Finance Assistant - Mental Health

NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB; Lewes; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB is seeking a Finance Assistant – Mental Health to work with the Finance Manager and provide expert financial advice to Executive Directors, budget managers and programme leads. The role focuses on robust financial planning, management and reporting, working closely with contracting and procurement teams and a range of internal and external stakeholders.

The position is a 6-month fixed-term contract to support the Finance team and will involve matrix portfolio

Qualifications

• Experience in project management and financial management in a public sector setting.
• Ability to support annual financial planning and in-year financial management.
• Experience producing integrated monthly finance reports and risk reporting.
• Knowledge of NHS financial frameworks and procurement interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing annual financial plans aligned to ICB medium-term plans.
• Provide leadership for in-year financial management including budgeting and risk.
• Produce high-quality monthly finance reports with focus on delivery and risk.
• Provide expert financial advice to CFO, Executive Directors and programme leads.
• Support efficiency and cost-improvement programmes.
• Ensure compliance with NHS England requirements on in-year monitoring.
• Contribute to new financial frameworks for neighbourhoods, alliances and collaboratives.

Skills

Project management

Financial management

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Numeracy

Budget reporting

Microsoft Office

Tools

Microsoft Office

Financial Systems

Job description

Working with and reporting to the Finance Manager – Mental Health the Finance Assistant – Mental Health to focus on business partnering, in the provision of expert advice to Executive Directors, budget managers and programme leads. The role will support robust financial planning, management and reporting working very closely with contracting and procurement teams and a range of internal and external stakeholders.

This is a 6 month fixed-term contract to support the Finance team.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will operate with a matrix of portfolio responsibilities and will spend their time predominantly on the following areas:

• Assist in the development of annual financial plans; aligned to ICB medium-term plans.
• Provide additional leadership for the ICB's in-year financial management, ensuring delivery of annual financial plans and statutory duties; inc. budgeting, efficiency, performance and risk
• Assist in the production of high-quality, integrated monthly finance reports; focussing on assured delivery and risk management.
• Working with the Finance Senior Manager - Mental Health in the provision of expert advice and financial inputs to contract development, management and performance reporting
• Adjust allocations and spending plans to remain within control totals.
• Support joint commissioning and pooled budgets with local authorities (e.g. Better Care Fund).
• Provide high-quality financial advice together with the Finance Manager - Mental Health, to the CFO, Executive Directors, and programme leads on in-year budgetary issues and cost pressures.
• Support in the development and delivery of efficiency and cost-improvement programmes
• Ensure compliance with relevant NHS England requirements relating to in-year financial monitoring
• Support in the development of new financial frameworks for emerging models such as neighbourhoods, alliances and collaboratives.

Working for our organisation

We also work with NHS trusts and organisations which deliver healthcare services through developing Provider Collaboratives to improve healthcare pathways, so local people experience better care and outcomes.

To achieve this, we need a team of people who can think beyond organisational boundaries, strong collaborators, can navigate complexity, challenge constructively, and keep communities at the centre of decisions.

We want everyone to feel welcome at work and are passionate about creating an inclusive, compassionate workplace culture where every colleague feels seen, heard, and valued.

We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative working environment that delivers better experience and outcomes for our population.

We want our organisation to be a place where diversity is actively celebrated, where safe spaces exist for all identities, and where all voices help shape our direction. We place a high importance on the NHS values - they guide what we do every day, set out how we work, and how we treat each other.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details please see job description attached.

The job description is an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role, and the job specification is an outline of the skills, experience and qualities needed. The job holder will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the Department and the Organisation.

Person specification

Knowledge, Training and Experience

• Studying or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Some experience in project management, financial management or supporting change management processes
• Some experience in communications and stakeholder management
• Basic knowledge of project management and/or health information systems development
• Previous experience in similar role in public sector

Analytical

• Ability to assist in the analysis of complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
• Demonstrate a capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making
• Numerate and able to understand detailed financial issues combined with good analytical skills
• Experience of assisting in setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures
• Some knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement

Communication & Relationship Skills

• Good communicator, good level of written and report writing and presentation skills; ability to be able to construct clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately.
• Some understanding of efficient and effective project and programme management
• Basic skills for communication on complex matters and difficult situations, requiring persuasion and influence.
• Basic skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining networks.
• Basic skills for project management
• Basic working knowledge of Microsoft Office with intermediate keyboard skills.
• Basic skills for managing projects ensuring they meet financial targets.

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes. We welcome all applications, especially those from underrepresented communities, including people with a disability, and those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.

As part of the organisation’s commitment to achieving equality of opportunity for all staff, NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB will consider all requests for flexible working on hiring. For most roles, the following types of flexibility are usually possible: flexible hours, compressed hours, part-time hours and/or job-sharing, and homeworking.

Many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways. Please talk to us at interview about any flexible working arrangements you would prefer or require. While we may not be able to fully accommodate all requests, such requests will not be referenced during the interview scoring process, and we will fully consider and try to accommodate them for successful applicants.

In accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB will not discriminate against or dismiss the applications of candidates with spent convictions for posts which are not exempt from this legislation.