Job responsibilities
JOB
PURPOSE
The
primary purpose of the CSU Accountant Job is to provide financial support and
advice to managers and clinicians in a number of business units, in order to
help them deliver their financial responsibilities and achieve sustainable
financial improvement through:
Assisting them in developing plans
to meet savings targets.
Monitoring and reporting on the
results of intended actions.
Communicating the Trusts financial
strategies and policies and how the actions of the business unit impact upon
it.
Providing accurate and timely
financial analysis and information to support their understanding of current
performance and how this can be improved, creating financial models as appropriate.
Supporting the production and
maintenance of financial forecasts and highlighting associated risks.
Using available business
intelligence and performance data including benchmarking to identify
opportunities for waste reduction and the effective and efficient management
of resources.
The financial assessment of
business cases for service change.
Helping to ensure that the
appropriate financial governance and grip and control mechanisms exist
through the business unit.
ORGANISATIONAL
CHART
The
team is managed by a Senior Finance Business Partner who reports to an
Associate Director of Finance, supported by a Finance Business Partner, and
within each team there is a structure designed to best support the needs of
the service and the needs of the business units it is aligned to.
KNOWLEDGE,
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
a) Knowledge, training and experience:
5 GCSE/O levels or equivalent, to
include Maths and English.
Highly developed specialist
knowledge of accounting concepts, conventions, policies and procedures
underpinned by both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. This can be gained either through the
successful completion of a CCAB professional accountancy or through
experience in relevant roles resulting in an equivalent level of
knowledge. Equivalent knowledge would
be expected to have come from significant experience of working in financial
management roles and must cover the areas of budget setting and financial
planning; financial reporting to business units; detailed use of financial
systems to provide and manipulate information; detailed procedures around
capital, VAT and research and development.
Excellent communication skills both
verbally and in writing to convey complex financial processes and practices
and so allow managers to better understand their responsibilities. Ability to respond to challenge within
situations in which there are conflicting priorities and strongly expressed
opposing views.
Ability to deal with complex
issues, which may be contentious, with a wide range of parties (including
internal finance and non-finance managers, suppliers and commissioners) using
appropriate negotiation and persuasion skills.
Experience in providing impartial
financial advice and information to multi-disciplinary clinical and other
management teams, covering both revenue and capital issues, ensuring key
financial concepts and issues are clearly understood.
Knowledge of the requirements of
the NHS financial regime and the legislative framework within which it
operates.
Knowledge of the NHS Costing Manual
and the requirements of the annual Reference Cost and Programme Budgeting
processes.
Understanding of the key elements
contained within the new national tariff.
Knowledge of NHS patient activity
data definitions and associated processes for collection and collation.
Knowledge of common NHS activity
information and measures of productivity and awareness of problems and
potential shortcomings.
b) Communication and relationship
skills:
An ability to deal with issues
including colleagues both finance and non-finance from all levels of
seniority up to board level directors.
Excellent communication skills both
verbally and in writing, including an ability to deliver presentations,
conveying complex financial processes and practices so allowing managers to
better understand their responsibilities.
Ability to respond to challenge
within situations in which there are conflicting priorities and strongly
expressed opposing views.
c) Analytical and judgement skills:
Ability to make judgements
involving highly complex facts or situations, which require analysis,
interpretation and comparison of a range of options, frequently operating in
areas of work where there may be a conflict of opinions.
d) Information resource skills:
Ability to adapt information to
engage a range of stakeholders.
e) Planning and organisation skills:
Ability to plan long term financial
targets and organise workloads to deliver against challenging timescales.
f) Freedom to Act:
Ability to use initiative,
interpreting and being guided by broad occupational policies and standards.
g) Service and policy development
skills:
Ability to adhere to policies and
procedures and to maintain a consistent approach across the organisation as
appropriate.
h) Training and development skills:
Ability to manage support staff,
delivering support, coaching, training, organising recruitment activities,
appraisals and dealing with disciplinary/absence issues.
Evidence of commitment to learning
and development and continuous improvement, including demonstrating personal
continuing professional development.
Ability to provide training to
others on specialist areas of responsibility.
i) Financial & Physical Resources
skills:
Ability to set baseline budgets and
forecasts.
CORE
BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS
To
perform effectively in the role the post holder will be expected to have the
following behaviours and skills:
a) Has a personal coping strategy for
dealing with colleagues who oppose and challenge the requirements of good
corporate governance and the need to meet statutory financial requirements.
b) Ability to stand up for a personal
point of view, even against articulate and powerful opposition.
c) Commitment to behaving honestly,
openly, impartially and fairly.
d) A confident, pleasant approach,
willing to develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues,
budget holders and other managers, working as part of multidisciplinary
teams.
e) Commitment to taking responsibility
and facilitating the successful achievement of desired outcomes, facing
competing challenges in a calm manner and coordinating input from a number of
sources.
f) Ability to take responsibility for
both own workload and fit of that with others, planning ahead taking into
account known requirements throughout the financial year, working flexibly,
putting contingencies in place and re-assessing priorities and dealing with a
range of competing demands.
g) Reviews own performance, assessing
own strengths and weaknesses, taking corrective action and identifying areas
for personal development.
h) Strong commitment to and evidence of
continuing professional development.
CORE
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Professional
Knowledge
The
CSU Accountant must demonstrate a competence in decision making and control
through specialist knowledge, underpinned by theory and experience.
It
is key to have knowledge of financial and accounting procedures, financial
aspects of NHS legislation and NHS finance policies from both a practical
application and theoretical knowledge.
The
CSU Accountant must have equivalent knowledge and experience to meet the
expectations of a professional accountancy qualifications plus relevant
experience and expertise in both financial management and staff management.
The
post holder is required to maintain their knowledge of current national and
international accounting standards and NHS accounting and financial reporting
requirements.
