Financial Services Assistant

Are you looking for an opportunity to break into finance? Would you like to study for AAT, or perhaps another accounting qualification? Are you keen to progress your career in a supportive team? This role is part of our General Accounts team which covers a range of functions including looking after service users’ monies; carrying out reconciliations; looking after petty cash, cards and travel bookings; and other areas. It will provide an ideal grounding in accounting for the right individual. You will be: confidently numerate; computer-literate, ideally with Excel skills; and be able to communicate effectively with a range of people. Above all you will be keen to support our service users and staff by facilitating payments and ensuring that background accounting work is carried out. The General Accounts team is a small group who work effectively together and support one another in their roles. They are part of a wider Finance Team who pride themselves in providing an excellent level of service to the organisation. Training and development are encouraged and supported for all roles. We are a well-respected team within the wider organisation, with a strong track record, proven as a previous winner of the HFMA Finance Team of the Year award. We currently work on a hybrid basis with 60% of time (3 days for full time) in the office and the remainder working from home.

HPFT are looking for a dedicated, motivated individual with good organisational and analytical skills and an excellent eye for detail to join our friendly, award-winning and forward-thinking Finance Department. The function and role provide vital support to front line NHS services. You must be a good communicator, numerate, and IT-literate to a high level, experience with Excel an advantage. In return we offer full training in HPFT systems, the opportunity to study for the AAT accounting qualification, and great opportunities for career advancement in the future.

This position is full time and permanent, working 37.5 hours a week over 5 days Monday to Friday. There is an opportunity to request flexible working, though some presence on site is required for this role due to cash and post handling; the current standard for the team is working from home 2 days a week, and working at our Head Office in Hatfield for the other 3 days a week.

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is
an exceptional organisation with big ambitions, our aim is to be the
leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability
services in the country.

With a workforce of c. 3,000 and an annual income of c. £200m, the
Trust is organised across three Strategic Business Units and provides
integrated health and social care services through a large network of
community and inpatient settings, serving diverse communities across
Hertfordshire, Norfolk, North Essex and Buckinghamshire. As a
university trust, HPFT continues to develop strong links with the
University of Hertfordshire providing excellent learning and
development opportunities, as well as strengthening our clinical
research capability.

Whilst it is a challenging period for the NHS, there has never been a
more exciting time to join HPFT following our CQC rating of
Outstanding awarded to us in April 2019. We are on our “Good to
Great” journey as we continue to innovate, improve, transform and
ultimately deliver the very highest standards of care to the service
users and communities that we serve.

For this role, the main duties and responsibilities within the categories are:
1. Financial Services

a. Undertake as necessary the processing of both income and
expenditure of service user monies.
b. Administer the preparation for the distribution of service users'
monies.
c. Deal with routine, confidential and often sensitive queries.
d. Ensure compliance with both Trust policies and procedures and
statutory financial regulations relating to the post holders
specialist area of the function.
e. Assist in providing cover for other Financial Services Team
members as necessary.

2. Customer Service & Support (both internal to department and
organisation, and external)

forwarded to the relevant person for resolution
b. Resolution of simple queries in relation to own areas, including
liaison with Shared Service Provider, and referral to the
appropriate person for more complex queries
messages or forwarding when necessary

3. Management

a. No formal management responsibilities
b. May be involved in training or supporting other staff from time to
time e.g. outgoing student may provide elements of training for
incoming student

4. Other

a. Dealing with bookings for finance training including responding
to requests to book training and maintenance of records;
sending out of information, certificates etc after training has
taken place
b. Support the team by carrying out general office duties e.g.
sorting and distributing the post, photocopying, scanning, and
filing
c. May at times be r