits services - some have. The pay would probably be about the same, but it would be the perks that would make the difference such as company car and private health insurance. Pay is not my first consideration, it's not top of my list of priorities. I don't scrutinise my payslip each month.

Yes, I do regard my job as a vocation - I've been in local and central government for 22 years within the same field. My job is stressful, which isn't always a bad thing. People in local government work under financial pressures and increasing demand. But if stress gets too much there's always excellent support.