Job responsibilities
Key Duties
(see full Job Description attached under supporting information)
Financial Reporting
Responsible for providing accurate,
timely, detailed budget management reports + supporting information to all
budget managers within the Divisions, in a format that enables complex
information to be understood by non-finance staff.
Take responsibility for the
adapting/designing, review, maintenance, modification and update of financial
systems for reporting Divisional positions.
Ensure that reports are of the
highest quality by actively contributing to the quality assurance process and
ensuring that key validations and reconciliations are completed.
Supervise the month end process to
ensure that deadlines are met and a true and fair view of the Divisional
position is reported.
Prepare a detailed financial report
each month for presentation at monthly Directorate and Divisional Board
meetings, performance review and any other pre-Trust Board meeting. The
Business Advisor (BA) will be required to answer detailed questions on any aspect of
the Divisions finances at these meetings.
Where performance differs from plan, the BA will be
expected to propose rectification measures for discussion and agreement at the
meeting.
Strategic / Financial Planning
Lead the annual financial planning
process for their Division including identifying, co-ordinating and quantifying
Service Developments, Cost Pressures, Efficiency Programmes and Capital Bids to
support the annual objectives.
Identify threats to the financial
stability of their Division and agree rectification measures with the relevant
clinical or non-clinical managers.
Supervise the production of detailed
forecast out-turn projections for the Division.
Where forecast out-turn deviates from plan, lead the process of
preparing a financial rectification plan for agreement by the Division.
Take responsibility for budget
setting for their Division, in line with agreed Trust policies and ensuring the
involvement of key Divisional managers and clinicians. Ensure that all budgets
are signed off at Directorate and Divisional level before presenting the
start-point budget to the senior management team for written approval.
Ensure that Divisions budgets are
set within available resources allowing for developments and other income
adjustments, providing for recurrent financial balance, and advise on resource
allocation and cost improvement issues.
Advise the Deputy Director of
Finance (Operational Business Support) of the robustness and achievability of
Divisional financial plans, highlighting levels of risk, to facilitate the
assessment and reporting of the Trust corporate financial position.
Take the lead for the Division on
ensuring that benchmarking submissions are accurate, complete and timely.
Business Management and Decision
Support
Corporate responsibility for the
utilisation of the financial resources and assets of the Division to ensure
efficient and effective use.
Support / advise on the production
of business cases within the Division, including leading on and taking
responsibility for the accuracy of the financial analysis. This will include analysis/triangulation of
highly complex data from a variety of sources and the application of recognised
investment appraisal techniques to proposals to facilitate decision making.
Develop and monitor financial and
non-financial performance indicators to identify areas where the use of
resources can be monitored and improved. Work with operational managers and
clinicians to improve productivity and demonstrate the impact of this on
financial performance.
Take the lead for the Division on
benchmarking and value for money audits to ensure best practice and optimal
utilisation of resources.
With the support of the procurement
department, negotiate external contracts with suppliers.
Take the financial lead on the
evaluation of tenders to ensure that the Division is providing best value for
money.
The post will be responsible for
maximising income levels for the Directorates it supports, ensuring that
funding sources from all appropriate external agencies are investigated and
that all funding is recovered.
Ensures that Approval to Recruit
(ATR) applications and establishments are being processed/updated in a correct
and timely manner. Challenges any
atypical posts and decides if these can proceed whilst balancing service needs
and financial risk.
The post will ensure that
information provision and outputs associated with Service Line Reporting for
the supported Directorates are generated in accordance with the Trusts SLR
policies and procedures and are communicated to the Division and used to identify
opportunities for improvement.
Ensure that financial and
non-financial performance indicators relating to the Trusts PFI Contract are
subject to scrutiny and review in order to challenge and validate charges and
credits received, and to identify areas where the use of resources can be
improved.
Ensure that financial support is
provided to ensure that the Trusts PFI Model can be managed and maintained.
The post will be the nominated
Senior Finance lead NHS England on the NHS Education Funding Agreement ensuring
that the Trusts Contract is understood, supported and subject to financial
review, including providing leadership and support for any new bids submitted
in-year.
Financial Policies and Procedures
The role will be responsible for
managing the financial control processes ensuring efficiency, effectiveness,
integrity, and an appropriate business focus within the framework of the
Trusts financial systems.
Contribute fully to the development
of corporate financial policies, strategies and systems and adhere to these in
the performance of the duties of the post. Identify opportunities to improve
and develop system based working practices, taking a lead for the Trust if
required.
Proactively identify areas of
weakness in financial controls, policies and processes outside of Financial
Management (eg Financial Services) and make constructive use of
intra-departmental meetings to propose and drive forward appropriate changes.
Promote, implement, and advocate
corporately agreed financial policies, procedures and approaches within the
Division to ensure acceptance and adherence.
Drive forward the continued
development of the finance function in response to national policy drivers,
requiring interpretation of financial and other legislation/policies for the
Division.
Act as Divisional lead for the
financial implications of the implementation of national policies.
Leadership and Staff Management
Responsible for the staff within the
Divisional finance team, including recruitment and selection decisions,
appraisal, performance management, sickness absence, disciplinary and grievance
issues, allocation, re-allocation and monitoring of departmental workload and
personal development in accordance with agreed Trust policies and procedures.
Financial Services
Take the lead within the Division
for developing and maintaining processes which deliver the Trusts Financial
services objectives including:
o
Compliance with the Better Payment
Practice Code.
o
Improved debt recovery.
o
Management of the Trusts working
capital.
o
Statutory Accounting including the
production of the Annual Accounts and monthly NHSE returns.
o
Capital
Negotiate with NHS/external
organisations over complex cost/service issues to resolve disputes to facilitate
payment and improve cash-flow.
Financial Advice and Training
Where breaches are discovered,
ensure appropriate action is taken, in compliance with Trust policies
Provide expert advice to the
contracts team to support negotiation of contracts with commissioners and where
Divisional input is required on a specific area of the contract.
To ensure that the Division
understand the Trusts overall financial position and the potential
implications of this on the Divisions own services/developments.
Ensures that all budget holders
receive sufficient training to enable them to exercise their duties in
accordance with the Trusts financial policies including Standing Financial
Instructions, Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation. Where breaches are discovered, ensure
appropriate action is taken, in compliance with Trust policies
To ensure that own professional
skills and knowledge are regularly updated through mandatory Continuing
Professional Development.
Quality Assurance
Ensure:
the process of financial
management takes into account the need to enhance the quality of care provided
within the hospital.
Constant review, update and
improvement of information systems for managing the financial and accounting processes
with the finance department.
the process of financial
management provides complete, timely and consistent information, in line with
recognised best practice.
there are robust
internal control systems within Divisions so as to provide substantial
assurance of effective internal control.
- regular audit of
departments working practice are undertaken in order to promote continuous improvement in
accounting practices, including the use of surveys within the organisation, and
analysis tools as appropriate.
Other Duties
Trust Finance representative to JNCC
preparing and presenting the Trust wide financial position and updating members
on all relevant finance aspects.
Deputises for the Deputy Director of
Finance (operational Business Support) as required.
Play a leading role in the
Directorates improvement programme to develop a centre of excellence.
