Bailiff

You could apply to do do a Senior Credit Controller and Debt Collection Specialist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, for example, with a debt recovery company or the courts service.

This can take up to 2 years to complete and combines on-the-job learning and time spent with a training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

You can apply directly to debt recovery companies for trainee roles. Employers will give you full training if you're taken on.

As part of the job involves being able to handle difficult situations, experience gained in parking enforcement, police, armed forces or security work may be helpful.

To work as a bailiff or enforcement officer for the courts, you may need GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths.

Bailiff General Certificate

Before you can collect debts from someone on your own, you need to get a Bailiff General Certificate. If you do not have a certificate, you'll have to work with someone who does and do on-the-job training at the same time.

To get a certificate you'll need to:

• successfully complete a training course
• be interviewed by a judge to prove you're a 'fit and proper person' without a criminal record or debt
• provide an insurance bond to the court - you can take out an insurance policy to cover this
• get references from 2 professionals

Training

You can get:

• debt collection training from the Chartered Institute of Credit Management
• high court enforcement officer training from the High Court Enforcement Officers Association

Career Tips

Job vacancies can be for permanent staff or self-employed. In both cases, advertised salary rates may include a basic figure plus on-target earnings (OTE) or commission. These depend on meeting individual or company targets. It's important to check what proportion of the salary is made up of OTE.

As a bailiff, you could:

• write to people who owe money to ask for repayment
• visit individuals or companies to serve notices and collect payments
• handle challenging situations in a calm and confident manner
• take payments or arrange for people to repay what they owe
• provide information to people about sources of support
• attend court to ask for permission to enter properties
• remove items and arrange to sell them at auction
• keep accurate records of visits on a case management system

You could work in a court, in an office, at a client's home or at a client's business.

Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you'll travel often.