About this role
Job summary
The Finance Assistant - Financial Control will provide a dedicated financial administration service to the Finance department, supporting both accounts receivable and payables functions, ensuring transactions are processed accurately, promptly and in accordance with agreed procedures and the NHS Better Payment Practice Code. The post holder will maintain records within finance systems, apply correct financial coding, undertake routine credit control, support the set-up and maintenance of provider accounts, maintain clear workflow notes and take ownership of routine invoice, claim and provider queries through to resolution. The role requires an organised and efficient approach, good attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively with providers, suppliers, internal colleagues, clinical teams and commissioners in a fast-paced finance environment.
Main duties of the job
The role will be varied and will adapt over time as the ICB develops. Reporting to the Finance Officer, the post holder is expected to fulfil the following key functions:
Undertake accounts receivable activities including clearing receipts and unallocated cash, reviewing aged debt and carrying out routine credit control by telephone and email.
Investigate and resolve invoice queries in a professional and efficient manner.
Receive, validate and process manual payments.
Set up and maintain customer and supplier accounts on relevant finance systems.
Maintain clear and accurate notes in the financial ledger to reflect the status of invoices, queries, approvals and follow-up actions.
Support financial processes by ensuring transactions, invoices, claims and supporting records are processed within agreed timetables.
Chase providers and internal teams regularly for outstanding information, or evidence required to resolve invoice queries and support timely payment.
Undertake routine statement reconciliations, promptly investigating discrepancies.
Use spreadsheets, system reports and basic analysis to support invoice validation, payment processing, reconciliation and management information requests.
Support development and continuous improvement of local finance procedures and contribute to maintaining robust audit trails and information governance standards.
About us
Our role as an ICB is to join up health and care services, improve people's health and wellbeing, and make sure everyone has the same access to services and gets the same outcomes from treatment.
We also oversee how money is spent and make sure health services are working well and are of high quality.
Involving our communities is really important to us. We are committed to putting the needs of people living in Lancashire and South Cumbria at the heart of all we do.We are also proud to be part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership.
The post holder may have regular contact with a wide range of staff at all levels within the ICB, with senior and other representatives of local stakeholders, as well as with patients and their representatives. Some of the key direct relationships include:
Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB Senior Managers
Clinical Staff
Administrative staff
Managers and staff across Lancashire and South Cumbria, NHS, local authorities and other third sector organisations
Internal and external auditors
Job description Job responsibilities
Financial and technical Support
Process invoices, payment schedules and supporting documentation accurately and in a timely manner through the financial ledger and associated systems, in line with agreed procedures.
Apply correct financial coding, including general ledger codes, cost centres and other required coding structures, escalating uncertainties to senior finance colleagues where appropriate.
Manage own workload within finance systems, ensuring invoices are progressed through workflow stages and notes are maintained to evidence actions taken.
Resolve routine invoice, supplier, provider and scheduled payment queries, referring complex or unresolved issues to senior colleagues as required.
Support month-end and year-end financial timetables by ensuring invoices, claims, receipts and supporting documentation are processed accurately and within agreed deadlines.
Process manual payments, including patient claims and medical fees, checking claim forms and supporting evidence for completeness and accuracy, recording the outcome and progressing authorised payments within agreed timescales.
Undertake routine credit control, including reviewing aged debt, contacting debtors by telephone and email, recording recovery action, escalating disputed or overdue balances and supporting the production of debtor information.
Support the allocation of receipts and timely clearance of unallocated cash, investigating discrepancies and liaising with providers, customers and finance colleagues as required.
Set up new provider customer and supplier accounts, and amend existing account details, on relevant finance systems in accordance with documented validation, authorisation and segregation-of-duties procedures.
Assist with reconciliation exercises and the investigation of variances, discrepancies and outstanding balances.
Provide routine finance support to Finance Managers and other senior colleagues as requested.
Information, Records and Systems
Accurately input, update and maintain financial information within the finance systems.
Ensure invoices, approvals, query notes, credit notes and supporting documentation are correctly recorded and retained against financial records.
Identify discrepancies between invoices and supporting schedules, notifying the appropriate team for correction in line with defined processes.
Maintain clear audit trails to support reconciliation, routine query resolution, internal review and external audit requirements.
Handle confidential, personal and financial information in accordance with information governance, data protection and Caldicott requirements.
Financial and Statistical Support
Use spreadsheets and system reports to support the processing and validation of invoices and payments.
Support routine monitoring checks to confirm invoice and payment data is complete and accurate.
Provide basic financial information to assist with routine query resolution and payment processing.
Process and Policy Support
Organise and prioritise own workload to meet agreed deadlines and service standards.
Respond to routine email and telephone queries from providers and internal teams regarding invoice and payment status.
Chase outstanding information required to resolve invoice queries, following agreed processes.
Work collaboratively with placebased teams, clinical staff and commissioners to support timely resolution of issues.
Adapt to changes in finance processes, systems or ways of working as required.
Maintain a professional and courteous approach when dealing with challenging or sensitive communications.
Attend team meetings and contribute as required.
Monitor and maintain generic team or service mailboxes, ensuring correspondence is appropriately actioned, prioritised and directed in a timely manner.
The main duties and responsibilities described above are not exhaustive and the post holder is expected to take on other responsibilities or specific tasks as required and as requested.
Further, over time it is likely the remit and requirements of the role will evolve, and the post holder will be required to adjust their working approach and style to accommodate this with the full support of line managers.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
A minimum of five GCSEs or equivalent at grade C / 4 or above, including English and Mathematics.
Desirable
AAT Foundation Certificate / Level 2 or equivalent experience gained in a finance, accounts payable or financial administration environment.
Experience Essential
Working knowledge or practical experience of accounts payable, accounts receivable, invoice processing, patient claim processing or financial administration processes. Experience of working with financial systems, coding structures, spreadsheets, documents or basic reports. Experience of communicating with providers, suppliers, staff, stakeholders or members of the public to resolve routine queries. Experience of undertaking routine credit control, debtor monitoring or resolving overdue account queries by telephone and email. Experience of setting up or maintaining customer, provider or supplier accounts and retaining appropriate supporting documentation and audit trails. Experience of maintaining accurate records and working to deadlines in a busy office or finance environment.
Desirable
Previous NHS finance experience. Knowledge of Oracle / ISFE2, or NHS finance systems. Experience contributing to process improvements or maintaining local procedure notes
Knowledge and Skills Essential
Good knowledge of working in a busy finance office environment. Good verbal and written communication skills, including a professional telephone and email manner. Good numeric and analytical skills, with the ability to work accurately and pay attention to detail. Ability to organise, prioritise and manage own workload to meet deadlines and service standards. Good computer literacy, particularly Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and Teams. Ability to analyse figures and information to support timely and accurate invoice processing, routine query resolution and reconciliation. Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative, with a proactive approach to problem solving. Experience of dealing with providers and suppliers
Desirable
Understanding of NHS administrative processes or governance frameworks. Knowledge of record keeping standards, confidentiality and data protection.
Personal Attributes Essential
Resilient, adaptable, and calm under pressure. Personal credibility, reliability and professional integrity. Commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. Willing to undertake any training necessary for the role.
Other Essential
Ability to travel across the system as required. Ability to work flexibly to meet organisational priorities.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (125)
Address NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB
Level 3 Christ Church Precinct, County Hall, Fishergate Hill
Preston
PR1 8XB
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.lancashireandsouthcumbria.icb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)