Associate Director of Finance - Financial Governance

Job description

Job responsibilities

As a senior member of the Integrated Care Board (ICB), you will be responsible for leading on all aspects of financial governance for the ICB, including leading and managing the financial accounting/financial services team. The postholder will lead in such a way as to ensure they and the team meet the four requirements of Integrated Care Systems and in doing so for delivery of the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnerships mission:

improve outcomes in population health and healthcare and so reducing health inequalities.

tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience, and access and so managing unwarranted variations in care.

enhance productivity and value for money and so using our collective resources wisely; and

help the NHS support broader social and economic development and so securing the economic and social benefits of investing in

health and care.

The NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board was established on 1 July 2022 based on a highly collaborative model across 5 Places that have significant levels of devolved responsibilities (including for financial resources). This makes for a complex Statutory Body which requires some intricate yet agile financial and corporate governance capability to navigate the challenges that will inevitably arise from this model. This role is key in leading on all aspects of financial governance for the ICB, including the development of processes and procedural solutions to support the highly devolved nature of key functions across West Yorkshire such as financial stewardship arrangements, system reporting, and financial services/accounting for the ICB.

This will necessitate the ability to provide leadership to a network of teams across the West Yorkshire health and social care system, adopting the approach for high performing teams as part of the matrix working that will be required on a regular basis.

The postholder will also need to have the skills to horizon scan, identify, engage with stakeholders and support the implementation of technological tools and solutions to support the automation of tasks that will inevitably be needed to run the finance function of such a complex system effectively without detrimental impact on the granularity of the data needed for effective and evidence-based decision making across the whole system.

The post holder works at a strategic level and is integral to the ICBs major financial decision making as well as providing leadership to many teams within the organisation.

The Associate Director of Finance will lead by example in terms of promoting and upholding the ICBs values and behaviours and will develop a culture of continuous improvement within the team and across the whole ICB. They will be responsible for identifying and adopting of key staff development tools to ensure the whole of the ICB finance function is able to aspire to and meet their full potential, and will lead on implementing #OneNHSFinance best practice across the function.

The post holder will provide professional and managerial leadership support for all aspects of the Financial Governance function of the ICB.

The post holder will promote a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring the principles of openness, transparency and candour are observed and upheld in all working practices.

The post holder will have, or acquire through training provided by the organisation, the appropriate level of safeguarding and knowledge,

skills and practice required for the post and be aware of and comply with the organisations safeguarding protection policies and procedures.

As a member of the Senior Finance management team, the post holder should be able to take collective responsibility for decisions made.

The full job description is attached, but below are the key highlights of the role:

To provide support to the Deputy Director of Finance on advising the ICB on strategic and operational matters relating to all aspects of

finance.

Financial expert, being able to critically review, challenge and effectively utilise financial information for decision-making.

To provide high quality interpretation of finance reports and recommend appropriate actions.

To provide the Deputy Director of Finance with assurance on the quality of all statutory returns and required monitoring information

including but not limited to the Annual Accounts and financial reporting to NHSE and ICB committees.

To interpret complex national policy and advise on the financial impact and recommended responses for the ICB and system partners.

Providing key advice and leadership to the Deputy Director in proposing and drafting changes, implementation and interpretation to

policies, guidelines, and service level agreements (SLAs) which may impact beyond own area of expertise.

To have a critical liaison role with NHSE on behalf of the Deputy Director of Finance.

Alongside Place Deputy Directors of Finance, to develop the operating model for the Finance Function.

To support the production, maintenance, and review of the financial risks within the ICB risk register.

To promote finance staff development and equality, diversity, and inclusion.

To deputise for the Deputy Director of Finance at key meetings including within the ICB, ICS and with external stakeholders.

Provide overall line management to the financial accounting/financial services team taking responsibility for all elements of staff

leadership and management including recruitment. Responsible for leadership of a team setting direction, ensuring all team members

have clarity of purpose. Dealing with all employee relations issues i.e., disciplinary, grievance, performance, sickness, and appraisal.

To develop professional standards within the Finance Department and actively seek and encourage feedback from users of financial

services to enable continuous improvements plans to be implemented.

Postholder will be responsible for maintaining strong links to places, in particular in relation to financial governance and the development

of policies and procedures that ensure the statutory requirements of the ICB are fully delivered whilst balancing the needs of all

stakeholders.

Will provide robust financial governance information and guidance to support both system and place reporting and decision making.

You will lead on the ongoing development of the ICB as it works towards achieving Level 2 and Level 3 One NHS Finance accreditation. This will involve working across the organisation to pursue excellence in all we do, and demonstrate how this is integrated into the ways of working and the culture of the ICB finance team.

Person Specification

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Standard keyboard skills. Post-holder required to use computer / VDU for long periods of time.
• Frequent requirement to sit and stand in a restricted position whilst working and travelling.
• Frequent and intense periods of concentration are required for up to 3-5 hours at a time such as analysis, interpretation, and planning.
• Frequent exposure to emotional circumstances when communicating highly contentious information to a range of stakeholders and organisations.
• Imparts unwelcome news e.g., around staffing issues, contentious financial issues as well as financial performance not being met. This will require significant tact, diplomacy, and personal resilience
• Travel may be required to attend meetings across sites.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or equivalent education and or equivalent level of experience.
• CCAB qualified e.g., ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA with evidence of continuing professional development and ongoing membership of the professional body.
• Additional specialist knowledge of other function specific areas such as financial governance, health economics, population health management and improvement methodologies.

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience at a senior management level including working in a collective decision-making group such as an executive team and/or committee
• Significant experience in working in the NHS financial environment.
• Substantial experience of leading negotiations.
• Experience of achieving service change.
• Experience of procurements for new or existing services.
• Significant experience of staff management and development, demonstrating quality professional leadership.
• Track record of success and delivery in leadership roles including significant operational delivery.
• Experience of senior level decision making and delivery in an ambiguous changing environment.
• Financial expert, being able to critically review, challenge and effectively utilise financial information for decision-making.
• Understand value for money and challenge performance on this basis.
• Understand the requirements of effective financial governance and probity.
• Understand the requirements of effective performance frameworks and management.
• Understand and apply the principles of commissioning to give high quality, value for money services.
• Able to understand, analyse and articulate any financial risks inherent in the strategies.

Desirable

• Experience in working at a Board level.

Skills & behaviours

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to influence and persuade others articulating a balanced view and provide constructive challenge and feedback where there may be barriers to understanding.
• Expert in a wide range of accounting processes and procedures, including financial and management accounting functions.
• Excellent problem-solving skills to solve complex system problems and break down barriers for service improvement.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to review and analyse complex financial information to inform good decision making.
• Ability to interpret and implement complex national financial policies.
• Effective leadership style with demonstrable motivational and performance skills.
• Ability to perform with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Able to develop a clear and compelling organisational vision that describes the future strategy of the ICB and to effectively communicate this to a wide range of audiences.
• A strong commitment to patient care and quality services, improving outcomes, tackling health inequalities, and delivering the best value for money for the taxpayer.
• High level of emotional intelligence and highly resilient with the ability to cope under pressure.
• Team player committed to open collegiate relationships and corporate effectiveness.
• Integrity and ability to engender trust and respect from colleagues at all levels.
• Committed to upholding the NHS principles and values as set out in the NHS Constitution.
• Demonstrates a commitment to upholding The Nolan Principles of Public Life along with an ability to reflect them in his/her leadership role and the culture of the ICB.

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

NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board

Address

White Rose House, West Parade

Wakefield

WF1 1LT

Employer's website

http://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)