An exciting new opportunity has arisen at South West London & St George's Mental Health Trust for an experienced accountant looking to enhance their career. The post holder will be one of two project focussed Senior Finance Business Partners supporting the Head of Financial Management to ensure that those tasks that necessarily sit outside the monthly reporting remit of Financial Management are completed in an accurate and timely manner. The first of the two posts concentrates on central areas whereas this new role will focus on direct support to the Trust's Service Lines (Divisions).

The post holder will be an important leader within the Finance Directorate and in the wider organisation. The post holder will work directly with the Trust's Service Lines in relation to business cases, service developments, transformation schemes, and overall financial planning.

The finance team are now looking to enhance how it operates, working smarter, more efficiently and effectively, minimising manual tasks. We are committed to embedding automation in the way we do things, so that we can improve our reporting times and concentrate on strengthening our roles to support our operational service managers in the services they deliver, to ultimately improve patient care and ensuring we deliver best value for money.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will gain a variety of experience including the opportunity to influence change and strengthen financial control at a leading Mental Health provider within the NHS. We are a dynamic team and with the objective of delivering a 'right first time' service, with a customer focus. We are committed to the Trust's values of being Respectful, Open, Collaborative, Compassionate and Consistent.

The postholder will be expected to be self-motivated, build strong relationships with Service Lines and have a wide ranging portfolio including:

• Finance lead for business cases undertaken by Service Lines
• Leading on service developments and transformation schemes with input into the contracting process
• Leading on ad-hoc funding returns to the ICB, NHSE, and Local Authorities
• Undertaking benchmarking exercises to identify efficiency opportunities
• Supporting annual budget and long term financial planning
• Ensuring the congruence of Service Line and wider Trust financial plans, triangulating with HR to ensure the consistency of workforce and financial plans
• Building and maintaining excellent working relationships with both Service Lines and existing Senior Finance Business Partners to ensure that the strongest possible level of service is provided

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• To provide high quality and wide ranging financial support for the Deputy Director of Finance and Head of Financial Management. This will cover all areas from business case production to information collation and benchmarking exercises. This work will often be highly complex and unfamiliar in nature and will involve working across sites and extracting, collating and interpreting data from different information systems across the Trust with the aim of securing the best financial solution/value for money outcome for the benefit of our patients.
• To provide direct support for proposed developments within Services Lines and across the Trust. This is wide ranging and will include areas such as applications for external funding when the opportunities arise, the quantification, minimisation and presentation of cost pressures, and Trust Wide reviews such as Safer Staffing
• To complete detailed regular financial returns as required by NHSE and other bodies. This will include the annual Estates (ERIC) and Education returns but will extend into other areas
• To undertake ad-hoc returns to NHSE and the ICB as required. Prior examples have included pay award and Covid costs. This will include detailed complex modelling and professional judgement. Where these returns result in a funding opportunity the postholder will seek to ensure all costs are covered and funding is maximised such returns could be result in multi million pound funding opportunities
• To provide significant input into the production of the revenue elements of the annual accounts process, this will involve substantial liaison and co-ordination with other departments within Finance. This will also involve the production of detailed working papers and liaison with External Audit when required. This also involves interpretation of changes in the Department of Healths Group Accounting Manual and ensuring that the Trust Accounts reflect these. The training of staff to ensure sound working papers and a smooth audit
• To provide detailed and proactive input into the Trusts Annual Planning process. To ensure the Trusts annual plans are congruent with PFR requirements. This will involve complex modelling and interpretation of NHSE guidance and changes. To liaise with HR colleagues to ensure the consistency of workforce and financial returns. To liaise with ICB or SLP colleagues to ensure consistency of approach
• To lead on NHSE and other benchmarking returns. To liaise with Executive Directors and Senior Managers to ensure sign off and ownership before submission. This will primarily relate to Clinical Services but may extend to Corporate areas
• To identify potential savings areas from benchmarking work undertaken (national, ICB, London wide or internal) to develop these into worked up opportunities and to present these to Executive Directors and Senior Management
• To independently review areas of significant Trust expenditure. To highlight inconsistencies and savings opportunities. To make budget holders, Executive Directors and Heads of Service Delivery (or equivalents) aware of these opportunities and support them in their delivery

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• CCAB (or professionally recognized equivalent) passed finalist

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience of Financial Management in the NHS, ideally in a senior role
• An understanding of current challenges being faced by NHS Finance departments and their relevance to SWLStG
• Previous experience of leading on business cases from the finance perspective
• Experience of budget setting and annual planning round
• Experience of populating NHSE statutory financial returns
• Involvement in year end accounts / agreement of balances exercises
• An understanding of future developments for Finance currently being discussed within the NHS and implications for Mental Health
• Up to date knowledge of Accounting Standards and the NHS Finance manual
• An understanding of current external financial reporting requirements.
• Experience of supervising and co-ordinating junior staff.
• Experience of participating at meetings with Senior Non-Finance Managers including advising non finance managers on finance issues
• Experience of preparing accurate and relevant year end and monthly management accounts, including year-end forecasts.

Desirable

• Experience of NHS Finance from a non-Management Accounting role
• An understanding of Mental Health and the services provided by Trusts treating Mental Health clients
• An understanding of the National Cost Collection process and how to use the outputs.

Computer Skills

Essential

• Excel experience including Pivot tables, linking spreadsheets and advanced function e.g. vlookups.
• Word (Intermediate level).

Desirable

• Knowledge of e-Financials.
• Knowledge of Business Objects.
• Access (basic level).

Employer details

Employer name

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Tolworth Hospital

Red Lion Road

London

KT6 7QU

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

294-CORP-5643579-JB