Job summary
As Finance Specialist - Financial Sustainability (Grip & Control), you will support delivery of the Trusts robust financial grip and control measures:
- Supporting continuous improvement and data interrogation to ensure accuracy of the Trusts financial reporting in relation to financial grip and control, recovery and sustainability; and to evidence financial opportunities which improved grip and control can realise.
- Deputising for the Financial Sustainability Manager (Grip & Control) in periods of absence, where during these times, additional duties include providing support and supervision for the Financial Sustainability Officer (Grip & Control); and maintaining oversight of the day to day operational management of the Trust Agency and Vacancy Control Panel (including the Daily Staffing Call).
- Providing absence cover / additional capacity as required (specifically Monday to Friday between 16:00 and 17:00) for the Financial Sustainability Officer (Grip & Control) role, ensuring a resilient day to day business continuity of the Trusts agency and vacancy control processes.
The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The job holder will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the Department and the Organisation.
Interviews will be face to face at Portland House on the 15th July 2024.
Main duties of the job
The Financial Sustainability Team deliver a critical function of the Trusts ongoing financial recovery and sustainability programme, supporting the Trusts delivery of clinically led, quality assured, operationally managed and financially sustainable services.
The team was created in April 2023 to support the Trusts 2023/24 Financial Recovery Plan and associated programmes of work - the biggest opportunity of which was to achieve savings through reducing agency spend, where in 2022/23 we spent £37m on agency staff - higher than other specialist NHS mental health and learning disability trusts. Significant action to reduce this spend commenced from May 2023, and is ongoing, in line with NHS England published Agency Rules; which outline requirements to comply with a ceiling for total system agency expenditure, procure all agency staff at or below the price caps, and only use approved framework agreements to procure all agency staff.
The main duties of the job are outlined in the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents.
About us
The Financial Sustainability team are a key link between clinical and operational services, the workforce supply team, the executive led Agency and Vacancy Control Panel and associated daily staffing calls; enabling the Trust's on-going financial grip and control, recovery, and sustainability work.
Alongside the workforce supply team, clinical and operational services, the team has proved highly effective and influential in implementing the Trusts tiered cascade of nursing agency rates, which delivered one of the highest cost reductions in the Trust in 2023/24 (c.5.2m).
In November 2023, NHS England published communications to Integrated Care Board and Trust Chief Executives, Chief Finance Officers, and Chief Operating Officers, in relation to addressing the significant national financial challenges created by industrial action in 2023/24, and the immediate actions to be taken to deliver financial balance.
In 2023/24 the cost of running our organisation was £50m more than the £500m income we receive each year, and our use of agency staff remained one of the highest in the country, even with the significant savings made.
The team is maintained within the Finance directorate so it is best placed to hold other core functions in the Trust accountable to agreed standard operating procedures which provide grip and control of expenditure; demonstrating 641appropriate segregation of duties and an effective risk management strategy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The main duties of the job are outlined in the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents.
The 2024/25 Financial Recovery Plan and associated programmes of work require robust and resilient staffing capacity to support the functions of the Trust that will need to deliver our financial balance and enable us to stay in control of the decisions we believe are needed, to serve the needs of our local communities. We are therefore seeking a substantive member of staff to support this work.
Key work of the 2024/25 Financial Recovery Plan include continued reduction of nursing agency spend, the advance of processes for medical agency and other Cost Improvement Plans identified (e.g. Efficiency & productivity, ESR Establishment Control, [Corporate Services] Transformation, Inpatient Transformation [EOs / safe staffing], increasing control of bank staff use, ongoing SafeCare operationalisation and benefits realisation, and increasing control of non-pay spend portfolios).
Given the direct link to Executive and senior staff, highly professional, critical thinking, multi-tasking, proactivity and problem-solving skills are required to competently and successfully perform this post; demonstrable skills and experience are therefore required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The main duties of the job are outlined in the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents.
The 2024/25 Financial Recovery Plan and associated programmes of work require robust and resilient staffing capacity to support the functions of the Trust that will need to deliver our financial balance and enable us to stay in control of the decisions we believe are needed, to serve the needs of our local communities. We are therefore seeking a substantive member of staff to support this work.
Key work of the 2024/25 Financial Recovery Plan include continued reduction of nursing agency spend, the advance of processes for medical agency and other Cost Improvement Plans identified (e.g. Efficiency & productivity, ESR Establishment Control, [Corporate Services] Transformation, Inpatient Transformation [EOs / safe staffing], increasing control of bank staff use, ongoing SafeCare operationalisation and benefits realisation, and increasing control of non-pay spend portfolios).
Given the direct link to Executive and senior staff, highly professional, critical thinking, multi-tasking, proactivity and problem-solving skills are required to competently and successfully perform this post; demonstrable skills and experience are therefore required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience at working at a similar level in a specialist area.
- Qualification, or equivalent experience, in Accountancy such as AAT qualified or CCAB part qualified.
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Experience in Financial Management.
- Experience of NHS / public sector finance
- Knowledge of financial and accountancy procedures
- Specialist knowledge across work procedures, underpinned by theory; able to advise finance and non-finance managers / staff on matters relating to their own area, providing detailed advice and guidance, acquired through professional Accountancy qualifications - postgraduate Diploma Level or equivalent experience, and continued professional development.
- Computer literate and competent in Microsoft Excel and other key Trust information management systems
- Knowledge and understanding of non-financial issues affecting mental health and learning disability services
- Experience of managing day to day co-ordination of staff, including supervision of performance, work allocation and providing practical training
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience at working at a similar level in a specialist area.
- Qualification, or equivalent experience, in Accountancy such as AAT qualified or CCAB part qualified.
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Experience in Financial Management.
- Experience of NHS / public sector finance
- Knowledge of financial and accountancy procedures
- Specialist knowledge across work procedures, underpinned by theory; able to advise finance and non-finance managers / staff on matters relating to their own area, providing detailed advice and guidance, acquired through professional Accountancy qualifications - postgraduate Diploma Level or equivalent experience, and continued professional development.
- Computer literate and competent in Microsoft Excel and other key Trust information management systems
- Knowledge and understanding of non-financial issues affecting mental health and learning disability services
- Experience of managing day to day co-ordination of staff, including supervision of performance, work allocation and providing practical training
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
