Financial Income and SLA Analyst (Annex 21)

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

This job is now closed

Job summary

Thank you for taking the time to review our vacancy. We are looking to welcome a new Income and SLA Analyst to the team following the promotion of the existing employee.

We are looking for a likeminded, driven individual to join our supportive team and help us maintain our status as a top performing team and organisation.

We will be operating a hybrid working pattern going forward from our new state of the art offices in Knowsley. If you are interested in the role we'd strongly recommend contacting our recruitment partner to discuss the opportunity further.

If you are interested we encourage you to apply or contact Claire Jordan or Nicola Broderick or our recruitment partner Martin via martin@seymourjohn.com or 07971929230 to discuss your experience in more detail.

Interview date: TBC

This post may be offered under Annex 21 AfC Terms & Conditions, subject to experience, competency and suitability.

Main duties of the job

Support the Head of Income & Contracting in ensuring systems are in place so that the Trust's income is legitimately optimised, realised in a timely manner and accurately reported each month, analysing, interpreting and validating this information where necessary prior to its release.
Provide the organisation with current and historical expert advice, knowledge, guidance and information on the NHS national tariff, local agreements, SLAs monitoring system, including interpretation, promotion, development and maintenance of software in line with national guidance, local agreements and Trust policies and procedures.
To assist the Head of Income & Contracting with determining the Trust's strategic financial and activity planning activities relating to the national tariff (clinical income) and both central and divisional non-clinical income for the forthcoming contracting periods and in the medium to long term; making best assessments of key variables that are often unknown and including the Trust's aims and objectives, clearly documenting assumptions at all times.
Responsible for the design, operation and maintenance of the Trusts SLAs, income pricing and monitoring software systems, which produce the national tariff clinical income and both central and divisional non-clinicalincome reports which are presented to the Board and are available to the whole organisation and external organisations.

About us

The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.

From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.

The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.

Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:

CAREthat is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
SAFETY that is of the highest standards
COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients

Our achievements include:

Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.

Date posted

18 August 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£43,742 to £50,056 a year per annum (Annex 21)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

409-5484672-A

Job locations

Knowsley Community College

Waterpark Drive

Huyton

L36 3SD

Job description

Job responsibilities

CONTRACTING ARRANGEMENTS

To assist the Head of Income & Contracting with contractual, local, SLA arrangements, ensuring timescales are delivered.
Supported by the Head of Income & Contracting, become a lead officer for agreed subject matters of the contract, and provide historical and current advise, knowledge, guidance and information on the agreed subject matter.

INCOME & ACTIVITY

To interpret National guidance on the National Tariff, or other Payment Systems and ensure that The Trust is well placed to implement the guidance and so ensuring maximum income gain for the organisation.
To plan, through modelling of options, the expected income to the Trust under the National Tariff, or other Payment System, including the changes to prices due to the introduction of new guidance, local pricing arrangements. This involves planning over the year ahead, and for future years to assess the financial impact on the Trust.
To ensure effective monitoring arrangements are in place for all healthcare contract SLAs and reports produced for both internal management use by the Trust Board, clinicians and managers, and externally for Commissioners and regulators. This involves developing the contract SLAs monitoring systems in conjunction with Information Department colleagues, by way of a close and efficient working relationship, to accurately record activity and cost data and to liaise with the software providers to adapt the systems for the requirements of the Trust and its commissioners and regulators.
To provide training, advice, guidance and support to the specialities as to the impact on activity and income of introducing new, or amending existing, pathways, services with reference to relevant guidance, e.g. National tariff guidance, best practice and local tariffs, CQUINS and other payment regimes.
To advise finance colleagues, senior managers and clinicians about the financial implications arising from changes to national guidance on National Tariff Payment System and other associated topics and suggest service changes/service redesign to implement national guidance, local, SLAs in accordance with best practice guidelines.
To interpret, understand and identify the impact to the Trust on the anticipated future changes to the identification rules (IR rules) for Prescribed Specialised Services and other Commissioners where relevant.
To develop and maintain an effective and efficient automated system for documenting, monitoring and reporting healthcare contractual SLA arrangements, which can record and reports internal and external requirements.
To ensure that the Trust is billing all monies which it is due within the required timescales and that commissioner queries on activity and invoicing are dealt with, within national or contractual timelines.
To monitor related Cost Improvement (CIP) schemes and identify opportunities in the future.

ANNUAL PLANNING

To support specialties to set internal activity baselines and provide monitoring information. This will involve supporting finance business partners with looking at current year outturn and adjusting activity plans within the pricing systems and general ledger systems, for specialities, to account for any anticipated changes to the service for the next financial year.
To support the Head of Income and Contracting with the Trusts income planning process by scenario planning, using models within the SLA monitoring systems to produce plans based on case-mix. This will include a review of all guidance issued by NHS regulators for any changes to existing guidance.
Liaise with Commissioners to support the process of agreeing annual baselines for healthcare contract SLAs and monthly monitoring.
To benchmark activity, income and case-mix against prior years and external providers.

INFORMATION

Assess the accuracy of the current months, year to date and forecast positions and develop improvements to the process, to increase the reliability for reporting and decision making.
To assist the Head of Income & Contracting in ensuring regulator returns (annual and monthly) are completed accurately and within mandated and locally agreed timescales.
To ensure the provision of robust, accurate and timely activity and financial information to the Commissioners in line with contractual obligations and agreed mandated and locally agreed timetables.
To ensure that contract challenges received from Commissioners are dealt with fully within the required mandated and locally agreed timescales and in line with contract terms, and that, where action is required internally, this is flagged up to the relevant internal lead officer and pursued, responded to and closed within mandated and locally agreed timescales.
Understand and operate the pricing system with responsibility for maintaining and developing existing models as well as the construction of new versions. Ensure the systems are kept updated with any current releases, and that reports generated are meaningful to the Finance Department, throughout the organisation and external organisational requirements, in accordance with contractual obligations.
Ensure contractual information submissions data set requirements are submitted in accordance with contractual timetables, ensuring the Head of Income & Contracting is made aware one week prior any deadline of risks associated with failing to hit timescales and datasets affected.
Liaise with the information department on a regular basis regarding data requirements and setting and agreeing timetables to ensure strict deadlines are adhered to. Ensuring any changes required to reporting are made aware to the information department and that audit checks are undertaken confirming changes have been implemented correctly and accordingly.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES (MANDATORY)

Maintain Professional Body Registration and adhere and act in accordance with relevant Code of Practice of Professional body.
Adhere and act in accordance with governing financial & information legislation.
Ensure to keep up to date with mandatory training and appraisal requirements and in accordance with professional body requirements, actively participate in continued professional development, specific to this role.
Actively keep up to date with current NHS guidance and apply within the role.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain a keep updated, procedure notes associated with this role to ensure they accurately reflect current practice.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES

Provide training to finance and non-financial managers within the Trust on all matters relating to income and contracting; including effective use of information systems/reports.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY/MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Oversee and allocate work to junior staff members within the department and provide training within own areas of work, enabling them to develop in accordance with their KSF outline.
Manage the workload of junior staff members, ensuring departmental objectives are delivered and deadlines achieved.
Ensure procedure notes associated for junior staff members within the department are keep updated and accurately reflect current practice.
To line manage junior staff members within the department, ensuring that appraisal, mandatory training and personal development plans, are carried out within policy timescales.
Upon occasion deputise for the Head of Income & Contracting where necessary, which can include representing the Trust at external meetings and updating the Head of Income & Contracting, as well as informing of issues which require their overall decision / agreement.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Support the Head of Income & Contracting with investment appraisal analysis options relating to systems required to legitimately optimise, realise and accurately report and monitor income.
Ensure that the use of information technology contributes to improving the processes and documenting, monitoring and reporting of the team.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

Support the Head of Income & Contracting with:
Internal audit requirements associated with income and contracting,
External audit requirements associated with income and contracting,
Routine audits requirements associated with contracting (e.g. Data validations, activity query notices),
Add Hoc audit requirements associated with income and contracting,
Imminently advise the Head of Income & Contracting:
On changes in advice and guidance from NHS Regulators and other organisations regarding Clinical and Non-Clinical income.

Please refer to job description for detailed responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

CONTRACTING ARRANGEMENTS

To assist the Head of Income & Contracting with contractual, local, SLA arrangements, ensuring timescales are delivered.
Supported by the Head of Income & Contracting, become a lead officer for agreed subject matters of the contract, and provide historical and current advise, knowledge, guidance and information on the agreed subject matter.

INCOME & ACTIVITY

To interpret National guidance on the National Tariff, or other Payment Systems and ensure that The Trust is well placed to implement the guidance and so ensuring maximum income gain for the organisation.
To plan, through modelling of options, the expected income to the Trust under the National Tariff, or other Payment System, including the changes to prices due to the introduction of new guidance, local pricing arrangements. This involves planning over the year ahead, and for future years to assess the financial impact on the Trust.
To ensure effective monitoring arrangements are in place for all healthcare contract SLAs and reports produced for both internal management use by the Trust Board, clinicians and managers, and externally for Commissioners and regulators. This involves developing the contract SLAs monitoring systems in conjunction with Information Department colleagues, by way of a close and efficient working relationship, to accurately record activity and cost data and to liaise with the software providers to adapt the systems for the requirements of the Trust and its commissioners and regulators.
To provide training, advice, guidance and support to the specialities as to the impact on activity and income of introducing new, or amending existing, pathways, services with reference to relevant guidance, e.g. National tariff guidance, best practice and local tariffs, CQUINS and other payment regimes.
To advise finance colleagues, senior managers and clinicians about the financial implications arising from changes to national guidance on National Tariff Payment System and other associated topics and suggest service changes/service redesign to implement national guidance, local, SLAs in accordance with best practice guidelines.
To interpret, understand and identify the impact to the Trust on the anticipated future changes to the identification rules (IR rules) for Prescribed Specialised Services and other Commissioners where relevant.
To develop and maintain an effective and efficient automated system for documenting, monitoring and reporting healthcare contractual SLA arrangements, which can record and reports internal and external requirements.
To ensure that the Trust is billing all monies which it is due within the required timescales and that commissioner queries on activity and invoicing are dealt with, within national or contractual timelines.
To monitor related Cost Improvement (CIP) schemes and identify opportunities in the future.

ANNUAL PLANNING

To support specialties to set internal activity baselines and provide monitoring information. This will involve supporting finance business partners with looking at current year outturn and adjusting activity plans within the pricing systems and general ledger systems, for specialities, to account for any anticipated changes to the service for the next financial year.
To support the Head of Income and Contracting with the Trusts income planning process by scenario planning, using models within the SLA monitoring systems to produce plans based on case-mix. This will include a review of all guidance issued by NHS regulators for any changes to existing guidance.
Liaise with Commissioners to support the process of agreeing annual baselines for healthcare contract SLAs and monthly monitoring.
To benchmark activity, income and case-mix against prior years and external providers.

INFORMATION

Assess the accuracy of the current months, year to date and forecast positions and develop improvements to the process, to increase the reliability for reporting and decision making.
To assist the Head of Income & Contracting in ensuring regulator returns (annual and monthly) are completed accurately and within mandated and locally agreed timescales.
To ensure the provision of robust, accurate and timely activity and financial information to the Commissioners in line with contractual obligations and agreed mandated and locally agreed timetables.
To ensure that contract challenges received from Commissioners are dealt with fully within the required mandated and locally agreed timescales and in line with contract terms, and that, where action is required internally, this is flagged up to the relevant internal lead officer and pursued, responded to and closed within mandated and locally agreed timescales.
Understand and operate the pricing system with responsibility for maintaining and developing existing models as well as the construction of new versions. Ensure the systems are kept updated with any current releases, and that reports generated are meaningful to the Finance Department, throughout the organisation and external organisational requirements, in accordance with contractual obligations.
Ensure contractual information submissions data set requirements are submitted in accordance with contractual timetables, ensuring the Head of Income & Contracting is made aware one week prior any deadline of risks associated with failing to hit timescales and datasets affected.
Liaise with the information department on a regular basis regarding data requirements and setting and agreeing timetables to ensure strict deadlines are adhered to. Ensuring any changes required to reporting are made aware to the information department and that audit checks are undertaken confirming changes have been implemented correctly and accordingly.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES (MANDATORY)

Maintain Professional Body Registration and adhere and act in accordance with relevant Code of Practice of Professional body.
Adhere and act in accordance with governing financial & information legislation.
Ensure to keep up to date with mandatory training and appraisal requirements and in accordance with professional body requirements, actively participate in continued professional development, specific to this role.
Actively keep up to date with current NHS guidance and apply within the role.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain a keep updated, procedure notes associated with this role to ensure they accurately reflect current practice.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES

Provide training to finance and non-financial managers within the Trust on all matters relating to income and contracting; including effective use of information systems/reports.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY/MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Oversee and allocate work to junior staff members within the department and provide training within own areas of work, enabling them to develop in accordance with their KSF outline.
Manage the workload of junior staff members, ensuring departmental objectives are delivered and deadlines achieved.
Ensure procedure notes associated for junior staff members within the department are keep updated and accurately reflect current practice.
To line manage junior staff members within the department, ensuring that appraisal, mandatory training and personal development plans, are carried out within policy timescales.
Upon occasion deputise for the Head of Income & Contracting where necessary, which can include representing the Trust at external meetings and updating the Head of Income & Contracting, as well as informing of issues which require their overall decision / agreement.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Support the Head of Income & Contracting with investment appraisal analysis options relating to systems required to legitimately optimise, realise and accurately report and monitor income.
Ensure that the use of information technology contributes to improving the processes and documenting, monitoring and reporting of the team.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

Support the Head of Income & Contracting with:
Internal audit requirements associated with income and contracting,
External audit requirements associated with income and contracting,
Routine audits requirements associated with contracting (e.g. Data validations, activity query notices),
Add Hoc audit requirements associated with income and contracting,
Imminently advise the Head of Income & Contracting:
On changes in advice and guidance from NHS Regulators and other organisations regarding Clinical and Non-Clinical income.

Please refer to job description for detailed responsibilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Qualified CCAB / CIMA Accountant or Masters in Health Informatics or in a mathematical related subject.

Desirable

Member of professional organisation e.g. ASSIST: IHM, UK CHIP
To have a business qualification entailing legal elements within its curriculum

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Substantial experience working within NHS Income & Contracting Department or within Information Department, conducting statistical analysis.
Experience of interpreting and working with specialist financial guidance
Specialist and highly experienced in routinely using healthcare contractual SLA monitoring systems and SQL server software and/or statistical packages
Specialist experience routinely working with & applying identification rules for prescribed specialised services
Specialist knowledge & detailed understanding of NHS contracting regime
Specialist knowledge & detailed understanding of the National Tariff Payment System regime.
Experience of analysing, investigating, reconciling, problem solving & interpreting detailed & highly complex information & queries for presentation and discussing to a range of users

Desirable

To have worked in a legal environment involving contractual issues
Experience of using financial ledger systems.
Experience of using patient based clinical information systems (PAS) systems
Experience of using healthcare pathway systems (e.g. Medway Maternity System).
In-depth knowledge if the main aspects of NHS Finance.

Skills

Essential

Ability to work with both financial & non-financial staff at all levels in an NHS organisation & externally, advising on complex financial & contractual matters.
Ability to discuss complex financial, contractual and non-financial matters to a wide variety of internal & external stakeholders.
Staff management skills.
Ability to report & present financial, contractual and non-financial information to both finance & non-finance individuals (internal and external).
Ability to be both team leader & team player.
Ability to work without supervision & to deliver extremely challenging deadlines, clearly presenting assumptions made.
Ability to interpret & implement NHS national guidance at local level across the organisation and externally.
The ability to switch between complex tasks.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, & ability to maintain effective working relationships, both internal and external.
Excellent negotiating skills and experience
Strong IT skills & experience using Microsoft Office suite & able to develop & use IT appropriately to meet given objectives.

Other

Essential

Identifies & takes responsibility for continuing professional & personal development & learning through the PDP process

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Qualified CCAB / CIMA Accountant or Masters in Health Informatics or in a mathematical related subject.

Desirable

Member of professional organisation e.g. ASSIST: IHM, UK CHIP
To have a business qualification entailing legal elements within its curriculum

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Substantial experience working within NHS Income & Contracting Department or within Information Department, conducting statistical analysis.
Experience of interpreting and working with specialist financial guidance
Specialist and highly experienced in routinely using healthcare contractual SLA monitoring systems and SQL server software and/or statistical packages
Specialist experience routinely working with & applying identification rules for prescribed specialised services
Specialist knowledge & detailed understanding of NHS contracting regime
Specialist knowledge & detailed understanding of the National Tariff Payment System regime.
Experience of analysing, investigating, reconciling, problem solving & interpreting detailed & highly complex information & queries for presentation and discussing to a range of users

Desirable

To have worked in a legal environment involving contractual issues
Experience of using financial ledger systems.
Experience of using patient based clinical information systems (PAS) systems
Experience of using healthcare pathway systems (e.g. Medway Maternity System).
In-depth knowledge if the main aspects of NHS Finance.

Skills

Essential

Ability to work with both financial & non-financial staff at all levels in an NHS organisation & externally, advising on complex financial & contractual matters.
Ability to discuss complex financial, contractual and non-financial matters to a wide variety of internal & external stakeholders.
Staff management skills.
Ability to report & present financial, contractual and non-financial information to both finance & non-finance individuals (internal and external).
Ability to be both team leader & team player.
Ability to work without supervision & to deliver extremely challenging deadlines, clearly presenting assumptions made.
Ability to interpret & implement NHS national guidance at local level across the organisation and externally.
The ability to switch between complex tasks.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, & ability to maintain effective working relationships, both internal and external.
Excellent negotiating skills and experience
Strong IT skills & experience using Microsoft Office suite & able to develop & use IT appropriately to meet given objectives.

Other

Essential

Identifies & takes responsibility for continuing professional & personal development & learning through the PDP process

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).