Job Title:

Placement Finance Assistant (1 year )

Grade:

Band 1 (£13,563 plus HCAS £3,947)

Hours of duty:

37.5 hrs per week. (flexi-time scheme in operation)

Service Centre / Directorate:

Finance

Base:

Accountable to:

Senior Manager of section

Reports to:

Finance Manager

Responsible for:

None

Staff from a wide variety of Finance Sections including Management Accounts, Income, Payroll, Financial Accounts, Internal Audit, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Pensions, etc. Also staff outside of the Finance Department, eg Directorate General Managers, Service Managers, Department Managers, Budget Holders and other staff throughout the Trust

External:

Managers and staff from other NHS Organisations, Inland Revenue, Suppliers, Patients, Health related associations

The Role of the Finance Directorate is to provide a complete finance service to the whole of the Trust, addressing all issues of a finance nature and providing all relevant information to meet external demands. These services may include, but are not limited to, any of the following: budgetary setting, reporting & control, financial advice, income management, financial reporting to external bodies, annual accounts preparation, debt management, payroll & pension services, new business evaluations, business restructuring, staff evaluation & development, etc.

1. To experience Trust work in one of the below listed Finance departments.

2. To process work in accordance with stated Trust procedures and processes.

3. To investigate and answers routine queries as required.

4. To observe and maintain client confidentiality.

1. To develop and maintain a basic knowledge of the Trust’s processes and procedures and the accounting system relating to the activities of a section of the Finance directorate (see sections below).

2. To investigate and answer routine queries arising from Managers and Staff as well as external bodies (including the Inland Revenue, other Trusts, Reporting agencies and suppliers).

3. To apply basic accounting knowledge and techniques to all areas of work, including the production of journals, routine costing and analysis.

4. To analyse basic financial information in response to queries from Managers, suppliers and customers.

5. To perform basic financial calculations to support financial transactions relating to a section of the finance directorate.

6. To identify and resolve errors and discrepancies.

7. To input basic accounting data into the accounting system promptly and accurately.

8. To maintain accounting spreadsheets used in the Finance function.

9. To be aware of Trust policy and relevant legislation (principally the Data Protection Act) with regard to Client confidentiality and communicate appropriately.

10. To maintain departmental storage and retrieval systems.

Management:

11. To manage own workload in accordance with Department monthly processing timetables.

12. To ensure that work is performed in accordance with Trust processes and procedures and to refer to line managers for guidance as required.

13. To assist in audits and the development of new Section systems for improved accuracy and efficiency.

Finance Directorate Section activities for posts at Placement level:

a)      Financial Accounts

1. To assist in the production, analysis and review of balance sheets and other financial accounting services.

• To assist in the timely payment of various payroll deductions and prepare for payment of urgent cheques when requested by Payroll and Payments.

• To validate and process payments to staff with regard to removal expenses and season ticket loans

• To maintain the Waiting List Initiative expenses database by recording activity data provided by the Information dept and to validate and process consultant fee claims for payment in accordance with Trust procedures

• To validate and process RESUS and Southern Syringe Invoices for payment and undertake a monthly reconciliation of the control account.

• To prepare and maintain monthly Excel spreadsheet reconciliation’s of salary overpayments and other control accounts and clear any reconciling differences

• To prepare an agency staff WTE report for use by the Human Resources Department.

2. Any other assigned Financial Accounting duties.

b)     Management Account

1. To assist in providing budgetary control and other financial information and advice to a number of the Trust's budget holders.  This may include:

• To assist the Directorate Finance Manager in the setting and maintenance of the budget for one or more Trust Directorates.

• To prepare invoice requests and other accounting transactions relating to one or more Trust Directorates.

• To prepare routine budget and financial journals in accordance with Trust policy and procedures, eg accruals, internal cross charging arrangements, etc.

• To review and maintain the budget holders distribution and authorised signatory lists and cost centre lists for each Trust Directorate.

• To investigate, analyse and resolve routine budget holder queries eg variances relating to medical consumables.

• To perform basic costing calculations as required by Budget Holders or Managers using spreadsheets and pay cost databases.

• To update the Budget Manager database and input journals to the Finance Ledger whilst maintaining adequate audit trail records.

2. Any other assigned management accounting duties.

c)      Income

1. To be responsible for the day to day management of debts of a section of the Trust's customers.

• To prepare routine parts of the invoice upload file using invoice information identified in the resource limit.

• To analyse and review basic aged PCT debts, identifying trends and problem accounts/customers requiring further action.

• To investigate and resolve queries relating to outstanding debts and to escalate these issues as required.

• To investigate and resolve queries arising from outstanding items on deposit account and other control account reconciliation’s.

• To prepare journals and input into the General Ledger to action required changes to the deposit and other control accounts.

• To input invoice details accurately and promptly into the accounts receivable module of the Agresso system when required.

• To prepare ad hoc statements as required.

General:

14. To have responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of staff and others and to comply at all times with the requirements of the Health and safety regulations.

15. To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and its amendments.

16. To work in accordance with the Trust’s policy to eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote good race relations and diversity in the workplace. To positively promote at all times equality of opportunity in service delivery and employment for patients and staff in accordance with the Trust’s policies, to ensure that no person receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of sex, marital status, race, religion, creed, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation or disability.

17. To comply with the St George's Health care no smoking policy.

18. To undertake such duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the grade and the needs of the service.

19. This job description is not an exhaustive document but is a reflection of the current position. Details and emphasis may change in line with service needs after consultation with the postholder.

Knowledge & Skill

Awareness of the provisions of the Data Protection Act and be able to apply these in a Trust environment

Able to work in a busy office environment that often demands high levels of concentration, while coping with frequent interruptions.