Job Description
Finance and Direct Payments Officer

Children’s SEND Service

PO1 £36,138 - £38,607

Full time, flexible working

Remote working and minimum one day a week at Newham Dockside, E16 2QU

Deadline for applications: 21/05/2023 23:59

JOB DESCRIPTION

ABOUT US

Click here to view our recruitment video

At Newham we are ambitious for our children and young people with additional needs. Our aim is to make Newham the best place for all to live, learn and thrive; building on our historic ethos of inclusion and putting children and families at the heart of everything we do. We’re determined and driven towards creating a centre of excellence for supporting children and young people with SEND, where no child is left behind.

Newham’s SEND service is undergoing positive change, and significant new investment is enabling us to expand and improve our support for young people and their families. To this aim, we are looking for talented, dedicated staff who share our values to join us and be part of our journey.

Newham children need people who are:

• Child centred and care passionately about improving outcomes in education.
• Empathetic towards our families and positive in their thinking and practice.
• Driven and determined to improve the lived experienced of our children and families.
• Committed to inclusion and aware of the issues affecting children with additional needs.
• Celebrators of diversity and the future; we are one of London’s youngest and most diverse Boroughs – and proud!

Does this sound like you? Apply now to be part of something positive.

We are Newham SEND

We are making a difference

We are recruiting.

ABOUT THE JOB

Newham has created an exciting new business operations function to ensure that that regulations, rigor and efficiencies are applied to financial process and practice. This new team of business operations and placement will contribute in the delivery of SEND provision for children and young people that represents the effective management and use of public funds. Our children need finance officers who are strong, competent and experienced in supporting smooth and structured systems in which mitigations can be found and financial oversight is of the highest level. You will be instrumental in administering and implementing systems and processes to produce accurate, clear and robust financial information with direct links to service performance and commissioning data.

You will collate and record financial data relating to children with Education, Health and Care plans and high needs funding to ensure schools and support services receive timely and accurate payments. You will collate all relevant financial documentation to verify payments. You will support budget monitoring, financial oversight and timely payments and provide scrutiny and challenge to ensure costs are accurate. You will process purchase orders and prepare and compile financial reports to inform budget management.

To find out more, please download the job description.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for candidates with a clear understanding of invoicing and financial reconciliation. You will have substantial, recent and relevant experience of compiling financial reports – ideally within a children’s services or an education/SEND setting.

You will be able demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills with a good customer care and problem solving skills. Your sound numeric and literacy skills will enable you to thrive in this demanding role. You will be ready to work independently to prioritise your workload at pace. You will be well organised and adept at using IT such as Microsoft office, Excel and programmes including Teams and case management systems.

You will share our HEART values (Honesty, Equality, Ambition, Respect and Togetherness) and be proud to work in children’s services for a diverse organisation. You realise the importance of your work; understanding that although not family facing, performance in your role enables others’ direct work with our children to be more efficient.

OUR OFFER

We will offer you:

• A fantastic opportunity to be part of an evolving, improving and vital service

• A competitive salary of up to £38,607pa

• Flexible working arrangements and the opportunity to work from home

• Smarter Working with new modern technology

• Excellent transport links to inner and outer London

• ’Outstanding’ Senior Leadership with a clear and consistent vision

• Wellbeing service, leisure and discount benefits (Council scheme)

TO APPLY

Please submit a CV and provide a supporting statement through our recruitment portal. The supporting statement should demonstrate how you meet the relevant requirements listed in the person specification.

Shortlisting decisions will be based on candidates' relevant experience and on candidates' suitability for the role in line with the person specification, as described in their supporting statement/evidenced on their CV.

Closing date: 21/05/2023 at 23:59

Interviews: Week commencing 5 th June.

Additional Information

We are committed to creating an inclusive, anti-racist environment for all. When you apply for a job at Newham, your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or sexual orientation. If you share our vision and values, and you bring the experience and skills we need, that’s all that matters to us.

The London Borough of Newham has important responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. If you are appointed to a job that involves working with these groups, you may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Please attach your supporting statement, explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role.

We practice anonymised recruitment. Please ensure that you remove all personal information from any documents that you upload.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn .