In addition, the post holder will provide support to the Associate Director of Clinical Education and Heads of Education on issues associated with the management of Clinical Education funding in particular NHSE WTE funding, Placement Tariff, and ETAP funding and our Salisbury account and contracts with HEIs. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring all Standing Financial Instructions and procurement processes are adhered to and that SBS is used efficiently as well supporting the preparation of service developments, business case plans, and the medium-term business planning process.

General Finance Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide regular statements and other relevant financial information to the senior managers in the Clinical Education Team and where appropriate Heads of Professions together with appropriate interpretation and advice.
• Monitor, on an ongoing basis, financial performance against agreed delegated budgets, incorporating the latest information available to ensure at year end the Clinical Education budgets are balanced.
• Investigate and report significant budgetary variances and costs to the Associate Director of Clinical Education, discussing the necessary remedial action as appropriate and keeping logs of agreed actions to monitor their implementation.
• Develop and maintain a financial performance report, including a year-end forecast, highlighting key variances and trends in activity and finance, commenting on influencing factors, and advising on any necessary management action.
• Ensure Clinical Education staff and those commissioning education across the Trust have an awareness of financial performance requirements, including the need for budgetary control, adherence to SFIs, and adherence to NHSE’s criteria and to provide advice or escalate concerns where necessary.
• Ensure that all expenditure items incorrectly coded for payment purposes are dealt with promptly and advise Clinical Education budget holders on the use of correct financial codes and ensure their coding structures are appropriate for their needs.
• Maintain accurate records of accruals and prepayments.
• Raise invoice requests promptly for income which is due from external organisations, in accordance with the Standing Financial Instructions and internal procedures and support the collection of money owed through provision of information and liaison with customers.
• Maintain a record of regular recharges, particularly where staff are seconded to and from the Trust to other organisations.
• Keep accurate and orderly documentation to support financial transactions such as journals, budget adjustments, and invoice requests. Documentation to be kept easily accessible for other members of staff.

Clinical Education Financial Responsibilities

• Maintain oversight and keep up-to-date with the eligibility and reporting criteria of the following national budgets or their equivalents:
  • placement tariff budget
  • continuing professional development budget (CPD)
  • ETAP (Clinical Commissioning) budget
• Ensure all returns linked to education budgets overseen by NHSE or their equivalent are accurate, made on time, and signed off appropriately.
• Ensure Standing Financial Instructions, especially procurement processes, are adhered to, and SBS procedures are followed efficiently when commissioning education and training.
• Maintain good relationships with the HEI finance teams and oversee the governance of the CPD fund including the funding panel and sign-off from the Divisional Director of Nursing.
• Oversee the commissioning of modules, qualifications, and study days from the HEIs.
• Manage the Trust’s Salisbury account.
• Work as part of the Clinical Education Administration team and support Band 4 administrators and others to use SBS correctly and understand the importance of Standing Financial Instructions when administering education budgets.
• Ensure all requests for CPD funding are dealt with in a timely and professional manner.
• Deal with email and telephone queries relating to Clinical Education funding within a prompt timescale.
• Ensure that CPD funding is used fairly across the Trust and proportionally between Nurses and AHPs from different ethnic backgrounds, different Bandings, and across Divisions.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• A levels or equivalent

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience of budget administration including use of SBS.
• Use of spreadsheets.
• Extensive administration experience.
• Experience of work with multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience of working with staff at senior level.
• Line management experience.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of apprenticeships.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Able to work with different teams and management structures.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Ability to understand complex issues and to resolve in a sensitive manner using negotiation skills.
• Ability to work positively in a team.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to present formally and to produce written reports for senior staff.
• Confidence to work on own initiative and to consult as needed.

Desirable criteria

• Demonstrable leadership skills.