Assistant Capital Accountant | Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

We are seeking an AAT (or part) qualified Assistant Capital Accountant to support the New Hospital Programme - this is a once in a lifetime to play a part in building the new multi million pound hospital in Crewe, Cheshire. If you are looking for an opportunity to be part of a large capital programme this could be the perfect role for you - the programme offers an excellent development opportunity within a friendly and supportive team.

Days and hours of work for this post are flexible and we would welcome discussion around this. Hybrid working is supported but some attendance to site will be mandatory.

This post offers experience across both Financial Accounts and Management Accounts and so would be ideal for a rounded financial professional.

The finance team is an Towards Excellence accredited at Level 2 and working towards Level 3, we are committed to continuous improvement and innovation.

To provide specialist support in respect of the growing capital portfolio of the Trust using advanced knowledge and skills. This incorporates responsibility for the financial monitoring and accounting of the Trust's capital schemes, financial analysis of equipment acquisitions, capital reporting and assistance in ensuring that the Trust achieves its Capital Limits.

The Trust, which manages Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford, was established as an NHS Trust in April 1991 and became a Foundation Trust in April 2008.

It employs more than 4,500 members of staff, has around 550 hospital beds, and provides a range of services including A&E, maternity, outpatients, therapies, and children's health.

The Trust is also part of Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership (CCICP), a new and unique local health partnership that provides a range of community health services for people across South Cheshire and Vale Royal.

To provide specialist support in respect of capital investment relating to the New Hospital Build and associated capital charges using advanced knowledge and skills. This incorporates responsibility for the financial monitoring and accounting of the capital scheme, financial analysis of equipment acquisitions, capital reporting and assistance in ensuring that the Trust achieves its Capital Limits.

Working alongside other members of the capital finance team, this role will involve:

Fixed Asset Management:

Overall responsibility of the update and maintenance of the Trust Asset Register. Ensuring the Asset Register is updated appropriately for the new hospital build and any associated new leases, revaluations, and asset disposals etc.

Responsibility to produce annual depreciation values, working with the Management Accounts Team to discuss appropriate level of revenue budgets, along with accurate phasing of the budgets.

Run monthly depreciation process within finance ledger using into the Fixed Asset Module. Providing Management Accounts Team with details of any variances against budget.

Complete monthly reconciliations for the new hospital spend between the Fixed Asset Module Software and the Finance Ledger, ensuring they are always in balance.

Coordination of annual revaluation process providing district valuers with any changes to estate and ensuring they are in receipt of the latest new hospital business Case. Review response from district valuers ensuring appropriate reasons for any changes, also challenging any that are over indices. Also ensuring any changes are reflected on the asset register, depreciation plans and relevant reserves.

Act as main contact for all audits in relation to revaluation, asset register and leases, ensuring all changes to values are appropriately documented and justified. Providing Auditors with all information they require to complete their review and ensuring responses to any queries.

Maintain reconciliation of several reserves, keeping up to date records and reconciliations.

Responsibility for preparation of elements of the annual accounts relating to property plant and equipment, intangible assets, impairments, revaluation reserve & finance leases

Produce an annual forecast for purchased pieces of equipment expected to be replaced by a lease and will have a nil net book value in the next 12 months. Providing this forecast to the Divisions for update and ultimate discussion at the Medical Equipment Group for review.

Responsibility for coordination of asset audits

Finance Lease Management:

Review proposed new leases in relation to the new hospital to ensure best value and correct accounting treatment. Then forwarding for appropriate authorisations

Input new leases into appropriate software to calculate fair value, ensuring this is manually added to the balance sheet along with the update to Finance Lease Creditors

On receipt of annual lease invoice ensure accurate split across Finance Lease Creditors, Interest and VAT, ensuring correct coding. Providing analysis for any variances to budget.

Manually calculate the depreciate for all new finance leases, transact the journal monthly ensuring revenue budgets are charged appropriately and providing details for any variances against budget

Capital Scheme Monitoring:

To ensure timely and accurate delivery of reports for new hospital capital schemes ensuring that the information is accurately presented.

In line with the monthly reporting timetable ensure all adjustments to the ledger are transacted to allow accurate and timely reporting of the Capital finance position.

Coordination of the quarterly VAT reclaim process for capital programme. Instigate individual review for any major capital schemes, working with the Estates Division to provide external advisors with all information needed to allow a decision to be made on the level of VAT that can be reclaimed. Ensuring the Corporate Accountant is aware of the values to allow Capital Scheme forecasts to be updated.

Regularly produce and review purchase order reports charged to Capital Schemes, working with divisional teams to ensure all purchase orders are accurate and up to date. Along with the Corporate Accountant include all relevant purchase orders in the Capital Scheme forecast.

To ensure that Chief Capital and Strategic Development Accountant receives reported information in a timely manner and to arrange and attend meetings with relevant Managers to discuss any areas of concern that have occurred or may occur over the course of the financial year.

Produce and maintain procedure documents for all relevant capital processes

Working with finance colleagues to ensure procedures and reporting are appropriately updated to reflect any changes to finance standards e.g. iFRS 16.