Senior Management Accountant – Psychology

Job description

Job responsibilities

- To produce monthly budget reports for services within one or more directorates, ensuring that the monthly reporting timetable is achieved, the data within the reports is accurate and correctly takes account of all appropriate accruals and pre-payments. This will include reconciling budget movements, monitoring savings plans and identifying and investigating variances.- Understand the key drivers of the underlying financial position and communicate these effectively to budget holders. Through knowledge of the service and dialogue with the budget holder prepare robust forecast income and expenditure estimates to feed into the organisational monitoring returns and performance reports.- Meet regularly with budget holders to discuss financial performance and to understand the reasons for any variances. Provide challenge, support and advice to ensure that variances are dealt with and financial control is maintained.- Identify areas of concern and communicate these to the budget holders and, where appropriate, senior finance team and service directors. Provide advice to managers to take corrective action, including identifying opportunities for cost reduction or income generation. Follow through on agreements for corrective action and provide appropriate level of challenge where performance does not improve.- Attend Directorate Senior Management Team meetings with senior management and clinical staff and present the financial information clearly. Be able to explain and discuss financial performance in detail and deal with any queries arising.- Undertake costings for new developments and service enhancements within the service area supported. Attend relevant meetings with operational managers and commissioners as required.- Provide support and advice on the revenue implications of business cases, service developments and proposed service changes.- Support managers to develop an annual budget to ensure services are planned within available resources and accurately reflect the expected cost of the service. This will include costing an approved staffing establishment, assessing the level of non pay expenditure, understanding income flows and identifying cost pressures.- Assist budget holders in identifying their Cost Improvement Programmes, and monitor delivery of cost reductions and achievement of any CIP targets set.- Provide support to the Senior Finance Manager in monitoring contract income, ensuring that contract variations are recorded in the ledger in a timely fashion and any payment issues are highlighted immediately. Responsible for ensuring that monthly block invoices for defined contracts are raised and income reconciled on a monthly basis.- Ensure that all directorate income is invoiced correctly and regularly. Provide appropriate and clear supporting information for charges and liaise with debtor organisations to resolve any queries.- Provide training and advice to budget holders on trust financial and purchasing systems and interpretation of the financial statements provided to them.- Ensure that budget holders understand and comply with key financial procedures and policies including Trust Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions and purchasing procedures. Provide advice and clarification as required.- Contribute to the production of the Trust Annual Accounts, completing working papers, analyses and returns as directed.- Responsible for the management, development and training of the Management

Person Specification

Educational Qualifications

Essential

• Membership of AAT, relevant degree or equivalent qualification or equivalent knowledge gained through extensive experience in a similar role.
• Engaged in study for CCAB or equivalent qualification or willing to commence training
• Evidence of commitment to continuing and ongoing personal and professional development
• GCSE level or equivalent

Desirable

• Willing to learn new skills

Knowledge

Essential

• Proficient in use of IT software including spreadsheets, word processing
• Knowledge of NHS finance regime
• Awareness of current NHS issues and challenges

Skills /Experience

Essential

• Literate in IT/Computer Skills
• Good oral communication skills based on fluency on the English language
• Experience working in NHS finance department using computerised financial information systems
• Ability to clearly present and explain complex financial information and concepts to non financial managers
• High degree of accuracy and excellent attention to detail

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Thameside House, Thurrock Community Hospital

Long Lane

Grays

RM16 2PX

Employer's website

https://eput.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)