Application for the Post of Finance Administrator

George House Trust

77 Ardwick Green North

Manchester

M12 6FX

0161 274 4499

April 2012

Dear applicant,

Application for the post of Finance Administrator

Thank you for the interest you have shown in the above post. In this pack you will find

an application form
job description
person specification
additional information
Further information about the organisation and archives of previous policy documents can be viewed on our web-site at

If you require the application pack or any of our other materials in a different format to support your ability to make an application please contact us.

All applications must reach us by 5pm on Monday the 30th of April

Interviews will take place on the 11th of May. Regrettably we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants.

If you would like further information please contact the office on 0161 274 4499.

Please send your completed form and equal opportunities monitoring form by post to:

APPLICATIONS, GEORGE HOUSE TRUST

77 ARDWICK GREEN NORTH

MANCHESTER M12 6FX

Or by e-mail to .

Many thanks for your interest in George House Trust.

Yours sincerely

Neal Sharpe

Finance Manager

0161 274 5656

Application Form

Post applied for: Finance Administrator

Please complete every section of this form and remember to link your information to the Person Specification.

Please use black ink or type your application. You can e-mail the form to us if you wish; however please ensure that we have received it and that we have done so in a readable format.

This page, and the equal opportunities monitoring form, will be removed prior to shortlisting of applications.

About You

Surname

Other Names

Address

Telephone Number(s)

Email address (if any)

Declaration

“I agree that George House Trust may use the information provided in this application form for monitoring purposes. I agree that George House Trust may ask my referees for comments on my suitability for the post and request details of my attendance, sickness and salary. I also understand that if I am successful I will need to undertake a Criminal Records Bureau check. In submitting this application form, I confirm that the information I have given is correct and complete and that misleading or untruthful statements will result in my dismissal if they become known after my appointment.”

Signed: Date:
For electronically submitted forms, you will be asked to sign below if invited to interview.
Signed: Date:
Please explain your motivation for applying for the role and why you wish to work for George House Trust

Please list any previous jobs you have had, beginning with the most recent, and any voluntary work you have done which you feel is relevant to this application.
Please use additional sheets as necessary.

Dates
from/to / Job title & employer’s name and address / Key responsibilities / Salary on leaving
Please provide evidence of your skills and knowledge capabilities against EACH of the points in the person specification. Please structure your example using bullet points, providing specific examples from your professional and / or voluntary experience.
Please use additional sheets as necessary.

Please tell us about any qualifications you have.

School/ college/ other / Qualification Level / Subject(s)
If you wish, please add any further information that you would like us to consider in support of your application.
Please use this section to highlight any difficulties you may have experienced in completing this form so that we are able to take this into account during the shortlisting process.
Have you any unspent criminal convictions in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (see information included)? If so, please specify below or on a separate sheet.
In addition please note that this role is subject to an enhanced CRB check. / Yes / No

References

Please give us the names, addresses and telephone numbers of two people, including your current or latest employer who would be willing and able to be contacted to verify the information you have given and to let us know their assessment of your ability to carry out this job.

Please indicate if you would like us to contact you first before we contact these references.

Referee One / Referee Two
Name:
Job title:
Address:
Tel:
E-mail (if any)
Can we contact this person prior to interview?
YES/NO / Name:
Job title:
Address:
Tel:
E-mail (if any)
Can we contact this person prior to interview?
YES/NO

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

The information submitted on this form is treated in the strictest confidence and is used for monitoring purposes only. The information will be stored either on paper records or a computer system in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and will be used solely to monitor the diversity of George House Trust’s recruitment regarding Equality and Diversity issues. You may choose to return this form with your application form, in which case it will be removed immediately, or you may wish to send it under separate cover. You may also choose not to answer certain questions, however all information you can share with us is very useful to ensure we are achieving equality and diversity within our recruitment procedures.

Job Reference / Finance Administrator
Gender / Male / Female / Transgender
Do not wish to disclose
Ethnic Group (please tick appropriate box)
White
White – British
White – Irish
White – any other White background
Mixed
White and Black Caribbean
White and Black African
White and Asian
Any other mixed background
Asian or Asian British
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Any other Asian background
Black or Black British
African
Caribbean
Any other Black
Chinese or other Ethnic Group
Chinese
Any other – please write in
Do not wish to disclose
Sexual Orientation
Gay / Lesbian / Bisexual
Heterosexual / Do not wish to disclose
Age
Date of Birth
Do not wish to disclose
Do you consider yourself to be disabled under the Disability Discrimination Act?
(The Disability Discrimination Act defines disability as “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out day to day activities”.)
Yes / No
Do not wish to disclose
Where did you hear about the vacancy?

If you give permission, we will collate this information anonymously and pass it onto our funders. This form will be stored separately from your application form.

“I am happy for this information to be collated and shared with funders.”

Please tick the box if you agree.

Thank you for sharing this information.

George House Trust

Job Description

Job title:Finance Administrator

Location:77, Ardwick Green North, Manchester

Accountable to:Finance Manager

Hours:10 hours per week by arrangement

Key responsibilities:

The administration of George House Trust (GHT) finances.
Preparing electronic banking payments, ready for authorisation by a manager.
Maintaining the database of supporters and records of donations made.
Administering pension payments.
Credit control
Petty cash reconciliation

Detailed duties and tasks to fulfil the key responsibilities:

1. Administering financial transactions

To provide day-to-day organisation of the financial administration of GHT, specifically:
receipt, classification and entering of accounts payable invoices
production and follow up of accounts receivable invoices
receipt of income and payment to the bank
credit control

2. Electronic banking payments

To upload payments to suppliers electronically prior to authorisation
To reconcile payments and invoices against bank statements

3. Supporter and donor database

To administer agreed communications with donors including thank you letters and certificates.
Maintain supporter/donor records on an internal database.
Administration of gift aid claims on an annual basis

4. Administering pension payments

Liaise with pension companies regarding new employee arrangements and changes in employer’s contributions.

5. Credit control

Follow up on unpaid invoices

6. Petty cash reconciliation

Administer, monitor and reconcile an EPOS (electronic point of sale) system

7. General responsibilities

To share administrative support and administration of all agreed office systems.

To carry out all tasks in line with GHT’s policies and to uphold these at all times, in particular the financial standing orders and finance procedures.

To respect and maintain appropriate confidentiality at all times.

To carry out other work, appropriate to the level and nature of the post, as agreed by the organisation in response to changing needs and circumstances.

Note: the nature of this work may require occasional evening and weekend work, for which time off is arranged under the terms and conditions of employment.

The successful candidate will be required to complete an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure check.

Terms and Conditions

George House Trust terms and conditions apply.

Salary

NJC scale20-23plus 8% employer pension contribution.

Current salary level £5,272- £18,453pro-rata

Hours

Notice period

The post requires a notice period of 4 weeks.

March 2012

George House Trust

Person Specification

Finance Administrator

Essential

Experience of working with financial administration systems with a high volume of transactions
Experience of administering financial procedures, including bank reconciliations, accounts payable and posting journals.
Experience of managing electronic banking transactions
High degree of numerical accuracy
Excellent organisational skills.
Ability to work on own initiative.
Good written skills
Willingness and ability to work and participate as part of a team.
Willingness and ability to carry out all tasks in line with GHT policies and to uphold these at all times.
Good communication skills
Respect for and ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Desirable

Experience of working with Sage.
Experience of working with unpaid (voluntary) workers.

Additional Information

George House Trust is the HIV voluntary organisation for the North West of England. We exist to support people who are living with or affected by HIV. At present we are supporting around 1800 people, making us the largest HIV support charity outside London. We were founded in 1985 (as “Manchester AIDSLine”) and are the UK’s second oldest HIV charity (after the Terrence Higgins Trust). We have a long record of campaigning and lobbying to secure the best possible quality of life for all people with HIV and to challenge discrimination against people with HIV.

The support we offer includes: advice and information, treatment advice, volunteer community support, financial support, special courses and events, and targeted services for gay men, African people, women, children and carers.

George House Trust currently has a budget of c £800,000 a year, and relatively healthy reserves. We do anticipate, however, additional challenges over the coming years as a result of the economic recession and in particular cuts to public spending. Our income comes from a variety of sources: the NHS, local Government, central Government, charitable trusts, lottery distribution bodies, fundraising, donations and earned trading income. We have a robust income strategy in place, which is reviewed and monitored monthly.

Organisationally we have PQASSO level 1 – this is a quality assurance standard.

Employment by George House Trust

We currently employ 14 people and regularly have social workers on placement. We also have around 140 volunteers, and hold the Investing in Volunteers Quality Mark.

New employees are subject to a six-month probationary period. Full time staff work a 35 hour week, normally Monday to Friday, though some evening and weekend work is necessary. Our opening hours are 9.00am to 8.00pm on Mondays and 9am to 5pm on Tuesdays to Fridays, and staff work different hours to ensure that services are covered at all times. Full time staff members are entitled to five weeks paid holiday (this increases after long service) plus three extra days at Christmas. All new staff members are required to undertake a Criminal Records Bureau check. We pay a contribution towards a personal pension of 8% of gross salary. Staff members are encouraged to join a Trade Union or professional body.

Our offices are on Ardwick Green North just south of Manchester City Centre. This is a short walk from Piccadilly train and Metrolink stations, on a major bus route and there is free parking behind our premises.

More information about George House Trust is on our website

REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT 1974

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 is intended to ensure that a person convicted of a criminal offence (whether in Great Britain or abroad), not involving a sentence of more than 2.5 years’ imprisonment who has not since re-offended for a specified period of time (a rehabilitation period) related to the severity of their sentence is treated as if the offence, conviction and sentence had never occurred.

Sentences of more than 2.5 years put an individual concerned outside the scope of the Act. Such convictions can never therefore become spent.

(Exceptions) (Amendment) order 1986

Exempted professions NOT covered by The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 are:-

Medical practitioner

Barrister (in England and Wales), advocate (in Scotland), solicitor;

Chartered accountant, certified accountant;

Dentist, dental hygienist, dental auxiliary;

Veterinary surgeon;

Nurse, midwife;

Ophthalmic optician, dispensing optician;

Pharmaceutical chemist;

Registered teacher (in Scotland);

Any profession to which the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960 applies and which is undertaken following registration under the Act