Job summary
As a Management Accountant, you'll play a crucial role in supporting the Trust to meet its statutory reporting requirements and deadlines. You'll ensure that Divisional Managers, Service Managers, and Budget Holders receive comprehensive financial advice and support, helping them achieve the Trust's statutory targets and providing accurate performance reports.
Key Responsibilities include:
Delivery of timely and precise financial support and advice to various stakeholders within the Trust;
Maintain confidentiality and discretion, handling sensitive issues with care;
Manage your own workload independently, with minimal supervision, following senior management decisions.
Main duties of the job
Monthly Management Accounts
1. Generate Key Management Information
2. Process and Validate Financial Documents
3. Build Strong Internal Relationships:
4. Engage with External Bodies
5. Team Collaboration
6. Manage Systems Administration
Budgetary Control
1. Prepare Comprehensive Budget Setting Documentation
2. Deliver Accurate Budget Statements:
3. Monitor and Report Cost Pressures
4. Support Business Cases
5. Facilitate Managerial Meetings
6. Onboard New Budget Holders
Financial Management
1. Maintain and Update Establishment Files
2. Ensure Compliance with Financial Instructions
3. Document and Explain Variances
4. Prepare and Comment on Reports
5. Support Performance Monitoring
6. Attend Financial Meetings
7. Advise Divisional Managers
8. Produce Ad-Hoc Financial Figures
9. Update Management Reports
About us
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of hospital and community services for people across East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester (population 357K).
The Trust provides high quality planned and emergency care, cardiac, critical care, child health, maternity services and intermediate care at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.
The Trust provides 500 beds and employs over 5,000 members of staff.
A wide range of community services is provided across 26 medical centres and schools by Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, in collaboration with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance
With the formation of Integrated Care Systems in July 2022, the Trust became a strategic partner in Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester 'places' and is part of the Cheshire and Merseyside partnership, caring for a population of over 2.7million.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Trust was recognised nationally for its 'Be Safe Be EquiPPEd' campaign.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been included in the Government's 'New Hospital Programme' to replace the current estate and enable the transformation of healthcare for our community.
At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Monthly Management Accounts
1. Generate Key Management Information: Focus on delivering insightful month-end management accounts and annual budgets.
2. Process and Validate Financial Documents: Ensure all management information aligns with Trust financial procedures, providing thorough documentation and resolving any discrepancies.
3. Support Statutory Compliance: Assist management in meeting all statutory obligations efficiently.
4. Build Strong Internal Relationships: Foster positive relationships with divisional and departmental managers, positioning the Finance Department as a trusted advisory service.
5. Engage with External Bodies: Maintain excellent relationships with external stakeholders, addressing user requirements, managing funding issues, and ensuring timely income through invoicing.
6. Team Collaboration: Provide cover for team members as needed to ensure seamless service delivery.
7. Manage Systems Administration: Oversee daily systems administration tasks, ensuring they are completed professionally and on time.
Budgetary Control
1. Prepare Comprehensive Budget Documentation: Compile all necessary documents for the Trust's annual planning/budget-setting process, ensuring all relevant factors are included. Collaborate with Divisional Managers and Department Heads to agree on rolling budgets and highlight cost pressures for the upcoming year.
2. Deliver Accurate Budget Statements: Ensure timely and precise delivery of budget statements for specific areas, maintaining accuracy in the General Ledger.
3. Monitor and Report Cost Pressures: Identify and report monthly cost pressures within the division to Divisional and Service Managers.
4. Support Business Cases: Assist in the financial aspects of preparing business cases.
5. Facilitate Managerial Meetings: Ensure Divisional Managers receive timely reports and arrange meetings to discuss any financial concerns throughout the year. Follow up on actions and report issues to the Financial Advisor, Divisional Accountant, or Head of Management Accounts.
6. Onboard New Budget Holders: Meet with newly appointed budget holders to explain budget statements and address any financial issues.
Financial Management
1. Maintain and Update Manpower Files: Keep the manpower establishment files current for specific divisions, ensuring Divisional Managers stay within budget. Advise on budget usage and limitations, using Establishment Control Forms and ESR system processes to ensure budget reconciliation.
2. Ensure Compliance with Financial Instructions: Make sure Directorate Managers follow the Trust's Standing Financial Instructions.
3. Document and Explain Variances: Record significant variances in expenditure and ad-hoc income monthly. Explain their impact on the division and suggest ways to address them.
4. Prepare and Comment on Reports: Complete and provide insights on various reports to help the Finance Business Partner and Head of Financial Management prepare monthly Board Papers.
5. Support Performance Monitoring: Provide information for Performance Monitoring Meetings, highlighting cost pressures and other issues for discussion with the Clinical Director, Divisional Managers, and Chief Finance Officer.
6. Attend Financial Meetings: Participate in monthly meetings with senior finance leaders to explain the division's financial position and address any queries from Senior Financial Managers.
7. Advise Divisional Managers: Arrange and attend monthly meetings with Divisional Managers to review their financial position, offering advice and recommendations on effective budget use, including costing and analysis for decision-making.
8. Produce Ad-Hoc Financial Figures: Generate figures for divisional ad-hoc returns as needed.
9. Update Management Reports: Review and update management reports using spreadsheets and other software, ensuring accurate data entry and storage, and regularly designing and formatting spreadsheets.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS KNOWLEDGE/ PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential
1. AAT Qualified
2. Previous experience of working within a Management Accounts function
3. Experience of providing front line management accounting services
4. Able to operate in a multi disciplinary environment
Desirable
5. Studying towards a professional accountancy qualification
6. Knowledge of NHS financial regime
Skills
Essential
7. Proficient in a diverse range of computer applications including Microsoft Excel
8. Ability to critically evaluate financial data
9. Highly motivated and enthusiastic
10. Good communicator both written and verbal
11. Team player
12. Good planning skills to ensure that workload is prioritised and deadlines are met
13. Present financial information in an understandable format
Physcial Requirements
Essential
14. Good attendance record
15. Ability to perform a wide range of duties according to the Job Description