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APPOINTMENT OF A
BUSINESS & FINANCE OFFICER
July 2016
Diocesan Board of Education, Holywell Lodge, 41 Holywell Hill, St Albans AL1 1HE
www.stalbans.anglican.org/schools/; [email protected]; 01727 818170
From the Chair of the Diocese of St Albans Educational Trust
Dear applicant
Thank you for your interest in the post of Business and Finance Officer for the newly
formed Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust. This is a vitally important role and
one which will have significant influence in establishing the work of the Trust and its
ability to support its member schools.
Working closely with the Diocesan Director of Education in his role as Chief Executive
Officer, the successful candidate will establish all the relevant financial and legislative
frameworks, policies and working practices necessary for the Trust to receive its first
schools in October and November 2016.
This is an exciting post, one capable of providing the successful candidate with the
opportunity to shape and form the administrative work of the Trust for the next five
years. Therefore you should have the qualifications, skill and experience to fulfil this.
Should you require any further questions or information please contact David Morton,
Diocesan Director of Education, on 01727 818170.
Yours sincerely
The Revd Janet Mackenzie
Chair, Diocese of St Albans Educational Trust
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The Diocese of St Albans
The Diocese of St Albans comprises the counties of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire
and part of the London Borough of Barnet. The population is approximately
1.8 million, and the total electoral roll approximately 39,000 people. The Bishop of
St Albans has overall responsibility for the Diocese. He is assisted by the suffragan
bishops of Bedford and Hertford, the Archdeacons of Bedford, St Albans and
Hertford, the Diocesan Secretary and the Dean. There are twenty deaneries and the
Diocese has 336 parishes, of which about one third are rural.
The Board of Education works with a network of 136 Anglican church schools in the
Diocese of St Albans, covering six Local Authorities: the London Borough of Barnet,
Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Luton.
Seventeen schools are Academies and the diocese’s first Free School will open in
September 2016. Most of the schools are primary phase, but there are five
secondary schools and six middle schools which are deemed secondary.
Building on the excellent contribution of 136 Church Schools (with more in the
pipeline) of which 89.2% are either Outstanding or Good, the priorities of the
Diocesan Board of Education are:
Outstanding education delivered in a distinctively Christian setting
Community-focused schools serving the common good
High quality Religious
Education
Rigorous safeguarding that
ensures church school pupils
are celebrated as children of
God
Church schools at the centre
of the diocesan vision Living
God’s Love
The creation of new church
schools within new housing developments
Strong and fruitful school/parish relationships
These priorities are delivered in ways that recognise the unique local context of each
of our schools.
4
The Diocese of St Albans Multi Academy Trust
The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust is being established to provide for
three different types of Church of England school within the Diocese of St Albans:
schools requiring rapid improvement having been placed in Special Measures
and subject to a directive Academy Order
good or outstanding church schools where no natural cluster of local Church of
England provision exists
new schools within new housing provision where the Diocese of St Albans is the
identified sponsor
The Trust will consider applications from other schools supportive of the Trust’s ethos
on a case-by-case basis. This will include non-church schools wishing to join with
protected non church school status.
Following the principles used to establish Church of
England schools in the 1800s, the Diocese of St
Albans Multi-Academy Trust will remain committed
to, where possible, providing a locally-based, high
quality education that enables schools to meet the
needs of their local community, whilst benefitting
from a regional network of support. Academies that
are part of the Trust will retain their name, school
uniform and local customs, and the local governing
body will, through a delegated scheme of earned
autonomy, retain local control of schools where
appropriate.
As a Church of England Multi-Academy Trust, our commitment to a locally-based
education will be delivered through an approach consistent with the faith and practice
of the Church of England. All academies in the Trust will be expected to deliver the
curriculum within a programme of Christian values and virtues in an overarching
ethos that sees each individual child as being of worth and having the capacity to
grow into a fully rounded person. Community is another important concept and
individual academies within the Trust will have access to events and training
available to all schools and academies within the St Albans Diocesan Schools
network that will ultimately include local, school-led, Church of England Multi-
Academy trusts, stand-alone academies, federations and CE maintained schools.
5
Academies within the Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust will remain part of
the St Albans Diocesan network of schools. Currently this consists of 136 schools
comprising maintained schools, stand-alone academies, CE federations and a free
school, representing all phases. 89.2% of all provision and 91.2% of primary schools
within the network are currently graded Good or Outstanding. Performance is high
and all schools within the network have easy access to examples of outstanding
provision and peer-to-peer support. This includes NLEs and LLEs where required.
Schools joining the Trust will benefit from education delivered within a Christian ethos
committed to enabling schools to meet the needs of their local community, and will
have access to:
specialist school improvement support - School Improvement Partners and
Advisers
20 educational consultants based in four regional clusters
school leadership support and development
emergent leadership development programmes
established partnerships with leading school improvement providers such as
Herts for Learning
a training and development programme delivered by the Diocesan Board of
Education
personalised training delivered through the Diocesan Board of Education’s
Service Level Agreement
national training networks such as the National Society’s Foundation for
Educational Leadership
in-house business management and financial management services
a developing range of centralised policies
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Business and Finance Officer
The post of Business and Finance Officer will, in the first instance, be the only
employee of the Trust. Theirs is a central and essential role: the establishment,
maintenance and development of all the Trust’s business, financial and
administrative functions. As the Trust grows, it is anticipated that a Chief Operations
Officer (COO) will ultimately be appointed to manage the wider work of the Trust, in
partnership with the Chief Executive Officer.
It is essential that anyone appointed has a thorough understanding of business and
financial policy and practice as it applies to Multi-Academy Trusts. Any successful
candidate must have the capacity to work independently, reporting regularly to a
board of Directors, and have the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of
audiences, including prospective schools and their governing bodies.
As the Board of Education expects there to be a close working relationship between
the Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust and the Board of Education, it is also
important that any successful candidate has good interpersonal skills, the ability to
form strong working relationships, and they wholeheartedly support not only the
ethos of the Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust but also the wider priorities of
the Board of Education as it seeks to support the 136 schools within the Diocese of
St Albans network of Schools.
An organisational chart indicating how this post fits into the existing structure of the
Diocesan Board of Education is shown on the following page.
Should you require any further information of clarification please contact Eileen Bigg,
the Diocesan Director’s PA on 01727 818170 or [email protected], who
will arrange for you to speak to David Morton, Diocesan Director of Education and
CEO designate.
7
8
Business & Finance Manager: Job Description
Purpose
To develop the financial strategy for the new Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust (DMAT)
and provide support for academies within the DMAT
Responsible to
The Chief Executive Officer of the Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust
Key Connections
Internal: Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust Board, Chief Executive Officer of the
Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust, Diocesan Director of Education,
Diocesan Board of Education, Diocesan Board of Finance (Bishop’s
Council), members of diocesan staff
External: Department for Education (DfE), Education Funding Agency (EFA),
relevant Local Authorities, service providers for the DMAT, other
dioceses
Key Responsibilities
1 To ensure the financial sustainability of the DMAT
2 To ensure the financial sustainability of each academy within the DMAT
3 To be responsible for the procurement, provision, commissioning, monitoring,
quality-assurance and cost-effectiveness of services provided by the DMAT
4 To ensure that all requirements of the Department for Education, the Education
Funding Agency and the Academies Financial Handbook are met
5 To prepare the consolidated year end accounts for the DMAT
6 To ensure the DMAT has appropriate financial systems in place and to manage
these in accordance with agreed policies and timescales
7 To produce timely, accurate and appropriate reports and financial forecasts for
the DMAT
8 To assist the Academy Heads and Business Managers in setting and managing
Academy budgets together with setting the Trust’s budget, so as to achieve
best value
9 To take responsibility for the speedy and effective introduction of financial
systems and processes in academies joining the DMAT
9
10 To manage the academy conversion process of individual schools
11 To liaise with solicitors and the relevant local authority on conversions, land
issues, trusteeships, leases, Commercial Transfer Agreements and other issues
12 To oversee the provision of appropriate business support (eg HR, finance, ICT
and audit) for academies within the DMAT in order to achieve best value
13 To oversee the procedures to ensure that all academies are compliant with the
requirements of the Academies Financial Handbook and Companies House and
operate under appropriate schemes of delegation
14 To liaise with external auditors
15 To research and bid for additional funding to the DfE or EFA
16 To prepare and submit the necessary documentation for the recovery of VAT
17 To maintain the Trust’s risk register
18 To act as Company Secretary
The above list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and the DMAT Business and
Finance Manager may be required to undertake such other duties of a similar nature
as may from time to time be required.
Staff Development & Support Scheme
The DMAT Business and Finance Manager is required to be involved in a process of
regular review and appraisal for professional development.
10
Business & Finance Manager: Person Specification
ATTRIBUTES ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE
Knowledge and
Experience
Experience of managing significant financial resources with a strong appreciation of relevant regulatory frameworks
Experience of working in a school or academy, LA or independent school in a financial management role
Post-qualifying experience and professional knowledge acquired through experience
Familiarity with commercial processes and procedures
Experience of academy conversion process
Experience of dealing with DfE / EFA / LA education teams
Knowledge of education funding arrangements for academies
Knowledge of role of Company Secretary
Qualifications
and Training
Relevant professional qualifications in finance and accountancy - CIMA or ACCA qualified, or equivalent
GCSE English and Maths A-C
Degree
Skills and
Abilities
Skills in strategic planning and financial management
Ability to introduce and maintain robust financial systems
Analytical skills and ability to use management information systems
Decision-making skills based on the analysis of options
Persuasive, influencing and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate clearly and confidently
Commercial awareness
Attention to detail, accuracy and thoroughness
Good ICT skills
Personal
Qualities Commitment to Church of England schools and
academies as key providers of education and a central part of the Church’s mission
Ability and willingness to work as a member of a team
Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines and organisational priorities
Ability to accept responsibility and use initiative
Flexibility and willingness to learn
Circumstances The ability to travel regularly throughout the diocese
The ability to attend evening meetings
Please note: The post-holder will be expected to support schools and academies at times outside
normal office hours and to travel as a part of his/her everyday work.
This job description is subject to review and may be amended from time to time to reflect changing
needs.
11
Terms and Conditions
Term: The appointment (start date to be agreed) will be based upon a probationary
period of six months during which it may be terminated by either party by one week’s
notice, and thereafter by two months’ notice on either side.
Salary: The post is offered on the Local Government Service Grade (£35,662 -
£39,267); the starting salary will depend upon qualifications and experience.
Pension: Local Government Pension Scheme
Hours: This is a full-time position for a 35-hour week. Time off in lieu is given for
hours worked outside normal working hours. No overtime is paid.
Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 22 working days (pro rata) plus statutory Bank
Holidays and the working days falling between Christmas and New Year bank
holiday and one day in November or December for Christmas shopping.
Expenses: Approved expenses are paid in full through the DSAMAT budget at
agreed rates.
Office facilities: The person appointed will be required to work in the Diocesan
Office at Holywell Lodge in St Albans.
Right to work: The successful applicant will need to provide proof of right to work in
the UK before taking up the post.
Additional Employment: Written agreement is required for any interest, directorship
or employment to be held in addition to this employment.
12
How to apply for this position
To apply for this post, please send a CV, a covering letter explaining how you meet
the requirements, and the names and addresses of two referees to the Diocesan
Director of Education, Holywell Lodge, 41 Holywell Hill, St Albans AL1 1HE, or by
e-mail to [email protected].
Please ensure that when submitting your CV that you include a full chronological
history of full or part-time employment since leaving school.
References may be taken up before interview. Please indicate if anyone may not be
approached at this stage.
Start date: as soon as possible, and preferably by 1 November 2016
Further Information
Information about the Diocese of St Albans can be found on
http://www.stalbans.anglican.org/.