Advanced Apprentice - Financial Services (Cash & Salary Overpayments)NHS

Job summary

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an Advanced Apprentice to join our Financial Services team primarily based at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. This post is an ideal opportunity to learn about the financial services side of Finance within the NHS whilst offering individuals the chance to earn a salary, gain valuable work experience and new skills whilst at the same time being supported to achieve their AAT Level 3 qualification. The successful candidate would be enrolled onto the most appropriate level of apprenticeship based on their prior relevant learning. In order to support the successful candidate, sometimes this may require enrolment onto the Level 2 Accounting apprenticeship first in order to gain the required foundational knowledge to support success at Level 3 and beyond. For the right candidate, there would be the option to progress up through the levels of Accounting apprenticeships.

This is an opportunity not only to build your skills and confidence but will also open a wealth of possibilities for your future career within the NHS and its unique workforce.

We are looking for individuals who are enthusiastic, self-motivated, keen to learn and willing to be flexible to meet the changing demands of the service.

The successful candidate must be customer focused, with exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.

Main duties of the job

To support the Financial Services team in providing a comprehensive accounting service which will facilitate the smooth and efficient running of the Finance Department function in compliance with statutory and NHS Improvement guidelines, established accounting concepts and standards along with providing a comprehensive, customer focused, financial service within the Trust.

Work as a member of the team responsible for ensuring the integrity of the general ledger and associated feeder systems in accordance with the Trusts Standing Financial Instructions and internal office procedures.

To support the Cash and Debtors Manager daily input of transactions for the different Trust bank accounts and administration tasks on the Trust Debtors ledger.

To support the Deputy Financial Accountant with the management and reporting of the Trust salary overpayments and associated tasks.

The post has no line management or budgetary responsibility.

Job description

Key Duties:

Cash & Debtors

• To assist the Debtors Officer in the production, calculation and collection of debtor payments following the procedures/guidelines within the agreed timescales. Liaise with SBS collections team with issues regarding collection of the debt. Deal with enquiries and correspondence promptly and courteously.
• To input daily cash takings for the Trust catering departments, highlighting any errors or discrepancies and working with the Cash and Debtors Manager and the catering department to resolve.
• Credit card expenditure reconciles the expenditure requests forms against the monthly statement, ensuring all information is complete and accurate.
• Car parking takings input daily car park takings by date, site and machine ensuring that the information matches the machine audit reports and then entering the information into the Trust finance system and checking the information input by the cashiers.
• Card Income for Trust analyses income from bank statements that has been taken from the various card machines in the Trust and ensure it reconciles to the income and charges that are reported on the monthly WorldPay invoices.
• The post holder will be required to input and manipulate financial data into the finance computerised system / database and be able to use, create and update spread sheets accurately, and create reports as required.
• To assist the Accounts Receivable Team in reducing the no. of outstanding debtor invoices, by checking different computerised reports to support SBS and the team

Salary Overpayments

-Support the administration of the salary overpayments process.

• Record and reconcile the monthly charges incurred by the Trust for the use of External Debt Recovery services helping to check accuracy and identify any discrepancies.
• Support the preparation of monthly divisional reports relating to all salary overpayments.
• Monitor and help track invoices paid each month in relation to salary overpayments and debt recovery activity, escalating any issues as appropriate.
• Assist in producing regular management information and reports, under supervision, to support monitoring of recovery performance.
• Maintain accurate and organised records, ensuring all documentation is filed correctly and supports a clear audit trail.
• Support the review of outstanding overpayment balances and aged debt, highlighting items that may require further action.
• Contribute to improving processes by identifying opportunities to enhance reporting, reconciliation, and record keeping.
• Liaise with internal and external teams and escalate queries where needed.
• Handle sensitive employee information in a confidential manner, in line with Trust policies and data protection requirements.

General

-To use the finance computerised systems and be able to interrogate and reconcile, and balancing various control codes / accounts. Support the reconciliation of interfaces from other systems both financial and non-financial into the financial system and provide auditable reconciliation of the feeds.

• Post holder will work within set routines and procedures with supervision and advice will be available as required working within the SFIs and Scheme of Delegations, as well as national and local guidance.
• To assist in reviewing and updating all procedures relating to the duties of this post when appropriate.
• To assist the Financial Services team in all aspects of its day to day duties to ensure deadlines are achieved.

About us

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.