An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced finance professional to join Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust.....
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced finance professional to join Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust as Associate Director of Finance – Assurance.
In this role, you will be a pivotal member of the Finance, Contracting and Procurement team.
You will provide leadership to the Financial Assurance function, that incorporates financial services and treasury management, corporate financial management, capital planning and finance systems development. You will have responsibility for financial reporting and lead the production of the Trust’s annual accounts. You will also support the development of the Trust’s financial strategy and the production of financial plans. You will act as the primary liaison with external partners and regulators.
To succeed in this role you’ll need to have expert technical accounting knowledge and strong communication skills to build effective relationships. You’ll have a passion for continuous development of our people, our skills and processes.
This role is responsible for providing leadership to the Financial Assurance function.
Responsibilities include:
Providing a comprehensive financial accounting service – including treasury management, VAT, accounts payable and receivable.
Capital planning and management.
Management of the corporate financial management team, supporting corporate budget holders, producing monthly budget reports and providing financial advice
Consolidation of the Trust’s in year financial position.
Production of financial reports for Trust Boards and Committees and completion of returns to the local ICB and NHS England.
Support the development of the Trust’s financial strategy and produce the annual and longer term financial plans.
Completion of the Trust’s annual accounts.
Developing and maintaining financial controls.
Developing finance systems and processes with a focus on improvements in quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Providing expert, technical financial advice.
Act as the day to day contact with Internal and External Audit and the local ICB finance team.
Staff development and leadership, ensuring our people have the appropriate skills to perform their role, developing a culture of continuous improvement.
For more information on this role please see the attached job description.
At Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT), we deliver a wide range of physical, mental health, learning disability and autism services, and are proud to serve communities across Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond.
We put ‘people at our heart’; this ethos is at the centre of everything we do and how we do it. We care for our staff and colleagues as much as they care for others and offer a wide range of benefits and development opportunities.
These include:
· generous annual leave entitlement which increases during your time with us
· flexible working opportunities
· excellent learning and development opportunities, including apprenticeship frameworks, distance learning, internal training, coaching and mentoring, and much more
· salary sacrifice schemes for lease car/ vehicle, Cycle to Work, home and electronics, gym membership and more
· discounts with a range of retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues through our Employee Assistance Programme and NHS discount schemes
· wellbeing support, including an in-house counselling service, external helpline and more
· staff networks and support groups
We’re always on the lookout for people who share our passion for improving the lives and wellbeing of people in our community, as well as our values of compassion, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect.
Job Responsibilities
Financial Control
• Responsible for the integrity of the Financial Ledger by ensuring that the coding structure is maintained in line with the national NHS coding manual and ensuring the accuracy of data contained within the Financial Ledger.
Financial Accounting
• Responsible for the submission of statutory and other financial returns to NHS England
• Responsible for the Financial Accounting team, to ensure accurate ledger accounting and reporting.
• Responsible for the accurate and timely submission of VAT returns, and VAT/tax advice to colleagues.
• Responsible for the Treasury and Cashiering functions, ensuring effective financial control over the treasury activities and effective use of Trust cash reserves.
• Responsible for the Accounts Payable team, ensuring accurate and timely payment of suppliers.
• Responsible for the Accounts Receivable team, ensuring accurate and timely collection of income due.
• Responsible for working with other departments in the Trust to develop the capital programme and produce monthly monitoring reports.
• Responsible for maintaining the Trusts’ fixed asset accounting register.
• Providing financial information for the production of the monthly Trust Board report and supplying accurate data for input to the monthly returns required by NHS England, the ICB and any other ad hoc returns.
• Producing financial reports and information for Committees, Groups, Senior Management and other departments on a regular and ad hoc basis.
• Responsible for ensuring proper procedure notes exist for the Trusts’ financial services staff and for the development of internal departmental quality standards.
• Responsible for maintaining and developing effective financial controls and procedures.
• Overall responsibility for the NHS agreement of balances quarterly exercise within the recommended timescales and ensuring the accuracy of the information reported to the Department of Health.
Financial Management
§ Have lead responsibility for the production of financial management reports to agreed deadlines, including analysis of variances from plan, and make recommendations on resource control to ensure that expenditure is contained within available resources.
§ Ensure that Trust budgets are set in accordance with the agreed internal budget setting policy and within available resources.
§ Compile the annual Trust expenditure budget and ensure that robust systems for control of budgetary amendments are developed, implemented and maintained throughout the year.
§ Ensure that budgetary control and performance monitoring systems are developed, implemented and maintained.
§ Responsible for financial systems maintenance and systems development, ensuring integrity of financial ledgers and identifying opportunities for improving technologies.
• Responsible for the central Financial Management team providing support to corporate budget holders, managing the Trust’s financial systems and co-ordinating the production of the monthly budget statements for the organisation.
Service Provision/Governance
• Manage the Financial Services teams in line with good practice and NHS policy, guidance and standards.
• Provide professional financial support and advice to staff within the finance services function and its customers.
• Ensure systems, procedures and processes are developed and implemented to deliver agreed services in a transparent and accountable manner.
• Continuously review and develop financial systems so that financial transactions are accurately and promptly recorded and that information produced can be relied upon for effective decision-making.
• Liaise with internal and external auditors, providing appropriate support and information to enable them to undertake their reviews.
• Co-ordinate the implementation of audit recommendations in a timely manner and monitor and report on progress.
• Develop and maintain financial risk register and business continuity plans
• Produce relevant, timely and accurate ad hoc reports as requested by Trust Managers and external stakeholders, as required.
• Deputise for the Deputy Chief Finance Officer on financial accounting matters (in line with main job role) as required.
Staffing
• Ensure the corporate finance teams operate within a culture of openness, transparency, responsiveness and, efficiency and provide a customer-focused service.
• Responsible for line-managing and developing staff within the corporate finance teams, ensuring that all staff have agreed objectives, a personal development plan and annual performance reviews so that the provision of services to customers is continuously maintained and improved.
Team-working
· Working with and supporting colleagues to ensure the smooth running of the service.
· Working with colleagues to ensure that cover and support are provided across each area.
· Take lead responsibility for key areas of the service, including:
o Management of:
§ Financial Accounting
§ Treasury and Cashiers
§ Capital
§ Accounts Payable
§ Accounts Receivable
§ Financial management to Corporate teams (including Estates)
o NHSE and ICB returns / Board report
§ Co-ordination / submission
§ Monthly monitoring
§ Financial plan
§ Ad hoc
o Year-end / financial accounts
§ Production of final accounts
§ Liaising with Internal Audit, providing support and information to enable them to undertake their reviews
§ Liaising with External Auditors to manage the final accounts audit process
o Capital
§ Maintenance and development of the fixed asset register
§ Capital programme development
§ Programme monitoring
§ PFI accounting
§ Capital reporting
§ Management of capital limits
o Accounts Payable
§ Manage the Agreement of Balances (AOB) process
§ Achieving targets for the Better Payment Practice Code (BPPC), formerly Public Sector Payment Policy (PSPP)
o Accounts Receivable
§ Manage the Agreement of Balances (AOB) process
§ Oversee the debt recovery procedures, working with the Contracting team where contractual issues arise
§ Referrals to a third party collection agency
§ Manage the administration and accounting for Bad Debt provisions and Write-offs
§ Manage and report on Aged Debtors and Creditors
o Liaising with Strategy Team re the alignment of the Long-Term Financial Model with the Trust’s strategy
o Analysis and understanding of national announcements
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
· CCAB qualified accountant
· Committed to personal development with evidence of CPD
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
• Expert knowledge of technical accounting standards, including IFRSs
• Effective decision maker
• Able to analyse problems and generate and implement solutions
• Ability to analyse and interpret data and present a logical argument
• Report writing skills – able to demonstrate a clear analytical approach
Experience
Essential
• Recent financial accounting or reporting experience
• Recent experience of technical accounting issues
• Experienced in leading teams
Personal Attributes
Essential
• Focus on quality and performance
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships
• Self Awareness – able to reflect, learn from situations and continuously improve
• Resilience – remains positive in the face of difficulties and accesses help and support when needed
For more information on this role please see the attached person specification.
This advert closes on Sunday 1 Sep 2024
