Contracting Accountant

Job description

Job responsibilities

The scope of the role, specifically in terms of financial planning and control and financial performance and reporting covers the entire clinical income of the Trust, which will be c£688m.

The post holder will be responsible for the management and performance of the Contracting and Development / Costing Team in the provision of a high quality and responsive service to the directorate and will lead on the setting, maintenance and development of financial standards of performance and service delivery within the team.

In the discharge of his/her duties the post holder will be expected to communicate closely and effectively with commissioners, clinical directors, lead clinicians, care group & other service managers and will represent the finance department at sub committees of the care group and the Trust at meeting with external agencies.

The main duties associated with this role are detailed below.

Contracting and Income:

Through the provision of expert, high quality, timely, financial and business advice the Contracting & Development Accountant will take lead responsibility for the monitoring and contract management and control of the Trusts clinical contract income and thereby assist the Trust in the achievement of financial surplus. More specifically this will include leading on:

Planning, implementing, managing and designing the specifications and outcomes for the legally binding acute and community contracts and service level agreements with commissioners

Performance management of contracts and service level agreements and the identification and implementation of remedial action plans

Design, control and pro-active management of the contract variation processes, both financial and non-financial.

Evaluating the financial implications and risks associated with changes in methods of service delivery

Assessing the financial and economic implications of national and local policies, targets and procedures relating to contracting.

The accuracy and maximisation of the Trusts income under the NHS payment system regime (*or current contractual framework) ensuring all activity is recorded onto Trust Information systems in order to ensure the accuracy and maximisation of Trust income

Production of internal income financial and activity reports to Management Teams and Trust Board

Provision of timely and accurate financial information, guidance, advice to Trust Directors and Senior Management for decision making purposes.

Acting as the Trusts technical expert on the NHS Payment System and commissioning issues

Developing and maintaining systems to monitor the Trusts contract income performance providing detailed financial and activity reports and forecasts to the Associate Director of Finance and Care Groups of the Trust as well as various commissioners

Liaising with the Associate Director of Finance Financial Services to ensure all income due to the Trust is recovered in a timely and accurate manner

Ensuring all commissioner income reports are sufficiently detailed and accurate to allow commissioners to process payments with the minimum of query

Provision of training, advice and support to finance and non finance colleagues on the financial implications of complex NHS legislation, NHS financial policies and UK accounting standards particularly in relation to the NHS Payment System and commissioning

Costing and Pricing

The Contracting & Development Accountant will take the lead role for costing and pricing for the Trust, this will include leading Patient Level Costing, reference costs and benchmarking:

Developing, improving and maintaining the Trust costing systems including the Trusts Patient Level Costing system.

Leading on the production and submission of Reference Costs in accordance with national deadlines; continually improving the quality of the submission; achieving at least, significant assurance in audit review;

Ensuring all activity is recorded in line with national requirements and the development of procedure costing in conjunction with clinical and non clinical staff

Responsible for the production of all service prices

Responsible for the production of accurate and timely financial information and submissions in line with national formats and deadlines

Responsible for the benchmark returns and analysis assisting the identification of opportunities to drive improvements in clinical efficiency and productivity

The provision of advice and support for the costing of all internal and external service developments.

Production and co-ordination of financial plans for service delivery at both operational and corporate level

Financial Planning & Budget Control (Clinical Income)

The Contracting & Development Accountant will take the lead on Clinical Income planning and budgetary control, leading on:

Setting and maintenance of the Trust Level Clinical Income Budgets

Dissemination of service line income budgets & reports to care groups and their financial management teams

Input into the production of the Trusts annual estimates process

Financial modelling of income using activity growth, referral rates, conversion rates, modernisation shifts and the Choice agenda

The accurate reporting of income and variances within the Trust Financial Reporting system ensuring the effective completion of monthly and annual closedown.

Patient Level Costing (PLICS)

The Contracting & Development Accountant will take the lead role on the ongoing strategic development of the Patient Level Costing system, ensuring that the resulting business information and intelligence is effectively fed into the financial management teams and reported to the Trust to inform decision making and service development. This will include:

Developing, improving and maintaining service line reporting systems

Provision of timely and accurate service line reports to Senior Management & Directors within the Trust

Identifying opportunities to increase income and profits margins

Management of the Contracting and Development Team

The Contracting & Development Accountant will supervise, manage and motivate the financial management team to ensure delivery of high quality and timely financial advice & information. More specifically this will include:

Leading on staff appointment, development, training and education including annual appraisals, giving advice and guidance on career development, and contribution to the professional training of team members

Leading, alongside the other Care Group & Corporate Accountants, a process of continuous improvement at all levels in the department, which will contribute to increased productivity within the team, and to improving the quality and usefulness of financial and business advice and information provided to the Clinical Care Groups and Corporate Divisional teams.

Other Corporate Finance Responsibilities

To ensure compliance with the requirements and deadlines for key financial returns such as Annual Accounts, NHSIE plans and returns, Tariff Road Testing, freedom of information requests, liaison with internal/external audit etc.

To contribute to the development of the financial skills and business awareness of clinical staff in order to maximise the potential for improvement in clinical quality, operational efficiency & financial performance resulting from decisions made at divisional level

To perform any other duties as may be delegated from time to time.

Person Specification

Special Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Communication & Relationship Skills
• The ability to effectively communicate complex, contentious or sensitive information to staff of a wide variety of professional backgrounds and seniority.
• The ability to advise, influence and negotiate including those of greater seniority, in matters effecting financial performance and delivery of financial objectives. This will include the presentation of complex financial and non financial information to non financial managers, occasionally in large groups.
• Understands, and can effectively convey current financial concepts clearly and persuasively.
• Analytical & Judgement Skills
• Ability to analyse highly complex situations, scenarios and projects, and is able to determine the financial impact of these and contribute to effective decision making in an uncertain environment.
• Ability to produce and analyse business cases, including the development and appraisal of options, to optimise the allocation of resources.
• Ability to make judgements and financial decisions via risk based assessments of leading options which may conflict.
• Planning & Organisation Skills
• The ability to formulate financial plans for responsible areas, and contribute to the formulation of financial strategy.
• Ability to plan and manage the workload of own team, to ensure workload is delivered to a high quality within deadlines.
• Governance and Risk Management
• Introduces and manages issues relating to corporate and financial governance and ensures that financial risk is planned for and managed
• Ensures compliance with Standing Orders, SFIs and Schemes of Delegation
• Promotes strong financial management culture and develops finance skills and knowledge of governance issues
• Customer Focused Business Advice
• Uses a broad understanding of the organisation, clinical issues, customers and stakeholders to provide business advice
• Generates and interprets financial information to help the Care Group understand itself more fully
• Identifies and implements opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness of services provided
• Using Information Technology
• Uses IT to gather, interpret and manipulate information to meet the needs of the Care Group
• Mental & Physical Attributes
• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to cope with rapid and sustained change
• Capable of working independently
• Able to work under pressure and deliver high quality work within challenging deadlines
• Interpersonal Skills
• Clear and effective communication and presentation skills.
• Strong people management skills team working, motivation & delegation.
• Strong influencing, analytical and negotiation skills
• Excellent written communication skills
• Able to cope with and resolve conflict.

Desirable

• Project management skills with the capability of managing complex tasks to tight deadlines within a complex changing environment.
• Experience of Oracle general ledger and Microsoft Office (including MS Access)
• Experience of Patient Level Costing Systems
• Experience of PowerBI
• Experience of SQL

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience at middle management level
• In depth knowledge of the Trust financial regime, including the NHS Payment System, costing & information processes within the NHS.
• Able to advise finance and non finance managers on matters relating to their own area, providing detailed advice and guidance;
• Knowledge, experience and expertise in finance management and staff management.
• Good understanding of the performance management and financial framework within the NHS.

Desirable

• Exposure to working at senior management level

Special Requirements

Essential

• A commitment to the continuous development of the finance department to be innovative and to constantly seek new ways of working / improving performance.
• Ability to meet the travel requirements of this post.

Qualifications

Essential

• CCAB Professional Accountancy Qualification with a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience.
• Evidence of continuing personal and professional development

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.

Employer details

Employer name

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

Hollyhurst Road

Darlington

County Durham

DL3 6HX

Employer's website

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