Financial Accountant - Control

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Responsible for the review and reconciliation of the control and suspense accounts of the Statement of Financial Position (balance sheet) within specific deadlines.

• Ensure all reconciliations are performed and reviewed and any erroneous items cleared by the specific deadlines.
• Perform variance analysis on the balance sheet and report findings to the Financial Controller as per the month end timetable.
• Identify and implement systemic changes and/or training to prevent recurrence of any erroneous items in future months, liaising with other departments as necessary.
• Develop systems and processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the accounting processes.
• Review the control account reconciliation pack within 24 hours of receipt and attend the monthly review meetings with SBS to ensure any reconciling items are cleared in a timely manner, escalating concerns as appropriate.

Responsible for the monitoring and monthly reconciliation of the Trust's Charitable Funds system and production of the monthly management accounts and quarterly committee papers.

• Maintain accurate and timely accounting records, including ledger structures and reporting.
• Analyse, investigate and resolve sometimes complex queries on a timely basis, providing explanations and undertaking corrective action, as required.
• Complete all month end routines within agreed timescales and produce management information and committee papers for review.
• Management of cash to ensure that there is enough available in the Charity's bank accounts to meet commitments.
• Responsible for monitoring the Charitable Funds investment portfolio, calculating the realised and unrealised losses/gains.
• Quarterly apportionment of investment gains /losses, investment income, interest and administration expenses.
• Development good working relationships with charity administration team and Head of Charities and provide advice to fund advisors following successful funding applications requests.
• Ensure compliance with Trust's Standing Financial Instructions, policies, procedures and guidelines and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice.
• Timely completion and submission of gift aid returns.
• Act as a point of contact with the provider of the charitable funds finance system.

Responsible for preparing papers and performing calculations to support the creation of the Trust and Charity's statutory annual report and accounts.

• Lead on the Agreement of Balances exercise including, receivables / payables and income / expenditure and the reconciliation to ledger.
• Create and issue income statements for the Agreement of Balances exercise.
• Completion of Whole of Government Accounts notes for the accounts, ensuring any validation errors are cleared before submission.
• Production of supporting working papers for Audit of specific delegated notes to the Trust accounts.
• Respond to Audit queries and act as a point of contact.
• Implement agreed recommendations of internal and external audit.
• Preparation of the Charity's Annual Report and Accounts including all supporting working papers for Audit and submission to the Charity Commission.
• Support the Head of Charities to create the annual financial plans.
• Ensuring filings to Companies House for the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Charities are completed on time.

Manage the delivery of the Control team's duties and tasks required for month end within the required deadlines.

• Validate the accuracy of financial information interfaced from external systems to the financial ledger to identify any errors prior to input with corrective action taken.
• Posting the NHS Injury Cost Recovery Income accruals.
• Ensure that invoices are raised to recharge costs to other NHS and third party organisations.
• Complete annual reviews of procedure notes within Financial Services to ensure current processes are documented; that they are relevant, accurate and comply with the Trust's Standing Financial Instructions.
• Develop systems and processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the month end process.
• Ensure all trust staff comply with the Standing Financial Instructions, Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation and that action is taken where other officers of the Trusts' actions contravene these policies.

Lead on the day-to-day cash management requirements of the Trust to ensure that commitments can be met. Monitor cash-flow forecasts to ensure the Trust has sufficient funds to meet its contractual commitments to pay staff and suppliers.

• Ensure the Balance Sheet accurately reflects all relevant financial transactions.
• Review and sign off of the monthly bank reconciliation performed by NHS SBS.
• Ensure bank mandates are kept up to date.
• Manage the Trust and Charity credit card programme in line with Standing Financial Instructions.

Provide supervision to all staff within Financial Accounts Control Team and develop the skills of the team to meet the needs of the organisation.

• Appraise direct reports in accordance with the Trust's appraisal arrangements.
• Develop the skills and competencies of staff and self through training and development activities, ensuring that progress is maintained and future needs identified and actioned.
• Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff, applying Trust's policies.
• Ensure feedback is provided to staff in the team where necessary and improvements are put in place if required.
• Management of annual leave, flexi time arrangements and absence from work in accordance with Trust policies, whilst ensuring that all department needs are met.

Person specification

Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria

• CCAB or CIMA full member
• Participation in the Continuing Professional Development Programme

Desirable criteria

• Management development related qualification
• Higher education degree

Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria

• Extensive experience in a Finance environment and/or extensive post qualification financial accounts experience.
• Hands on experience of operating, recording and implementing/improving financial services.
• Proven track record in a staff management
• Experience of working with others to ensure direction and policies are attainable within available resources

Desirable criteria

• Acute Sector experience in Financial Accounts Department
• Experience of working with a Shared Services partner
• Up to date knowledge of accounting procedures and financial aspects of NHS legislation and policies
• Knowledge of VAT regulations, in particular those relating to Capital, Contracted Out Services and VAT exemption.
• Knowledge of charity legislation and Charity Commission guidelines

If you are successful in obtaining a position with our Trust which involves working with patients, you will be required to undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check. As a registered body with the DBS, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will conduct the administration of this application on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment or over 3 months. Currently the charges made by the Disclosure and Barring Service are - Standard DBS check £30.20 and Enhanced DBS check £48.20. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered.

Please note if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdrawn your application you maybe required to reimburse Lancashire Teaching Hospitals the cost of the DBS. Please note if you are applying for a volunteer position then the DBS check is free of charge.

If you are a EU, EEA and Swiss Citizen see attached guidance help to understand your right to work in the UK

Successful applicants will be contacted by e-mail. Please ensure that email addresses are provided for your referees wherever possible

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting askworkforce@lthtr.nhs.uk.

The NHS Constitution outlines what staff working in the NHS can expect from their employer and what is expected of you. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is committed to the NHS Values and Pledges as expressed in the Constitution.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. An interview is guaranteed to any applicant with a disability who meets the essential criteria of the person specification.

If you have any difficulty applying on line, please contact the Recruitment Team.

NO UNSOLICITED ADVERTISING COMPANY APPROACHES.

For more information about the Trust visit our website www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk or follow us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/LancsHospJobs or Twitter www.twitter.com/LancsHospJobs

For more information on our Health Academy and what training opportunities we can offer you visit http://healthacademy.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk/

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Documents to download

• Job Description and Person Specification ( PDF , 657.5 KB )
• NHS Constitution handbook ( PDF , 99.5 KB )
• Policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders ( PDF , 68.7 KB )
• Guidance notes for applicants - Pre employment checks ( PDF , 161.3 KB )
• DBS code of practice ( PDF , 54.9 KB )
• Trust Values ( PDF , 6.5 MB )
• Our Big Plan ( PDF , 1.6 MB )