Job summary
We are looking to recruit a Business Support Accountant to join our Finance Department.
The successful candidate will hold a professional accountancy qualification at diploma level such as AAT qualified or CCAB/CIMA part qualified, and show evidence of Continuous Professional Development. This role would suit a person looking to undertake or complete further professional accountancy qualifications and study support can be discussed at interview if required.
The Finance Department are predominately working from home but we maintain an office base in Sleaford and hot desking is available across the county, so hybrid working options can be discussed with the successful candidate. Regular attendance at face to face meetings with the department and wider Trust will still be required so the ability to travel is essential.
Main duties of the job
This post will work within the Operational Finance team and will be responsible for providing a financial management service to specific divisions within the Trust's structure.
It will be a key point of contact for the divisions and be the link for them with other areas of the Finance Department such as business development, costing and capital.
This will involve working with budget holders to help them manage and make decisions about their financial resources, considering patient care and value for money.
It will also involve producing monthly reports of financial performance to both internal and external parties in line with statutory requirements.
As a member of the finance department, this post will be part of the crucial work undertaken by the team and enhance the already strong business support offered to clinical and corporate services.
About us
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health services and a number of learning disability, autism and social care services in the county of Lincolnshire. Employing around 2,800 staff, and serving a population of over 766,000, our people lie at the heart of everything we do.
You could be part of a Trust rated by staff as one of the best mental health and learning disability trusts in England, in an area heralded as a fantastic place to live and work. We firmly believe the key to high quality care is a contented workforce. This is reflected in our Care Quality Commission rating of 'outstanding' for well-led and 'good' overall. In the most recent National NHS Staff Survey, our staff rated us as the number one trust nationally for staff morale and one of the top scoring NHS Trusts in the Midlands for being compassionate and inclusive. We're really proud of this!
We are also leading the way in transforming care, with multi-million-pound transformation of patient environments and radical redesign of community services.
This is the time to join and help redesign our services of the future. We offer options for flexible working and provide a wide range of training and promotion opportunities in all professions. We support and celebrate diversity, have active staff networks groups and are always looking at what more we can do to support our staff.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Developing, implementing and monitoring Divisional Business Plans as part of the Trusts overall plan.
Providing the Divisions, directorates and other teams with decision making support services (see note below) to support senior managers in the achievement of budgetary targets, costing of new services, improving value for money, and identifying cost reductions.
Producing timely monthly income and expenditure reports for the Divisions and directorates, the Executive Team and the Trust Board in accordance with the Financial management reporting timetable.
Providing variance analysis reports on the monthly performance and written commentary reports to the Deputy Director of Finance, directors and managers.
To provide written, analytical reports to the Deputy Director of Finance, directors, managers and external organisations as and when required.
Regularly producing detailed year-end forecasts in liaison with directors and managers.
Compiling and maintaining a financial risk register for Division and directorates, and ensuring action is taken by managers to address these risks.
Providing information to assist in the assessment and review of the performance of the division and directorates.
Compiling, maintaining and monitoring the Divisions and directorates annual budgets and reconciling them to the allocation of funds on an in-year and recurrent basis.
Taking the lead on specific financial issues on behalf of the financial management department.
To represent the finance department at Divisional and trust-wide meetings to provide decision making support.
To provide accurate and timely reports on Trust management costs.
Providing relevant financial training to directors, managers, trainees and other staff.
Contributing to the development of the Finance department. Reviewing and suggesting changes to, and implementing, accounting & financial policies & procedures in own section which may impact on others. Responsible for reviewing, adapting and improving financial systems in own area of responsibility.
To provide cover for colleagues as and when required.
Any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post.
Note. Decision making support includes:
- Assessing the financial and economic information and advice required to make a decision
- Negotiating with the decision maker on standards for delivery of the information and advice
- Deciding what data about people, activity and finance is needed.
- Acquiring the information from whatever source
- Comparing and interpreting the data for use in making the decision.
- Drawing conclusions from the information
- Providing advice to the decision-maker in an appropriate format.
Proactively providing advice and information to support decision making by:
- Proactively and systematically assessing regularly produced information for variances from plans, budgets, norms and other criteria.
- Acquiring other information to understand the context of the financial variances
- Analysing and comparing the information
- Forecasting and identifying trends from the information
- Assessing risks
- Drawing conclusions from the information
- Deciding on the appropriate recipient(s) of the information and advice
- Providing advice to the decision-maker in an appropriate format
The post holder works to achieve agreed objectives and is given freedom to do this in their own way of working within broad professional policies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Developing, implementing and monitoring Divisional Business Plans as part of the Trusts overall plan.
Providing the Divisions, directorates and other teams with decision making support services (see note below) to support senior managers in the achievement of budgetary targets, costing of new services, improving value for money, and identifying cost reductions.
Producing timely monthly income and expenditure reports for the Divisions and directorates, the Executive Team and the Trust Board in accordance with the Financial management reporting timetable.
Providing variance analysis reports on the monthly performance and written commentary reports to the Deputy Director of Finance, directors and managers.
To provide written, analytical reports to the Deputy Director of Finance, directors, managers and external organisations as and when required.
Regularly producing detailed year-end forecasts in liaison with directors and managers.
Compiling and maintaining a financial risk register for Division and directorates, and ensuring action is taken by managers to address these risks.
Providing information to assist in the assessment and review of the performance of the division and directorates.
Compiling, maintaining and monitoring the Divisions and directorates annual budgets and reconciling them to the allocation of funds on an in-year and recurrent basis.
Taking the lead on specific financial issues on behalf of the financial management department.
To represent the finance department at Divisional and trust-wide meetings to provide decision making support.
To provide accurate and timely reports on Trust management costs.
Providing relevant financial training to directors, managers, trainees and other staff.
Contributing to the development of the Finance department. Reviewing and suggesting changes to, and implementing, accounting & financial policies & procedures in own section which may impact on others. Responsible for reviewing, adapting and improving financial systems in own area of responsibility.
To provide cover for colleagues as and when required.
Any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post.
Note. Decision making support includes:
- Assessing the financial and economic information and advice required to make a decision
- Negotiating with the decision maker on standards for delivery of the information and advice
- Deciding what data about people, activity and finance is needed.
- Acquiring the information from whatever source
- Comparing and interpreting the data for use in making the decision.
- Drawing conclusions from the information
- Providing advice to the decision-maker in an appropriate format.
Proactively providing advice and information to support decision making by:
- Proactively and systematically assessing regularly produced information for variances from plans, budgets, norms and other criteria.
- Acquiring other information to understand the context of the financial variances
- Analysing and comparing the information
- Forecasting and identifying trends from the information
- Assessing risks
- Drawing conclusions from the information
- Deciding on the appropriate recipient(s) of the information and advice
- Providing advice to the decision-maker in an appropriate format
The post holder works to achieve agreed objectives and is given freedom to do this in their own way of working within broad professional policies.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Accountancy Qualification at Diploma Level e.g. AAT Level 4, CCAB/CIMA part qualified
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
Desirable
- CCAB/CIMA passed finalist
Experience
Essential
- Specialist knowledge required of financial procedures & practices, underpinned by theoretical knowledge
- Three years practical experience of working in a finance department
- Sound knowledge of accounting principles
- Sound knowledge of the budgetary process
- Sound knowledge of the wider developments in NHS finance
- Sound knowledge of costing principles
Desirable
- Experience of working within NHS finance
- Experience of working in management accounting
- Understanding of wider NHS issues, and the impact on finance
- Overview of final accounts process
Skills
Essential
- Ability to plan one's own work, and to manage day to day work without supervision
- Ability to exercise own initiative within broad professional policies
- Ability to manage and prioritise competing objectives
- Ability to work under pressure to meet monthly and yearly deadlines
- Ability to analyse complex financial data, and to explain to budget managers and senior finance staff
- To be competent in the use of Word processing, Spreadsheet, and Database applications
- Ability to design and format spreadsheets to suit specific purposes
- To be competent in the use of Financial and Human resources systems
Desirable
- An understanding of service issues
- Advanced EXCEL spreadsheet skills
- Advanced Database skills
- Supervisory management skills
Special Requirements
Essential
- The ability to attend meetings across the County as required
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Accountancy Qualification at Diploma Level e.g. AAT Level 4, CCAB/CIMA part qualified
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
Desirable
- CCAB/CIMA passed finalist
Experience
Essential
- Specialist knowledge required of financial procedures & practices, underpinned by theoretical knowledge
- Three years practical experience of working in a finance department
- Sound knowledge of accounting principles
- Sound knowledge of the budgetary process
- Sound knowledge of the wider developments in NHS finance
- Sound knowledge of costing principles
Desirable
- Experience of working within NHS finance
- Experience of working in management accounting
- Understanding of wider NHS issues, and the impact on finance
- Overview of final accounts process
Skills
Essential
- Ability to plan one's own work, and to manage day to day work without supervision
- Ability to exercise own initiative within broad professional policies
- Ability to manage and prioritise competing objectives
- Ability to work under pressure to meet monthly and yearly deadlines
- Ability to analyse complex financial data, and to explain to budget managers and senior finance staff
- To be competent in the use of Word processing, Spreadsheet, and Database applications
- Ability to design and format spreadsheets to suit specific purposes
- To be competent in the use of Financial and Human resources systems
Desirable
- An understanding of service issues
- Advanced EXCEL spreadsheet skills
- Advanced Database skills
- Supervisory management skills
Special Requirements
Essential
- The ability to attend meetings across the County as required
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
