Finance Manager - Acute & CommunityNHS

Job summary

The Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull (BBCS) ICB Cluster is seeking a Finance Manager Acute & Community to join our Finance Directorate. Reporting to the Senior Finance Lead ,we are looking for an individual educated to degree level in a related subject (or equivalent qualification) with significant NHS financial management experience, CCAB or CIMA professional qualification or extensive practical experience to an equivalent level.

You will be responsible for providing support to Birmingham & Solihull and Black Country Cluster to ensure the delivery of financial information and advice across various budgets in the Acute and Community portfolio to support effective management control and decision making, enabling the organisations to plan, monitor, report and use its financial resources in an effective and efficient manner, and which facilitates the achievement of the business objectives and statutory duties.

The post holder will also have to operate as part of the wider finance team which means that the focus of work may be varied as business needs dictate, therefore a flexible approach to work is required.

In carrying out your role, at least one of the agreed strategic anchors should be at the core of everything you do:

• Commissioning for Value and Outcomes
• Accelerating Neighbourhood Health at Pace
• Making the Best Use of Digital Solutions in our Pathways
• Financial Discipline / 2% Productivity
• Advancing Health Equity
• Integrated Partnership

Main duties of the job

As Finance Manager Acute and Community, you will provide financial management, advice and analysis across budgets within the Acute and Community portfolio. You will support financial planning, monitoring, forecasting and reporting, enabling informed decision-making, financial control and delivery of organisational objectives.

You will manage complex financial and forecasting models, coordinate reporting, set and monitor budgets, identify cost pressures and develop mitigating actions. Working with commissioners, contracting, planning and strategic investment teams, you will support contract negotiations, financial recovery and savings plans, transformational business cases and new models of care.

The role requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial information, investigate variances and develop solutions. You will provide specialist financial advice and present analysis to senior managers, committees and stakeholders, including NHS providers and partners. You will negotiate on complex and sensitive issues, ensuring contract values remain within available resources and deliver value for money.

You will contribute to financial strategy, service improvement, maintain accurate financial records, support statutory accounts and provide guidance to colleagues. The role requires a flexible, collaborative and proactive approach, with the confidence to work autonomously and a commitment to improving outcomes.

Job description

The complete job description and person specification can be found in the attached document.

You will be responsible for providing support to Birmingham & Solihull and Black Country Cluster to ensure the delivery of financial information and advice across various budgets in the Acute and Community portfolio to support effective management control and decision making, enabling the organisations to plan, monitor, report and use its financial resources in an effective and efficient manner, and which facilitates the achievement of the business objectives and statutory duties.

The post holder will also have to operate as part of the wider finance team which means that the focus of work may be varied as business needs dictate, therefore a flexible approach to work is required.

In carrying out your role, at least one of the agreed strategic anchors should be at the core of everything you do:

Commissioning for Value and Outcomes

Accelerating Neighbourhood Health at Pace

Making the Best Use of Digital Solutions in our Pathways

Financial Discipline / 2% Productivity

Advancing Health Equity

Integrated Partnership

You will be accountable for:

1. Ensuring the delivery of financial information and advice across various budgets to support effective management control and decision making, enabling the organisations to plan, monitor, report and use its financial resources in an effective and efficient manner, and which facilitates the achievement of the business objectives and statutory duties

2. Maintaining complex financial and forecasting models to aid proactive budget management and planning for the ICB.

3. The co-ordination of internal and external reports and returns.

4. Setting budgets for specific programme areas, clearly identifying the methodologies used and effectively communicating the process to Non-Financially minded budget holders.

5. Meeting with budget holders to validate the budgets produced, highlight any areas where cost pressures are likely and identify opportunities for managing them.

6. Using their knowledge and experience to contribute towards the development and delivery of the financial strategy.

7. Leading on the production of monthly working papers to aid the reporting of performance against budget. The post holder will be expected to communicate the financial position to the Senior Lead Finance Manager and Senior Finance Managers in the team and provide accompanying narrative and detailed analysis for inclusion within the regular papers to numerous committees.

8. Supporting in the planning, in-year financial management and reporting on the financial performance of any placed based responsibilities which could included for better care funds, neighbourhood and locality related programmes, intermediate care or other specific local projects.

9. Providing accurate year end forecast information based on the postholders knowledge of individual reporting areas.

10. The post holder will assist other members of the Finance team when other ad hoc requests occur.

11. Provide relevant and timely specialist advice and guidance on own portfolio of projects/function.

12. To contribute to the development of new models of care or support investment into new community programmes from national initiatives

13. Working with the Planning & Strategic Investment team to set annual budgets within the funding available to the ICBs

14. Working with commissioning leads and contracting to identify and implement mitigating actions in year to ensure costs are managed within ICB budgets

15. Working alongside the planning & strategic investment finance team, supporting the development of transformational business cases to enable delivery of the 3 key shifts and ICBs strategic priorities

16. Developing and maintaining systems for the recording, reconciling, forecasting and reporting performance of acute and community against revenue resource allocations.

17. Supporting the financial negotiation of contracts with acute and community providers, ensuring contract values are within available resources based upon current guidance and legislation, and in accordance with activity proposals recommended by commissioning staff.

18. Deputising for the Senior Finance Managers Acute and Community as necessary.

19. Supporting on the completion of Freedom of Information requests that require financial input relating to ICB acute and community contracts in accordance with the legislation.

20. Supporting the completion of the ICBs Statutory Annual Accounts ensuring records and working papers are accurate and produced to the timescales required.

21. Devising and providing improvements to current management information, analysing, reporting; and suggesting procedures to enhance decision making processes and service redesign.

22. Working with members of the Team to investigate the causes of any variance from target/plan and proactively contribute to the implementation of solutions.

23. Evaluating projects/functions within identified portfolio for delivery against financial recovery/savings plans through providing sophisticated, high quality project analysis.

24. Ensuring financial records are accurate, complete and conform to necessary standards using professional judgement and estimations.

25. Ensuring financial transactions are in accordance with Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs). The post holder is also responsible for informing the Chief Finance Officer of any breach of SFIs and reporting incidences of fraud.

26. Working within departmental and ICB-wide policies and procedures, accounting principles, NHS guidelines and regulations, use professional knowledge and judgement to decide appropriate actions and responses which will also include highly sensitive or contentious issues.

27. Actively contributing to the local HFMA network and be an ambassador for future One NHS Finance accreditations.

28. Providing cross cover and support to the Financial Management function as necessary

Key Relationships

The post holder will be required to:

1. Maintain constructive working relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders within and beyond the ICS, including primary, community and secondary care providers; voluntary and third sector Providers and NHSE

2. Operate effectively in a flexible and demanding environment and proactively engage with ICS system partners, clinicians and contractors working on a variety of topics.

3. Participate in relevant internal and external working groups/projects, services and initiatives to provide information and analytical advice and expertise.

4. Develop and implement data collection systems that will provide accurate and timely data.

5. Present information and issues, including highly complex issues, to a wide range of ICS partners and external stakeholders.

6. Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, presenting information, to a wide range of stakeholders in a formal setting.

7. Have the ability to deal with resulting potentially challenging/antagonistic situations.

8. Commit to working and engaging constructively with ICS partners on a range of business sensitive issues.

9. Nurture key relationships and maintain networks internally and externally, including national networks.

10. Liaise with the Communications and Engagement teams on public relations and marketing activities.

11. Link with managers and members of other functions, to address inter-dependencies and ensure alignment e.g. IT specialists

12. Apply a structured change management approach and methodology for the impact of any change.

13. Deputise for Senior Finance Manager Primary Care as required, expanding on knowledge, skills and experience within personal professional development.

About us

Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) brings together the NHS, local councils and voluntary sector partners to support 2.7 million people. Our vision is to make the area the healthiest place to live and work by improving life chances and reducing inequalities.

As an employee, you will demonstrate our system values, champion inclusion and help address health inequalities so everyone can thrive. In return, the ICB offers a supportive, ambitious and inclusive workplace, with opportunities to develop and work with partners to deliver meaningful change.

The ICB is committed to a workforce that reflects the population of Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull. We promote equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from everyone who meets the role criteria, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.

The ICB is a registered Disability Confident Employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and will shortlist suitable applicants who meet the essential criteria.

Employees formally notified that they are at risk of redundancy within the organisation will receive priority consideration for this vacancy if they meet the roles essential requirements. This supports redeployment and helps minimise compulsory redundancies.