Divisional Accountant, Childrens Services - Job Description
Department: CHILDREN’S SERVICES Group: FINANCE
Responsible to: FINANCE MANAGER
Employees directly supervised: Senior Finance Officer / Accountancy Assistant, dependant on work area
Job Purpose:
Principal Management Duties:
- To manage employees directly supervised, and in particular to:-
a) prioritise and programme their work;
b) monitor the progress of project work;
c) allocate project work between employees;
d) supervise work and performance;
e) check, advise on and where necessary, edit reports and correspondence drafted by employees directly supervised;
f) ensure that incoming correspondence and telephone enquiries referred to employees directly supervised are processed speedily in accordance with agreed procedures;
g) achieve a satisfactory quality in all aspects of work
h) prepare or obtain any necessary financial estimates
i) participate in the recruitment, training and development of all employees within the Team.
- 2.2 To be a member of a Finance Management Team and, in this capacity, to contribute to:-
- The monitoring and regular review of the Team’s work programme, priorities, working methods and procedures.
- Setting the Team’s performance targets;
- The preparation and implementation of the Team’s training programmes having due regard to the need to provide for career development and equal opportunities; and
- To undertake such functions as the Finance Manager requests as are directly relevant to the Divisional Accountant’s own area of responsibility when s/he is away on leave, training courses, or otherwise unavailable.
Principal Professional Duties
Financial Advice
- To provide such financial advice as required through the appropriate communication medium to DCSF, external auditors and other external bodies, Councillors and officers in the Children’s Services and Finance Departments. This includes operating as lead link officer with one or more Divisions within the Department.
To supply financial advice for committee reports.
To understand and apply relevant legislation and directives as they relate to the operation of revenue and capital expenditure within the Children’s Services Department.
Financial Accounting
- To ensure that all departmental transactions for which the postholder is responsible are properly reported in the Council's accounts in accordance with guidelines produced by CIPFA, and in consultation with the Finance Department.
- To contribute to the development of Standing Orders and financial regulations and ensuring their proper application within the Children’s Services Department.
- To co-ordinate the revenue estimates process for one or more divisions and / or cross-cutting areas within the Children’s Services Department in accordance with the programme drawn up in co-operation with the Finance Department.
- To co-ordinate the closing of accounts process within one or more Divisions and / or cross-cutting areas within the Children’s Services Department with respect to revenue and capital expenditure across the department, in accordance with the programme drawn up in co-operation with the Finance Department.
- To adopt best practice in the application of accounting methodology in accordance with guidelines produced by CIPFA, in consultation with the Finance Department.
- To establish and maintain such systems as are required to provide a comprehensive record of the department’s revenue and capital expenditure.
- To establish and maintain such systems as are necessary for budgetary management in accordance with the council's financial regulations and in pursuit of the Department's Business Plan.
Financial Administration
- To establish, co-ordinate and participate in the financial administration processes carried out within the department, with particular regard to those adopted by the Children’s Services Department for revenue and capital expenditure.
- Ensure compliance with the Council’s Standing Orders and financial regulations, within agreed time scales.
Management Accounting
- To co-ordinate the provision of monthly expenditure monitoring reports to Assistant Directors, Heads of Service and other relevant colleagues within the Children’s Services Department, to an agreed standard and within an agreed timetable.
- To co-ordinate the provision of regular capital monitoring reports to Assistant Directors and relevant colleagues to an agreed standard and within an agreed timetable.
- To contribute to the strategic financial planning of the Department by undertaking, as requested, or other wise, detailed financial appraisals of service delivery proposals.
Development and Maintenance of Systems
- To co-ordinate the maintenance of the Department’s expenditure programmes to demonstrate full compliance with Government regulations, the Council’s Contract Standing Orders, financial regulations and other Corporate or departmental guidelines as are applicable.
- To co-ordinate the maintenance of the council’s financial system, to support the objectives of the Department’s Business Plan, in accordance with CIPFA guidelines and the best practices of financial control.
- To encourage such developments to systems or procedures that will improve financial control or management, in consultation with service managers and officers of the Finance Department.
- To promote and help develop the use of IT in the operation of departmental financial and procedural systems in a manner that improves financial management.
Education, Training and Support
-
To supervise and participate in the development and provision of financial advice, information, training and support for service managers, and other officers, with relation to better financial management.
- To manipulate, develop and maintain computer based models and data bases (including the setting up of data bases), relevant to the work of the post.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES