Job Title: Finance Officer
Level: Up to £32,073 - £39,043 depending on experience
Job Family: Primary Care Network
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (excluding breaks)
Employment Type: Permanent
Accountable to: Head of Finance
Responsible to: Head of Finance
Location: BHNC offices Bexley
INTERVIEWS: Monday 7 September in person
Job Summary
The Finance Officer reporting to the Head of Finance, will help deliver a professional financial service. The Finance Officer will be supporting on matters including but not limited to:
PCN ARRS Submission, ARRS statements, NWRS Submission, PCN monthly payments reconciliation, PCN accounts receivables and payables, timely query resolution, maintaining Quickbooks system, general adhoc support, assisting with year-end reporting and collaborating with HR and GP Practices.
This role requires a flexible, organised and experienced Finance Officer, with excellent communications skills, who is IT literate and who works to a proficient level in excel.
Organisation, Values and Objectives
Bexley Health Neighbourhood Care (BHNC) is a GP Federation supporting the 19 Bexley Practices / 4 PCNs, Erith Hospital and Queen Mary’s Urgent Treatment Centre who are working collaboratively to enhance the health and wellbeing of Bexley residents, covering over 260,000 patients.
The goals of BHNC are to work strategically with all Bexley Primary Care Networks (PCNs), to help secure the best services for patients whilst working together, to support the member practices in the challenges of a changing NHS.
Bexley Health Neighbourhood Care (BHNC) aims to improve the morale of PCNs / general practice in Bexley, by sharing expertise, services and supporting its workforce. BHNC will make a positive impact on medical services in Bexley, by working closely with the CCG, local NHS trusts, local providers and patient groups, to improve the delivery of healthcare to the local population.
Key Working Relationships
Key relationships include but are not limited to:
- Overall BHNC (inc Bank, Self Employed, ARRS) workforce
- GP Practices
- South East London ICB
- NHS England
Key Responsibilities
· Take responsibility for completing monthly ARRS submissions on the portal and producing ARRS statements for Governing Body Meetings.
· Take responsibility for reconciling funding received from the ICB, accurately logging PCN invoices on QuickBooks (QBO), processing approved payments to practices, and providing practices with clear and timely statements in line with agreed schedules and finance governance requirements.
· Maintain financial systems and records, including QBO, PCN sales and purchase ledgers, daily cash postings, bank reconciliations and cash flow monitoring.
· Prepare and input the annual budget for the four PCNs, ensuring budget information is accurately collated, recorded and aligned to agreed finance schedules.
· Take responsibility for completing NWRS submissions.
· Liaise with budget holders, the ICB, external suppliers, practice managers and GP practices as required, including arranging and attending meetings, responding to PCN finance queries, resolving issues promptly, and agreeing clarification or follow-up actions on invoice matters, payment schedules, ARRS recharges and budget variances.
· Undertake additional finance tasks and projects as required by the team, ensuring work is completed accurately, on time and to the required standard.
· Provide advice and guidance on finance administration practice and procedures to relevant colleagues/line managers to maximise their effectiveness.
· Ensuring data for monthly reports is accurately recorded, i.e. ARRS Submissions
· Invoice Management – Raising sales invoices within tight deadlines, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
· Account Setup, Reconciliation, and Closure – Managing the opening of new customer accounts and handling full reconciliation and closure as needed.
· Chasing outstanding payments – Monitor and follow up outstanding payments, including ARRS recharges and other PCN/practice balances, addressing and resolving customer, practice and budget holder queries. Review areas where spend is over budget or recharge values require clarification, escalate unresolved issues where necessary, and ensure appropriate records are maintained to support timely recovery and accurate financial reporting.
· Support the completion and maintenance of finance department procedure manuals, ensuring processes are clearly documented, accurate and kept up to date.
· Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, systems, and efficiencies.
· Support year-end financial processes, liaise with external accountants, and take responsibility for core internal finance projects as required, including audit requirements.
· Build and maintain effective, credible and trusting working relationships with NHS organisations, PCSE, the ICB, PCNs, GP practices and other key stakeholders.
· Organise and securely maintain personnel records and systems for processing data and information in accordance with GDPR and UK employment legislation.
· Support the BHNC finance team with wider Head Office finance work, including processing and checking financial information, assisting with reconciliations, responding to internal finance queries, maintaining accurate records and completing administrative tasks to support the effective running of the finance function.
· Adheres to and proactively promotes Infection Control standards and complies with Health & Safety, Corporate, Clinical and Information Governance.
· To review current ways of working to reduce/eliminate repetition.
· Maintain confidentiality at all times.
· Represent the organisation positively and professionally, behaving as an ambassador for the PCN by displaying the organisation’s values and levels of expected professionalism at all times.
· Take responsibility for supporting own development learning and performance.
· Work within BHNC policies and procedures.
This list is not exhaustive, and additional tasks may be required.
Person Specification - Essential
Qualifications, Professional Memberships & Training
o Part-qualified accountant, fully qualified Accounting Technician (AAT), or equivalent finance qualification/experience.
o Strong Microsoft Excel skills and good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
o Good understanding of finance administration, reconciliations, invoice processing and financial record keeping.
Experience
o At least three years’ experience working in a finance or accounts environment.
o Experience using a computerised finance system, ideally QuickBooks (QBO).
o Experience of sales and purchase ledger processes, raising invoices, processing payments, reconciling accounts and maintaining accurate financial records.
o Experience of working to deadlines and managing finance queries from internal and external stakeholders.
Analytical & Judgement Skills
o Ability to review financial information, identify discrepancies, investigate variances and recommend appropriate corrective action.
o Able to prioritise finance queries, recognise when issues require escalation, and refer complex matters to the appropriate manager or colleague.
o Able to identify and raise financial, governance or data quality risks in line with policy and procedure.
o Excellent attention to accuracy and detail when processing invoices, payments, reconciliations, budgets and reports.
o Able to interpret financial patterns, identify over-budget areas or unusual recharge values, and support timely resolution.
Communication & Relationships
o Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain finance information clearly and professionally.
o Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with budget holders, the ICB, PCNs, GP practices, practice managers, suppliers and internal colleagues.
o Confident in handling finance queries, arranging and attending meetings, agreeing follow-up actions and maintaining clear records of decisions and outcomes.
o Able to communicate sensitive or complex financial information with tact, accuracy and professionalism.
Planning & Organisational Skills
o Able to work flexibly and adapt to changing organisational and finance priorities.
o Excellent time management skills, with the ability to meet deadlines and manage competing priorities.
o Able to plan and coordinate multiple finance activities, including submissions, reconciliations, payment schedules, budgets and reporting deadlines.
o Able to work in a busy finance environment, balancing urgent tasks while maintaining accuracy and supporting the wider team.
Qualities & Standards
o Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities,
o Embraces equality, diversity and inclusivity at every opportunity and the NHS core principles; dignity and respect, compassion, be included, responsive care and support and wellbeing,
o Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety,
o Able to operate competently with regard to managing data and information in accordance with the Data Protection Act (DPA) (2018) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2018), Access to Health Records Act (AHRA) (1990) and the Public Interest Disclosure Act (1998).
Personal Ability
o Confident using IT systems, including finance software, spreadsheets, email and document management tools to produce accurate records, reports and procedure notes.
o Adaptable, self-motivated and able to work flexibly as part of a finance team or independently when required.
o Able to work effectively under pressure while maintaining accuracy, confidentiality and professionalism.
o Able to recognise personal limitations, seek guidance where appropriate and take accountability for own development needs.
o Flexible in relation to work patterns and able to support finance priorities across BHNC and the four PCNs.
o Independently mobile, with the ability to work across the different PCN sites, and travel to meet with stakeholders where required.
Person Specification - Desirable
Expereience
o Experience working with PCNs, GP practices or NHS finance processes.
o Experience of ARRS funding, recharges, PCN budgets or practice payment schedules.
This job description is a broad reflection of current duties, but it is not exhaustive. It will be reviewed on no less than an annual basis to reflect priorities and developments during the on-going appraisal and performance review process and any organisational change arising.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £32,073.00-£39,043.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Please confirm you are independently mobile, with the ability to work across the different PCN sites, and travel to meet with stakeholders where required.
Work Location: In person
