Finance Manager

Arborvitae Care Services; England; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading social care provider in the United Kingdom is looking for a Finance Manager. The role involves overseeing financial operations, developing budgets, ensuring compliance, and providing financial leadership for children's services. Candidates should be fully qualified accountants with experience in an SME environment, capable of managing a finance team. Strong Excel skills and the ability to communicate effectively with non-financial stakeholders are essential. The role is office-based from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience producing management accounts and maintaining cash flow forecasts.
• Experience managing and developing a small finance team.
• Strong background in an SME environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all end-to-end finance operations.
• Develop annual budgets and oversee ongoing financial forecasts.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and accounting standards.

Skills

Strong Excel capability

Producing management accounts

Managing financial forecasts

Preparing multi-entity reconciliations

Communication with non-finance stakeholders

Education

Fully qualified accountant

Tools

Xero

Job description

Pay

£45,000.00-£55,000.00 per year

About Us

Arborvitae Care Services is a leading provider of social care services for children between the ages of 8-17.

Role Purpose

Providing leaders and managers with financial data and analysis, providing support in order to equip budget holders to make effective business decisions. Working proactively and strategically monitoring key financial risks and opportunities through financial data, modelling and reporting in relation to period end, forecasting and budgeting. Driving strong financial acumen across the business to achieve corporate objectives.

The Finance Manager provides financial leadership for the children’s residential service, ensuring strong financial governance, accurate reporting, and regulatory compliance. This role supports safe, high-quality care by ensuring the service operates sustainably, meets statutory requirements, and allocates resources effectively to support children’s needs.

Role Specific Competencies and Responsibilities

• Oversee all end-to-end finance operations, including financial planning and analysis, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Develop annual budgets for departmental and business entities and oversee ongoing financial forecasts.
• Monitor budget performance, identify variances and provide recommendations.
• Monitor cash positions, identify risks, and support management decision‑making.
• Support and manage payroll, VAT submissions and all associated HMRC processes.
• Deliver timely and accurate month‑end reporting packs with variance analysis and commentary.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and accounting standards.
• Preparation of fee cards and costings across business entities.
• Experience of transfer pricing and associated business costings.
• Prepare and maintain rolling cash flow forecasts across all entities.
• Prepare and post journals, including accruals and prepayments.
• Prepare quarterly consolidations for group reporting.
• Implementation of high‑quality financial processes, together with assisting in their improvement and further development through review, evaluation and challenge of practice and current expectations and by recommending and overseeing the implementation of change.
• Prepare financial reports for non‑financial stakeholders, acted as a trusted partner and advisor.
• Track business KPIs including placement revenue, staffing costs, agency spend, and home maintenance amongst others.
• Ensure timely reconciliation of payments, adjustments, and arrears.
• Support procurement processes (maintenance, supplies, specialist services) to achieve best value without compromising care quality.
• Maintain effective internal controls and prepare for external audits.
• Oversee financial risk assessments, including contingency planning and sustainability reviews.
• Maintain accurate financial records within the businesses finance system (Xero).
• Improve financial processes for residential‑care operations (pocket‑money processes, petty cash, allowances, household budgets).

Experience required

• Fully qualified accountant (QBE considered) (E)
• Strong background working in an SME environment, comfortable managing broad and hands‑on responsibilities (E)
• Demonstrable experience producing management accounts, maintaining cash flow forecasts, and coordinating payroll (E)
• Experience managing and developing a small finance team, with willingness to dive into transactional tasks when required (E)
• Confident preparing multi‑entity management information and reconciliations (E)
• Strong Excel capability and proficiency with finance systems (E)
• 2 years’ experience as working at managerial level within a Finance department (E)
• Proven written and verbal communication skills, including with non‑finance stakeholders (E)
• Understanding of the residential and social care sector (D)
• Costings and Tender applications (D)

Monday to Friday at Head Office (WA5 7TN), 9am‑5pm.