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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Financial Planning & Budgeting

Ensure that the resources required to deliver the Divisions service plans and targets are accurately identified, costed and translated into budgets, and that they are realistic yet challenging and demonstrate improvements in efficiency

Responsibility for providing financial advice, analysis, and reporting of the Divisions Waste Reduction Programme (WRP), both to the division and centrally. Ensuring Mandates are completed and the schemes are worked through and reconciled. 

Responsibility for providing direction on the divisions budgets, consistent with the overall financial framework, and to the Finance staff during the annual budget setting process. 

Ensuring the Budget Setting outputs are a true representation of the division’s financial requirements.

Responsibility for the maintenance and reconciliation of the recurring and non-recurring budgetary position for both the financial and staffing budgets on a monthly basis

Performance Management and Reporting

Provide the Divisions and Directorates with expert financial advice, support and information to assist them in the achievement of their annual financial objectives.  This advice should encompass budget, expenditure, income, service level reporting, plics and   procurement issues.  It may involve the analysis of a range of options, highlighting the advantages/disadvantages of each with an assessment of any potential risks.  Issues may be complex or sensitive, may require in depth analysis or judgement or may be confidential or contentious in nature. It may also involve resolving queries at short notice.

Provide budget holders with timely and accurate monthly budget reports including   interpretation and advice, and to meet regularly with them to ensure that any potential financial problems are identified early, and to provide recommendations on corrective action as necessary. 

Provide a written and verbal monthly report on the financial position of the division,    identifying all key overspending areas, and actions being taken to address them.  This will include explanation of significant variance movements for inclusion in the Trust Board report.

Provide detailed forecast outturn reports on a monthly basis, with identification of any emerging pressures, or other threats to financial viability, and an assessment of corrective action being taken. 

Develop information systems to enable budgetary control, and financial reporting information to enable analysis of variances to be linked to performance against key activity, manpower and quality targets. In particular, providing an overall coordination of income, activity and cost.

Identify potential areas for improved efficiency and provide direction in the delivery and monitoring of cash releasing efficiency savings.

Develop systems to monitor and maximise income opportunities within divisions.

Attend divisional and directorate performance management meetings at both strategic and operational levels; provide financial input and advice, as well as giving regular reports either verbal or written on the division’s financial position. Participating in discussions and debates as appropriate.

Contribute to and be able to explain the reference cost and the service line management position of the specialties within the division

Monitor and review the method of allocating overhead or support costs to specialities as part of the monthly reporting cycle.

 Business Planning

Actively participate in and contribute to the formulation and implementation of the Divisional and Directorate Business Plans in accordance with the Trust’s strategic aims and objectives.

Leading on the preparation of bids for funding to service commissioners and other external agencies, ensuring that robust costing and a robust financial appraisal is undertaken. 

Ensure that all changes in service, or developments, are properly quantified and accounted for in the divisions budgets.

Create a financial framework that enables the benefits of services changes or developments to be measured and monitored in order to ensure effective use of resources.

Income and Activity

Be instrumental in supporting operational managers to maximise the business performance of their services with an understanding of the income and activity position.

Contribute to the development of Trust wide systems to support payment by results, in particular working with clinicians to improve the methodology of calculating Healthcare Resource Groups (HRG) costs. Ensuring the use of SLM data to assist in decision making.

Internal Financial Control

Ensure that the divisions and directorates adhere to the Trust Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions and financial procedures.

 Be the Finance Representative at the Workforce Controls Group as and when required.

Ensure that authorised signature lists are maintained for the division and directorate in respect of both exchequer and charitable funds, consistent with the scheme of delegation established by the Divisional General Manager.

Attend and contribute to policy development at the Finance Investment Committee

Review the divisions’ business processes and where appropriate identify and implement improvements to efficiency and internal control, for example, stock control routines.

Work with Trusts internal and external auditors as required ensuring that agreed recommendations are implemented in a timely manner.

Lead Finance training sessions inline with the central finance training Programme eg Consultant and Nurse leadership programmes.

 Staff Management

To be responsible for the day to day management of the Deputy Divisional Financial Manager including identifying training and development requirements in line with the Knowledge and Skills Framework requirements and ensuring that Personal Development Plans are in place.

To play an active role in the leadership, support and development of the wider financial management team. 

To be responsible for the recruitment, selection and appointment of staff working within the department in accordance with the Trust's employment policies and procedures and legal requirements.

 To actively participate in an annual review and using a personal development plan, develop own knowledge and skills and support the development of others in line with the Knowledge and Skills Framework requirements for the post.

To act in a way which supports equality and diversity and encourages others to do so.

To contribute towards our Finance Staff Development agenda, ensuring that work is undertaken to maintain our Level 3 Finance Staff Development accreditation. Ensure involvement in Future Focused Finance and take an active participation in relevant groups both internal and external to the organisation. 

Finance Continual Improvement

To contribute towards the continual improvement agenda, and encouraging others to do so, often leading on projects to improve the way the function operates, and ensuring that an improvement culture is engendered within the team.

Communication

Use motivational skills to encourage collaborative working to improve services and performance

Use motivational and influencing skills to combat resistance to change

Use communication and empathy skills to discuss highly sensitive and emotive issues with staff groups, in particular around performance and service improvement within their departments.

Encourage innovation and identify opportunities for continual improvement through existing communication mechanisms or undertake their development when none is in existence 

Training and Development

To ensure all mandatory training requirements are met

To ensure all professional development needs are met

To ensure direct reports all mandatory training requirements are met

To ensure direct reports all professional development needs are met

To work with the finance team as a whole to ensure a standard financial approach is taken

Deputise for the Finance Staff Development Lead when required

Provide training and coaching support to the finance team

Provide training to the wider Trust as required in relation to, Finance and performance Management, Measurement and other subjects as agreed

To train non finance managers the financial responsibilities of the Trust and of individuals, eg NHS Operations Game

Plan, deliver and review interventions to enable people to learn and develop