FINANCE DIRECTORATE

JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE:Business Partner

GRADE:Spot Salary within Agenda for Change 8b Range

ACCOUNTABLE TO:Finance Director

RESPONSIBLE TO:Deputy Director of Finance

Job Profile

Provide financial leadership for the identified services within each CMT, ensuring effective use of financial resources in pursuit of agreed CMT and Corporate goals.

Take full responsibility for providing comprehensive financial management and support service to the CMT, providing a full range of advice to the Assistant Medical Director, Assistant Director of Operations, Clinical Directors, Service Managers, Heads of Nursing and other CMT Managers on Directorate, Specialty and Cost Centre budgets.

Contribute specialist technical accounting and business knowledge, strong analytical skills, and effectively communicate complex finance issues to non-finance people.

Constructively and positively challenge all aspects of CMT performance

To be accountable to the Finance Director for the CMT’s adherence to statutory accounting requirements, DH and Monitor accounting standards and Trust policies for internal control, corporate governance and reporting requirements.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Finance & Business Planning

  1. To provide financial information, advice and support to the CMT, meeting regularly with members of the management team to ensure that the financial position of the CMT and the Trust is understood and that any potential financial problems are identified early enough for corrective action to be taken. The post holder must be capable of influencing the team to ensure achievement of the Trust’s and CMT’s financial objectives.
  1. To provide the Deputy Director of Finance with the relevant information so that assurance can be gained that all relevant financial risks within the Directorate are reported
  1. To have overall responsibility for all aspects of financial management within the CMT in conjunction with the Assistant Director of Operations, including monitoring of performance and providing advice on corrective action as necessary.
  1. To have overall responsibility for reporting the financial performance rating for the CMT including self-assessment against the Financial Performance Rating
  1. To have overall responsibility for the CMT quarterly reforecast and the 3 year integrated finance, workforce, activity, capacity and efficiency plan.
  1. To advise the CMT team on any government policy or legislative changes that may affect income giving advice on how to counter any possible adverse effect. Also to advise on any legislation that may result in higher costs or savings for the Trust.
  1. To design appropriate Key Performance Indicators with the Deputy Director of Finance, Assistant Director of Operations and other managers to be able to report to the Trust on key performances including finance.
  1. Using Service Line Reporting to engage clinicians and other CMT staff and developing efficient and high quality clinical services. This will involve taking the lead role in the CMT to ensure the principles of Service Line Management are embedded within the CMT and developing and maintaining strategies and operational processes which support effective financial governance and management.
  1. To ensure financial implications for service change within the CMT are evaluated through the approved business case process and benefits are delivered.
  1. To have overall responsibility for the development and maintenance of the 3 year CMT Efficiency Plan –including reporting to the Service Productivity and Efficiency Group
  1. To develop activity assumptions to develop NHS contract income forecasts working closely with the Commissioning Accountant.
  1. To provide management reports and analysis to support the consolidation of the Trust’s financial reports within deadlines
  1. To ensure that CMT managers are fully supported to access reporting tools to review Financial Management and Service Line Reports
  1. To maintain apportionment and allocation methods for Service Line Reporting including indirect costs and overheads
  1. To provide leadership and overall responsibility in CMTs for ensuring best value Procurement, analysis of Procurement data and development of the Procurement work plan working closely with the Procurement team
  1. To increase the financial capability of CMT management teams through the provision of financial awareness training and continuous support for budget managers and service leads
  1. To provide input as required to the Trust’s statutory financial reports.
  1. To ensure that the Trust’s standing financial instructions and codes of procedures are adhered to at all times.

Clinical Engagement

  1. To ensure that Clinicians within the CMT are fully involved in all aspects of financial management
  1. The post-holder will ensure that staff are fully engaged in the process of change management, and in particular, that Clinicians are fully involved at the forefront of service improvement projects.
  1. To ensure that mechanisms are in place to discuss service improvement initiatives with Clinicians and to monitor the effectiveness of actions taken as a result of such discussions.
  1. To ensure that information is made available to Clinicians to enable them to play an active part in the development of services.

CMT Operational Management

  1. To take collective responsibility with the CMT Management team for delivering the financial performance and governance ratings for the current financial year
  1. To take collective responsibility with the CMT Management team for developing a maintaining a robust and viable 3 year financial plan
  1. To ensure that the Trust’s standing financial instructions are adhered to within the CMT
  1. To ensure that the CMT complies with Procurement processes and that all quotations, tenders and contracts are managed through the Due North eSourcing system.
  1. To take collective ownership with the CMT Management team in ensuring that service developments are made in accordance with delegated approval limits and within the CMT 3 year plan
  1. To represent the Assistant Director of Operations in various internal and external meetings and seminars as and when required.
  1. Ensuring information is provided to support the CMT Finance Committee agenda

Strategy & Planning

  1. To influence strategic planning and provide challenge to the CMT management team. The post holder will communicate highly sensitive, complex and contentious information and will need to influence the team to ensure that services are planned in line with the strategic direction of the Trust. Highly developed communication skills and political awareness are necessary to the successful functioning of this role.
  1. To take overall responsibility for financial planning within the overall CMT business plan and compliance with the business case process
  1. To support the CMT Management team in developing and maintaining a marketing strategy for services aimed at maximizing income to the CMT
  1. To support the Trust when required in all discussions and commercial arrangements with the Trust’s commissioners.
  1. To ensure that benchmarking and networking opportunities and are maximized to promote best practice within the CMT.

Other responsibilities

  1. Ensure the CMT Finance team delivers a service which meets the priorities and service requirements of the directorate.
  1. To develop the training and knowledge of managers throughout the directorate in the Trust’s Standing Financial Instructions and core financial and budgetary procedures.
  1. To ensure effective communication throughout the CMT on the relevant and key issues for finance and contracting.

Staff Management responsibilities

All aspects of line management for a Directorate Accountant which reports to this post. Business Partners will need to work flexibly to provide cover as appopriate.

Performance Review

Overall performance can be assessed annually as part of the Trust’s Performance Review and Appraisal process. This job description is not intended to be exhaustive and is designed to reflect duties currently incorporated in this post. The duties and responsibilities of the post will be periodically reviewed by the Director of Finance and the post holder in the light of organisational development and service change in the Trust as a whole. Any change to the post will be discussed with the post holder prior to implementation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Health and Safety at work

  • The post holder is required to take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself/herself and other persons who may be affected by their action or omission at work
  • Co-operate with the employer in ensuring that all statutory and other requirements are complied with.

Infection Prevention and Control

It is the duty of every employee to comply with The Health Act (2006): Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections (also known as “The Hygiene Code”).

Effective prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections has to be embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently by everyone. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.

The hospital is a partner in the clean yourhands campaign. It is the responsibility of every staff member to be aware of and comply with the hand hygiene policy and campaign in all patient areas, and promote the ethos of the policy and campaign to all hospital users.

Confidentiality

The post holder has a responsibility to comply with the Data Protect Act 1998 and maintain confidentiality of staff, patients and the trust business.

Data Protection

If you are required to process information, you should in a fair and lawful way, ensuring accuracy is maintained. You should hold information only for the specific registered purpose and not use or disclose it in any way incompatible with such a purpose.

You should disclose information only to authorised persons or organisations as instructed. Breaches of confidentiality in relation to information will result in disciplinary action, which may include dismissal. Employees are expected to comply with all Trustpolicies and procedures and to work in accordance of the Data Protection Act 1998. For those posts where there is management or supervision of other staff it is the responsibility of that employee to ensure that their staff receive appropriate training (e.g. HISS induction, organising refresher sessions for staff when necessary).

Conflict of Interest

The Trust is responsible for ensuring that the services for patients in its care meet the highest standards. Equally, it is responsible for ensuring that staff do not abuse their official position, gain or benefit their family or friends.

Equality and Diversity

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust values equality and diversity in employment and in the services we provide. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity in employment and will keep under review our policies and procedures to ensure that the job related needs of all staff working in Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are recognised.

The Trust will aim to ensure that all job applicants, employees or clients are treated fairly and valued equally regardless of sex, marital status, domestic circumstances, age, race, colour, disablement, ethnic or national origin, social background or employment status, sexual orientation, religion, beliefs, HIV status, gender reassignment, political affiliation or trade union membership. Selection for training and development and promotion will be on the basis of the individual’s ability to meet the requirements of the job.

Patient and Public Involvement

The Trust has a statutory duty to involve service users, carers and the public in the work of the organisation. We consider that Patient and public involvement is the responsibility of every individual working for our Trust. All staff have a responsibility to listen to the views of patient and to contribute to service improvements based on patient feedback. You will be expected to support the Trust in this aim through your working practice.

Patient Promise

Our patient promise is:

‘we will always treat you as an individual, always working together, always there for you, always caring for you, and always improving’.

Every employee will strive to achieve our patient promise at all times as it encapsulates our values as a hospital and the care we provide to our patients. We will strive as an organisation to develop you as an individual so that you can meet our patient promise.

Note:

The employee shares with the employer responsibility to suggest alterations to the scope of duties to improve the working situation and to adapt to change. This job description should be regarded only as a guideline to the duties required and is not definitive or restrictive in any way and will be reviewed in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the postholder.