Head of Financial Services

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Management Responsibilities 

• Lead on planning for the Technical Accounting services, ensuring clear, comprehensive, consistent and deliverable plans are in place, and are delivered on time.   

• Provide leadership and management to the Financial Services team, to ensure delivery of the core financial services to a high standard, including the ability to provide assurance on performance to Trust management. 

• Develop and maintain a Finance Dashboard & KPIs to aid performance monitoring and management of the Financial Accounting service. 

• Oversee the financial reporting for the Trust subsidiary companies and joint venture in particular the regular monthly reporting. This will include attending and supporting the Clatterbridge Pharmacy Ltd Board meetings. 

• Lead on the completion of the monthly financial monitoring information to NHSE & the ICB, ensuring quality, completeness and timeliness of reporting.  Ensure that Trust Board reporting is consistent with NHSE required returns. 

• Oversee and ensure regular review of Trust financial controls, procedures and processes to ensure the Finance department remains fit for purpose and provides a high quality, good value service. This includes accountability for ensuring appropriate systems of control are in place and operating effectively. 

• Planning and leading on the production of the statutory accounts for the Foundation Trust and Group ensuring these are completed in accordance with required formats, timescales and professional accounting standards. Including preparation of the consolidated accounts. Oversee the preparation of the financial accounts for the subsidiaries. 

• Be the contract lead for Audit Services, both Internal and External Audit, on behalf of the Trust. This will include attending the Trusts Audit Committee. 

• Oversee effective management of capital resources and financing of capital to ensure the Trusts capital programme is delivered within available resources. 

• Ensure effective management of cash and working balances, including effective cash flow forecasting, so that the Trust maximises cash balances for future investment.  Includes development of associated policies, eg Tresury and Debtor Management. 

• Provide coaching, direction and development to the Financial Services team, ensuring continued development of the department effectiveness. 

• Work closely with the Head of Financial Management & Planning to ensure that key tasks are aligned, communicated and coordinated  

Communication 

• Ability to provide highly complex, sensitive or contentious information to Finance colleagues and other Trust managers, conveying concepts clearly and persuasively. Including subsidiary reporting, consolidated accounts, and application of accounting policies and standards. 
• Build and manage relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders (including internal and external auditors, and NHSE). 
• Responsibility for ensuring financial accounting service risks are reflected within the Trusts Risk register.

Analytical and Judgement Skills 

• Leading the understanding, interpretation and application of theoretical and practical knowledge of accepted accounting practices and NHS Finance. 

• Analyse and interpret complex financial information in order to report on the financial position of the Trust, subsidiaries and joint venture to the Board of Directors. 

• Make judgements on a range of financial options and financial risk. Including financing assets, borrowing and PDC. 

Planning and Organisational Skills 

• Planning and organisation of a broad range of activities which are ongoing, which require the formulation and adjustment of plans or strategies. 

• Forward thinking, looking ahead and anticipating likely queries or changes required and proactively propose solutions 

• Understand key priorities and prioritise own and other team resources effectively, including adapting and reprioritising as circumstances change. 

• Ensure responsiveness and timely delivery to deadlines, flagging issues that may threaten delivery of services, and suggest potential solutions to those issues. 

Physical skills 

• Computer skills are essential with a knowledge of Oracle as well as advanced Excel skills. 

Responsibility for Patient and Client Care 

• Assists patients/clients/relatives during incidental contacts. 

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development 

• Develop financial policies and control systems for the Trust. 

• Ensure compliance with the Standing Financial Instructions, and that senior managers/service heads and the finance department understand and adhere to them. 

• Ensure that all relevant procedure notes are up to date and accurately reflect current practice. 

• Lead on the assurance that agreed recommendations from internal and external audit are implemented and developed. 

• Lead Finance Directorate role in monitoring and evaluation of the outsourced payroll provision, alongside the HR Lead. 

Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources 

• Responsible for the provision of financial advice to the Deputy Director of Finance, the Finance Directorate and the wider Trust. 

• Ensure all aspects of financial standing orders and financial policies are applied, including being an authorised signatory in relation to all BACS/cheque payments made by the Trust and subsidiary companies. 

Responsibility for Human Resources 

• Provide professional leadership, management and support to the Financial Services team. 

• Day to day line management of the Senior Financial Accountant, including providing support, feedback and performance appraisal. 

• Encourage personal development of self and team members. 

• Involved in recruitment of staff to the team, as required. 

• Proactively advise and influence both finance and non-finance staff Trust wide on the financial business management within the context of Trust objectives. 

Responsibility for Information Resources 

• Design and ensure controls are in place to continuously assure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained within the Oracle Financial and procurement systems. 

• Ensure system developments and implementations follow good practice. 

• Develop, monitor and review systems and procedures to ensure they remain fit for purpose. 

Responsibility for Research and Development 

• Regularly undertake activity to identify potential system improvements and implement these (including responses to audit recommendations). 

Freedom to Act 

• Freedom to act within the framework of the Trusts Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions. These documents provide broad policies rather than detailed procedures. 

• Responsible for prioritising own work (post requires no direct supervision) and that of the Technical Accounting team. 

• Able to act without reference to Deputy Director or Director of Finance, but has access to senior management advice if required. 

• Senior financial manager who can deputise for the Deputy Director of Finance as required. 

Physical Effort 

• Minor lifting and handling in an office environment (files, boxes, etc). 

Mental Effort 

• High levels of concentration required for prolonged periods generating, analysing and reporting data / information of a complex technical nature. 

• Due to the nature of the role workload can be unpredictable and requires the ability to switch tasks with no notice. 

Emotional Effort 

• Staff management relating to difficult situations that arise or financial decisions affecting services. 

Working conditions 

• Significant use of computer. 

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties, but it aims to highlight the typical key responsibilities of the post.  It may be reviewed from time to time to ensure that it relates to the job as then being performed, or to incorporate required changes. This process will be conducted in consultation with the post holder in line with the Trust Job Evaluation Policy and Process.