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Job Information
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us click here.
Finance Business Partner
The Finance Business Partner is a key position within our Management Accounting Team, responsible for overseeing the Schools Block, Early Years Block, and Central Schools Services Block within the Dedicated Schools Grant service area. This role provides expert advice and support in financial planning, reporting, costing, and training, ensuring the effective and efficient management of financial resources.
Working collaboratively across multiple service areas and support functions, the Finance Business Partner will build strong, productive relationships with budget managers and develop a deep understanding of their respective service areas. Key responsibilities include setting and monitoring budgets, ensuring accurate financial closures at year-end, and supporting the Head of Finance in identifying and implementing continuous improvements to the finance support function.
The successful candidate will play an integral part in delivering high-quality, cost-effective children’s services, contributing to the overall success of the organization. Opportunities for professional development and on-the-job learning are available through our robust Learning and Development Offer.
About the role
We are seeking a proactive and skilled Finance Business Partner to join our dynamic Management Accounting Team. In this pivotal role, you will take the lead in a designated service area, providing expert advice and support across financial planning, reporting, costing, and financial training and development.
Key Responsibilities:
- Maintain and manage separate Council models of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budgets, ensuring school and early years budget allocations are accurately calculated based on pupil number estimates.
- Reconcile Education Funding Agency (EFA) notifications of DSG allocations to authority models, ensuring alignment between the general ledger and EFA actual allocations, and proposing virements where necessary.
- Collaborate with budget holders to support them in understanding their budgets and provide accurate budget monitoring information.
- Prepare and present regular reports to Schools Forums, demonstrating the affordability of formula funding and SEN top-up funding against projected DSG income, highlighting variances, and recommending appropriate actions.
- Lead the preparation of Section 251 Budget and Outturn Statements, ensuring allocations align with Department for Education (DfE) guidelines and that school budgets balance to DSG allocations.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Louise Dutton on: louise.dutton@achievingforchildren.org.uk
About you
As part of a supportive and collaborative team, you will work closely with budget managers and colleagues across various service areas to streamline and support financial processes. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact on financial management, drive continuous improvements, and contribute to delivering high-quality services that align with our organisational objectives.
Key Experience and Skills:
- Proven experience in producing budgets and forecasting in partnership with colleagues across services, utilising activity data and other insights to inform financial reporting and decision-making.
- A track record of building strong, collaborative working relationships and creating efficient processes with key stakeholders.
- Experience in a similar role within the public sector, ideally in Children’s Services (though this is not essential).
- Proficiency in using a range of ICT and digital solutions, including financial modeling tools, to support effective work.
- The ability to identify opportunities for developing new metrics, ensuring that relevant reporting, data, and information are available to operational managers and remain aligned with organisational needs.
About our benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
- 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month(Or for term term workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract.)
- Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
- Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
- Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- A range of staff benefits and discounts
- An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children click here. For our social work offer click here. For our Recruitment Journey, click here.
Important Information
Start dates: Achieving for Children have set start dates meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.
Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.
Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
For more information about AfC: Drop in and meet Regina on the first Wednesday of every month at Civic Centre, Twickenham.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
