Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Accountant to join the team at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust's services are rated as Good by the CQC. The Trust has a substantial capital investment programme that will see the quality of facilities greatly improved allowing us to continue delivering exceptional care for our patients.
If you are looking for a challenging, interesting and dynamic role, where things can change very quickly, Finance is the right place for you. You will join an enthusiastic, driven and caring team in a friendly, professional working environment where no two days are ever the same.
We are looking for an individual who is committed, with attention to detail, and self-motivated, able to work well within a team and under pressure. You will join a modern and progressive Trust that believes that helping to keep our staff healthy and happy is one of our key responsibilities.
The Finance Team has over 50 members of staff working in Financial Accounts, Management Accounts and Contracting across the Bedford and Luton site. It is a great place to work where we support learning and development of our staff. We have an excellent track record of developing and promoting our staff internally.
We are also proud to hold the following employer accreditations:
- ACCA Approved Employer Programme
- CIMA Premier Partner
- AAT Employer Scheme
Main duties of the job
- To work closely with the Estates and IT Departments to ensure that capital expenditure is correctly coded in the General ledger.
- To provide a monthly analysis of capital spend against approved capital projects and to advise the Financial Controller, IT, Site Redevelopment and Estates Department on current and forecast material variances to budgets.
- To manage the transactions in the Charitable Fund ledger, includingmaking payments and controlling the charitable funds cashbook, including reconciliations.
- To line manage 2 members of staff - (a) Capital and Charitable FundsSupport and (b) Charitable Funds apprentice
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics.
You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career.
We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.
All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.
Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.
Job description
Job responsibilities
CAPITAL
- Review transactions to identify expenditure to be included in the fixed asset register.
- To monitor the Assets under Construction balances on a monthly basis, and to transfer balances into the Fixed Asset Register (FAR) once a project is completed.
- To control the issue and use of fixed asset codes and the integrity of the FAR to ensure that the structure is appropriate to the needs of the organisation.
- To provide support to the Capital Planning Group in providing analysis of current year expenditure and for planning for future projects.
- To ensure that the depreciation charge is fully understood and is able to provide reliable forecasts for planning purposes
- To ensure that the FAR is maintained in a consistent manner to ensure that annual revaluations of buildings can be efficiently accounted for.
- To be responsible for the accounting of leases and to ensure that leases are correctly classified.
- To provide training and support to other members of the Finance team, Estates, IT and procurement to ensure that all capital costs are correctly accounted for
- To be responsible for all Capital / Fixed Asset schedules in the monthly, quarterly and annual reporting to NHSI and DH
- Provide support to budget holders in verification of fixed assets.
- To partake in the annual plan preparation and submission to NHSI accounting for the capital programmes for the next 5 years and assisting the Financial Accountant and Financial Controller with the balance sheet fixed assets and reserve and also the cash flow.
- To follow NHS capital accounting guidance and is cognisant of accounting standards and regulations relating to capital assets, donated assets and leased assets.
To suggest changes and implement accounting policies and financial procedures related to capital accounting policy
CHARITABLE FUNDS
- To monitor all receipts and, where appropriate, write to donors thanking them for their support.
- To provide advice on Gift Aid and charitable collecting agencies to both potential donors and staff within the Hospital.
- To make quarterly reclaims for Gift Aid to HMRC
- To liaise with the fundraising team to ensure fundraising activities are accurately captured and reported in the ledger.
- To maintain a record of all legacies that the Charity has been informed of and follow up as appropriate.
- To ensure that all payments and receipts are coded to the correct Fund and to issue statements to all Fund Managers monthly providing details of the transactions and the balances available.
- To account for the movement in investments on a quarterly basis, to ensure that all trades made by the Investment Managers are correctly accounted for.
- To ensure that charitable expenditure incurred by the Hospital is correctly charged by invoice to the Charity and that the Hospital is paid on a regular basis
- To provide appropriate analysis for the annual accounts to be audited
- To follow NHS charitable accounting guidance and Charity Commission guidance and provide detailed advice to colleagues within the Trust on this guidance.
- To suggest changes and implement accounting policies and financial procedures.
LINE MANAGEMENT
To line manage 2 members of staff who will provide support for maintenance of the fixed asset register, capital reporting and the management of the Trusts charitable funds.
To provide training on the capital and charitable accounting procedures to the members of the team and produce procedure notes.
Cover for the Financial Accountant (BHT) as required
To undertake any other reasonable duties as requested by the Financial Controller and Head of Financial Control
Job description
Job responsibilities
CAPITAL
- Review transactions to identify expenditure to be included in the fixed asset register.
- To monitor the Assets under Construction balances on a monthly basis, and to transfer balances into the Fixed Asset Register (FAR) once a project is completed.
- To control the issue and use of fixed asset codes and the integrity of the FAR to ensure that the structure is appropriate to the needs of the organisation.
- To provide support to the Capital Planning Group in providing analysis of current year expenditure and for planning for future projects.
- To ensure that the depreciation charge is fully understood and is able to provide reliable forecasts for planning purposes
- To ensure that the FAR is maintained in a consistent manner to ensure that annual revaluations of buildings can be efficiently accounted for.
- To be responsible for the accounting of leases and to ensure that leases are correctly classified.
- To provide training and support to other members of the Finance team, Estates, IT and procurement to ensure that all capital costs are correctly accounted for
- To be responsible for all Capital / Fixed Asset schedules in the monthly, quarterly and annual reporting to NHSI and DH
- Provide support to budget holders in verification of fixed assets.
- To partake in the annual plan preparation and submission to NHSI accounting for the capital programmes for the next 5 years and assisting the Financial Accountant and Financial Controller with the balance sheet fixed assets and reserve and also the cash flow.
- To follow NHS capital accounting guidance and is cognisant of accounting standards and regulations relating to capital assets, donated assets and leased assets.
To suggest changes and implement accounting policies and financial procedures related to capital accounting policy
CHARITABLE FUNDS
- To monitor all receipts and, where appropriate, write to donors thanking them for their support.
- To provide advice on Gift Aid and charitable collecting agencies to both potential donors and staff within the Hospital.
- To make quarterly reclaims for Gift Aid to HMRC
- To liaise with the fundraising team to ensure fundraising activities are accurately captured and reported in the ledger.
- To maintain a record of all legacies that the Charity has been informed of and follow up as appropriate.
- To ensure that all payments and receipts are coded to the correct Fund and to issue statements to all Fund Managers monthly providing details of the transactions and the balances available.
- To account for the movement in investments on a quarterly basis, to ensure that all trades made by the Investment Managers are correctly accounted for.
- To ensure that charitable expenditure incurred by the Hospital is correctly charged by invoice to the Charity and that the Hospital is paid on a regular basis
- To provide appropriate analysis for the annual accounts to be audited
- To follow NHS charitable accounting guidance and Charity Commission guidance and provide detailed advice to colleagues within the Trust on this guidance.
- To suggest changes and implement accounting policies and financial procedures.
LINE MANAGEMENT
To line manage 2 members of staff who will provide support for maintenance of the fixed asset register, capital reporting and the management of the Trusts charitable funds.
To provide training on the capital and charitable accounting procedures to the members of the team and produce procedure notes.
Cover for the Financial Accountant (BHT) as required
To undertake any other reasonable duties as requested by the Financial Controller and Head of Financial Control
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in an Accounts setting
- Experience of working within Financial Accounting
- Experience of managing a team
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Accountancy qualification eg. CIPFA or have a considerable number of years of working in a Financial Accounting Role
Knowledge
Essential
- Detailed knowledge of Capital accounting rules
- Detailed knowledge of Charitable Funds accounting rules
- Ability to understand calculate VAT
Desirable
- Knowledge of access databases
Other
Essential
- Self motivated with the ambition to progress
- Ability to routinely travel between hospitals around/ within Bedfordshire
- Satisfactory health screening
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in an Accounts setting
- Experience of working within Financial Accounting
- Experience of managing a team
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Accountancy qualification eg. CIPFA or have a considerable number of years of working in a Financial Accounting Role
Knowledge
Essential
- Detailed knowledge of Capital accounting rules
- Detailed knowledge of Charitable Funds accounting rules
- Ability to understand calculate VAT
Desirable
- Knowledge of access databases
Other
Essential
- Self motivated with the ambition to progress
- Ability to routinely travel between hospitals around/ within Bedfordshire
- Satisfactory health screening
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).
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
