Head of Finance

Job summary

This role holds overall responsibility for the management and performance of the East of England Provider Collaborative financial responsibilities.

You will bring to the post a significant number of years' experience in a strategic finance and leadership role within the NHS or a large complex organisation and demonstrate expert knowledge of NHS financial accounting procedures and legislation and advanced practical and theoretical knowledge in the field of financial planning.

You will operate and refine as needed the Finance and Accounting functions of the Collaborative, guided by national policies and regulations, and take the lead in advising on the medium and long term strategic financial planning and opportunities for business case development. You will need to make judgements on financial decisions and financial risk where there is no precedent.

The role will require judgements to be made on areas of focus and critical action and using well developed persuasive, influencing and negotiating skills you will advise senior finance managers across the region.

If you wish to have a confidential conversation about the Head of Finance role, please arrange a discussion with Andy Graham, Managing Director.

Main duties of the job

The overall management and performance of the East of England Provider Collaborative financial responsibilities

Develop and maintain policies and procedures, systems and processes for the Finance and Accounting functions of the Collaborative, guided by national policies and regulations.

Deliver the finance and accounting function for the Collaborative.

Develop and monitor the budget for the Collaborative as a whole as well as for each specialty area.

Make judgements on financial decisions and financial risk where there is no precedent.

Take the lead in advising on the medium and long term strategic financial planning.

Ensure all statutory / NHS accounts and returns are accurate and meet deadlines and legal requirements.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling clinical teams deliver many NHS services not only via inpatient and primary care setting but also with the community. These services include Children, Adult and Older Peoples Mental and Physical Health, Forensic & Specialist Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Primary Care and Liaison psychiatry, Substance Misuse, Social Care, Research and achieve our goal, we look to recruit high calibre candidates that share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

Financial Planning & Strategy

Interpret national NHS and NHSE policies and develop appropriate protocols and frameworks for the Collaborative to work with to ensure financial probity.

Overall responsibility for the regional specialised mental health commissioning budgets for multiple service lines, delivered across the Collaboratives six NHS Trusts for the East of England region.

Responsibility for developing policies and procedures for the Collaborative to effectively manage and account for the regional specialised mental health services budget devolved from NHSE.

Prepare and manage the Collaborative 4-year Long Term Financial Model (LTFM) to forecast Income & Expenditure, integrating financials with activity, and including risk quantifications.

Responsibility for providing financial advice and developing and monitoring the budgets across the Collaboratives six NHS Trusts

Develops an integrated financial plan, and the design and implementation of an integrated performance dashboard and report for providers. This will include, but is not limited to, finance, activity, and quality.

Ensure all statutory / NHS returns are true and meet legal requirements.

Ensure that the Collaboratives Financial Model and its Financial Strategy reflect the Collaboratives Clinical, Transformation and Business Development Plans.

Lead for finance in the development of the Collaborative Business Plans. Assist in identifying savings plans and ensuring consistency with the Collaboratives strategic direction.

Oversee the annual budget setting and business planning cycle, ensuring that budgets are set in line with the activity and financial plan.

Responsible for the update of the Collaboratives Financial Strategy as agreed with the Managing Director and for explaining and presenting the Strategy to the Collaborative Board, other groups and to external stakeholders as required , ICBs and NHSE

Prepare and manage key financial models and forecasts, including running multiple risk scenarios and sensitivities.

Provide advice and support to the Managing Director and Head of Commissioning in contract negotiations with NHSE by providing data on finance, activity, capacity, and productivity.

Business Cases

Develop business case policy, procedures and best practice on required levels of information financial, activity, risk & benefits quantification, and other business case elements affecting financial assessment, ensuring it is updated to reflect changes in the regulatory framework governing NHSE business case approvals and funding mechanisms.

Set up and maintain a central database of key Business Case data for all cases in progress, mapping planned investment, capacity (beds etc), demand, activity and outcomes. Develop approaches to integrate this information into annual Business Planning and Budget setting cycles.

Play a key role advising on relevant business case and capital financing matters as required.

Critically evaluate and quality-assure all financial outputs produced to ensure accuracy, validity, consistency and integrity of the work. Ensure clear and comprehensive documentation is maintained on each case to facilitate review, audit and post project evaluation.

Critically evaluate highly complex data, analyses and business cases for service development and capital investment involving significant resource implications for the Collaborative

Review any service costings or business cases produced within finance, to ensure that they are in line with national policy and guidelines.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Exceptional level of post qualification experience with advanced practical and theoretical knowledge in the field of financial planning and strategy and Business Case development Significant number of years' experience in a strategic finance and leadership role within the NHS or a large complex organisation.

Desirable

Experience in a Mental Health service provision Working with NHSE regional teams Working with a group of organisations each with their own sovereignty and governance processes, which are working together on shared vision, objectives and plans;

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Well-developed persuasive, influencing and negotiating skills. Ability to challenge information and explanations from others who may be experts in their field. High level facilitation skills Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues, working to tight and often changing timescales. Excellent skills at partnership working and developing relationships with a number of key bodies and individuals. Able to interpret complex information and identify areas of focus and critical action. Ability to communicate complex statistical and /or highly sensitive reports and messages to a diverse range of people. Able to advise CFOs and senior finance managers and persuade them to a particular course of action. Excellent communication skills in all formats Good at self-managing coupled with ability to delegate and achieve through others in motivational, effective and supportive manner. Ability to present complex financial complex in a way that senior non finance managers can understand.

Knowledge & Understanding

Essential

Expert knowledge of NHS finance and accounting procedures Expert knowledge of NHS finance policies and legislation Sound understanding of the NHS plans and the role regions have in them. Understanding of the public sector and awareness of the relevant social and political environments and impact on the health economy Understanding of NHS Plans and the role ICS / STPs play in the region. Understanding of the relationship between specialist regional commissioning, and community & CCG commissioning Expert knowledge of the NHS Standard Contract Good business sense and commercial acumen

Physical Requirements

Essential

Ability to travel across sites in the East of England area Sitting for prolonged periods using a Computer

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