Management Accounts Assistant (Income)

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Campbeltown; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Management Accountant Assistant within the Finance Directorate. The role entails assisting in providing a complete financial service to Sites/Departments, delivering timely information, and supporting income reporting and forecasts.

You will work under the Income Analyst to ensure robust monthly reporting, analyse trends, and help manage contract income with NHS commissioners, while developing robust forecasting and costings.

Qualifications

• English and Maths GCSE grade 4 and above or equivalent.
• Experience in a finance environment.
• Desirable: AAT Diploma Level 4 or NVQ 4 or Ordinary degree.

Responsibilities

• Provide complex financial information and analysis to support year-end accounting.
• Training and advising budget holders in financial matters.
• Attend meetings to support Financial Management Reporting.

Skills

Finance understanding

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Education

GCSE English & Maths (4+)

AAT Diploma Level 4 or NVQ4

Tools

Excel

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

The role of Management Accountant Assistant forms a key part of the Finance team within the Finance Directorate. The post holder will assist in the provision of a complete, professional financial service to a range of Sites/Departments, providing timely and accurate financial support and advice through the provision of robust monitoring information.

The postholder will support the Income Analyst in delivering a customer focused service to budget holders of the highest possible standard and maintaining adherence to the Trust monthly reporting timetable, preparing monthly financial performance reports and forecasts, analysing trends and variances.

Reporting to the Income Analyst, the postholder will:

• support the development of income recording and reporting within their assigned area, working with members of the Site/Department Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Finance Business Partnering team for the relevant Site/Department
• support the preparation of robust forecasts, working alongside the Finance Business Partnering team for the relevant Site/Department, including developing the operational and strategic final plans and the identification of risks and mitigating actions within plans.

Main duties of the job

Provision of Trusted Financial Reporting

• Develop and prepare monthly financial summaries of Trust income performance in line with internal reporting deadlines
• Ensure that all invoices are raised in a timely fashion in compliance with contractual timetables and guidance and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of NHS Standard Contract payment timetables and process.
• Assist in managing Non-Contracted Activity with non-NHS commissioners to ensure all activity and income is accurate and consequently recovered on behalf of the Trust.
• Produce any necessary supporting documentation for the monthly billing of all clinical activity in compliance with contractual timetables.
• Assist in managing the position on Low Volume Activity with non-contracted NHS commissioners each year
• Provide support to the Income Team in receiving contract queries both from within the Trust and from commissioners and support the resolution of these as appropriate.
• Monitor Trust aged debt and take action to resolve outstanding issues, reporting the position of debt and queries monthly to the Income Analyst.
• Analyse, investigate and resolve financial queries and discrepancies on income and report back to the Income Analyst and/or budget holder.
• Develop and manage files to aid in the correct re-charging of tariff-excluded devices and drugs to commissioners and provide supporting documentation to verify invoices and resolve any queries arising.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

• Provide complex financial information and analysis, producing reports and ensuring that all systems and processes are up to date and accurate in order to assist with the various year-end accounting activities.
• Training and providing complex advice and information on a regular basis to new and existing budget holders in financial matters. Some of these budget holders will have little or no previous experience of financial matters and will have quite significant financial responsibilities.
• Attend meetings in support of the Financial Management Reporting team as required.

Analytical and Planning

• Preparing, calculating, planning and monitoring complex information (using Excel spreadsheets and other software), ensuring the accurate input of data and coding of transactions.
• Calculating and producing costings for speciality-based budget holder developments, advising budget holders in a clear and concise manner without the use of financial jargon.
• Reconciling income and expenditure accounts to appropriate systems and identifying, investigating and if necessary, correcting items of discrepancy.
• Investigating expenditure and income financial codes, preparing variance, trend and forecasting analysis, assisting in proposing suggested courses of action to budget holders and making corrections once authorised.
• Planning, overseeing and co-ordinating the production of complex monthly financial reports to an agreed timetable.
• Identifying for a range of expenditure and income codes, at period and year end, any accruals and prepayments that are necessary, completing journals and input into the appropriate financial systems/spreadsheets.

Policy and Service Development

• Support financial planning and implementation to achieve the objectives in the Trust and Site/Department Annual Plans.
• Provide financial support and advice on complex business cases and value for money exercises.
• Make suggestions on how to improve the processes, procedures, working practices, policies and management within the department and ensure that all duties are carried out in accordance with Trust SFIs and Financial Procedures.
• Assist in the development of Cost Improvement Plans with relevant budget holders and the associated analysis and support.
• Assist with financial planning of Site/Department where income issues are identified

Information Resources

• To comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act regarding the confidentiality of personal and patient information
• To undertake any other duties as required which are consistent with the grade and nature of the post. To promote the professional standards set by the Finance Directorate management team and lead by example.
• To develop the professional financial service delivered to the Site/Departments and implement any recommendations from the Trust Board to further enhance the delivery of financial advice and support.
• To ensure all local and communal processes and procedures within financial management are fully documented and review for updates regularly.
• To make recommendations on improving financial control within the Site/Departments and Trust and if approved to support implementation and monitoring of new practice. To recommend improvements and changes to local working practices.

This job profile is not a definitive or exhaustive list of responsibilities but identifies the key responsibilities and tasks of the post holder. The specific objectives of the post holder will be subject to review as part of the Appraisal and Development Plan process.

This job profile is not a definitive or exhaustive list of responsibilities but identifies the key responsibilities and tasks of the post holder.

The post holder will be expected to perform any other duties or responsibilities as assigned by management, within scope of the role.

Key Working Relationships

• Internal: Finance Directorate staff, Executive Directors, Managing Directors, Divisional General Managers/Clinical Directors and senior departmental managers, budget holders.
• External - Finance staff in Trusts/ ICB's/ NHSE/ Department of Health, Internal and External Audit

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• English and Maths GCSE grade 4 and above or equivalent

Desirable criteria

• AAT Diploma Level 4 or equivalent (e.g., NVQ 4, Ordinary degree).

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in a finance environment.

Desirable criteria

• Theoretical knowledge of technical accounting issues currently facing the NHS.

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.