Job responsibilities
SCOPE AND RANGE
The Senior Financial Accountant will have responsibility across Livewell CIC and all its subsidiary companies. The role will also provide support to the Livewell Foundation (registered Charity). The current organisation structure is provided below.
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
For Livewell CIC and all its subsidiary companies; produce timely and accurate UK GAAP compliant statements. This will include producing consolidated statements where appropriate.
Act as the main contact for external audit for both the year end and interim audits. Ensure that accurate and robust working papers and supporting information are available when required during the year. Ensure that strong and open relationships are maintained to support the work required.
Prepare, interpret, present, and explain annual financial statements to Board and relevant Sub-Committees of Board.
Provide regular, timely and accurate reporting on the balance sheet to senior managers and the Audit Committee.
Provide expert and specialist advice on accounting policies and procedures and relevant legislation such as VAT and tax arrangements being the main point of contact within the organisation for advice to managers.
Produce Group VAT and tax returns and ensuring that the organisation is following current legislation in a timely and accurate way.
Assist in short, medium and longer term financial planning highlighting any risks or opportunities for the organisations.
Work closely with NHS Shared Business Services to ensure a seamless provision of service to LSW.
Oversee the accounting arrangements for the Livewell Foundation, ensuring that the charity is compliant with all relevant Charities Commission guidelines.
Prepare annual accounts for the Livewell Foundation produce and present reports to the Foundation Board.
Ensure cash balances are managed effectively on a short- and medium-term basis, making judgments to ensure that sufficient cash is available for day to day needs and investing surpluses to maximise investment income and minimise risk.
Ensure that control accounts are reconciled and understood monthly. Work with relevant colleagues to resolve any issues in a timely way and thus ensuring that balance sheets for all organisations are presenting an accurate position.
Review and update local financial procedures for use in the Finance Department and across the organisation and to ensure that these are implemented.
Responsibility for ensuring that systems for paying creditors and collecting income are operating on an efficient and effective basis.
Ensure that the organisation has appropriate indemnity arrangements in place that accurately reflect and cover the range of services provided.
Work autonomously to achieve agreed objectives using their own professional knowledge and experience within the Professional regulatory and organisational framework. This includes having a suitable awareness and operation of organisational financial policies and procedures and accounting standards, following procedures when undertaking tasks and interpreting such standards and policies when necessary. The post holder will use their own professional knowledge and judgement to decide appropriate actions and responses.
Contribute to the organisations strategic planning process, providing information for financial forecasts as required by the organisations strategic planning framework and long-term financial model. The production of financial forecasts will play an integral part in the Integrated Care Network Model and the post holder will need to ensure that all forecasts are consistent and integrated with the Organisations short-, medium- and long-term financial plans.
Undertake project work as directed by the Head of Finance
PLANNING AND ORGANISATION SKILLS
To manage all aspects of workload including month end and year-end financial reporting timetables. Use of time management skills to ensure that workload and individual projects are delivered in a timely and accurate manner.
Prepare and deliver the annual accounts for the Group companies including notes to the accounts and associated working papers.
Ensure intercompany trading is correctly and timely recorded for Group.
RESPONSIBILITY OF POLICY/SERVICE DEVELOPMENTS
To suggest and influence new policies and accounting procedures for more efficient working practices to continually improve finance working methods across the Organisation.
RESPONSIBILITY OF PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Responsible for the line management of the Finance Support Team, dealing with issues of work planning, personal development, absence, and discipline etc
Assist with programme of financial training for both financial and non-financial staff, delivering training sessions or providing informal coaching as appropriate.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL RESOUCE
Budget holder for the Financial Accounts cost centre
Responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the Fixed Asset Register including verification exercises. The validity of this information will form a key part of the annual accounts.
Arrange and review the organisations insurance policies and ensure that they meet the needs of the organisation by providing cover for all provided services. Provide advice to managers on insurance cover as required.
Ensure that the organisation maintains a positive cash balance and has sufficient cash to meet obligations throughout each month.
Develop and maintain a sophisticated cashflow forecasting model, taking into account information from the income and activity teams, capital planning and day to day expenditure requirements. Design and produce suitable reports for the Board translating this model into easily understandable summaries of historical information and likely future trends.
Receive daily files from SBS and liaise with them to ensure the timely allocation of all cash receipts and payments. Review bank, cash and credit card reconciliations and ensure prompt accounting for all transactions.
Ensure that the team of cashier is properly trained in the technical aspects of appropriate procedures to facilitate the allocation of cash receipts. Design a replacement cash system.
Determine the level of surplus cash daily and research the most appropriate investment. Ensure that cash is moved to ensure that investment income is maximised without compromising the organisations short term liquidity.
Oversee the work of the financial accounts team as it relates to control accounts reporting and reconciliation, with responsibility for the consideration of bad debt write off and provision.
Ensure that the organisation is compliant with VAT and tax legislation by working with relevant experts to ensure that calculations are accurate and that payments are made within the appropriate timescales.
Authorised signatory for BACS, CHAPS, and other similar payment processes.
RESPONSIBILITY OF ADMINISTRATION
Plan and organise the work of the financial accounting team to ensure that all work is completed in a timely manner throughout the year. This will require coordination to deliver multiple sets of accounts to meet external audit deadlines.
Ensure statutory deadline for VAT, corporation tax and others are met by organising and prioritising tasks for the team.
Manage competing priorities to achieve timetables to report to internal and external stakeholders as needed.
Responsible to ensure that the organisations fixed asset register is up to date and accurate.
Responsible for ensuring that the organisation has accurate financial records, including control accounts, cash flows and cash balances.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATIONOF POLICY/SERVICE DEVELOPMENTS
Responsible for the development, implementation and dissemination of organisational financial policies ensuring that these are kept up to date
Assist in the review of the organisations standing financial instructions to ensure that these remain fit for purpose and meet the businesss needs.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFORMATION RESOURCES
Work with Shared Business Services to ensure that information systems supporting the financial accounts area are fit for purpose including general ledger, cash management and asset management.
Use full range of accounting system, report writing, database and spreadsheet skills to design and produce reports and analysis as required.
Use specialist accounting software to produce the statutory annual accounts.
OTHER RESPONSIBILTIES
Stay up to date with changes in relevant legislation or policy affecting the organisation.
Review ways of working and processes on an ongoing basis to ensure efficiency and effectiveness within the finance team.
There will be a frequent requirement for long periods of concentration to produce accurate reports and information. This may be at the same time as competing priorities and managing adhoc tasks.
COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
The role requires excellent communication with internal staff and external agencies to ensure compliance with performance targets and strategic objectives. They would be required to develop and maintain relationships, negotiation and diplomacy; undertaking presentations to staff groups, the public and system partners to convey potentially highly contentious information in environments of proposed major change.
InternalDeputy Director of FinanceHead of FinanceFinance TeamService ManagersAudit Committee and Audit Committee ChairSustainability Committee and Sustainability Committee Chair
External
External Audit provider
Devon ICB
NHS E&I
NHS Shared Business Services
HMRC
Banking provider
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
The role will include extended periods of time using IT and working at a desk. The post holder may be required to take part in stock takes from time to time.
