Finance Officer (Children & Young People Services)
Location: Chatham (covering North Kent)
Salary: £26,327 – £29,784 (dependent on qualifications)
Hours: Full-time
Contract: Permanent
North Kent Mind is seeking a Finance Officer to support the financial operations of our Children and Young People (CYP) services. This role is key to ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant financial reporting across all CYP programmes.
To assist with the organisation's financial systems, responsible for supporting our Children and Young Person's (CYP) Departmental finances, working closely with the Finance Team and CYP Management Team.
Why join us?
You'll play a vital role in supporting services that make a real difference to young people's mental health. We offer a supportive team environment, opportunities for development, and the chance to contribute to meaningful work.
Apply now and help us make a positive impact
Application Deadline:
Structure of the Post
This role will be supervised, and line managed by the Senior Finance Officer whilst working closely with the CYP Services senior management to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant financial reporting across all CYP programmes
The post will be based in the North Kent Mind Offices Chatham, but some travel to other North Kent Mind sites or to external meetings may be required, for which travel expenses are payable. It is a condition of employment that the post holder is prepared, whenever applicable, to travel to and work at any of our premises within reasonable travelling distance on a temporary or permanent basis. This mobility is essential to the smooth running of our business.
Contracted hours will be worked on an average weekly basis over a month rather than on a strict weekly basis. The post includes encompasses a minimum of 80% in-person working.
A: DUTIES OF THE POST: GENERAL
These duties apply to all North Kent Mind Staff, whichever service they work for:
1. To work within a framework which:
Opportunities, Confidentiality, GDPR, and Health and Safety.
ii. Promotes Social Inclusion, Empowerment, Well-being, and the Recovery Model
iii. Respects, encourages, and builds on individual clients' coping strategies, skills, and autonomy, and is in keeping with the conduct, performance and ethics as declared by the Health and Care Professions Council.
iv. Maintains good liaison with any other outside agencies as is necessary.
v. Promotes good joint working, links, and cross-referral with all North Kent Mind colleagues.
vi. Adheres to the principles of the Social Care Standards as defined by the GCSI.
1. To participate in supervision and appraisal
2. To attend staff meetings and team meetings
3. To attend training/meetings and some annual events as required
4. To undertake any other duties which the CEO or Board of Trustees may, from time to time, reasonably delegate, or assign.
B. DUTIES OF THE POST: SPECIFIC
1. Accounts Receivable
2. Accurately raise customer invoices in line with SLA, grants, contract terms, or deliverables in CYP.
· Monitor and reconcile CYP income through online payment platforms (e.g. GoCardless/ Stripe/ SumUp).
* Allocate and reconcile customer payments to the correct invoices and revenue accounts.
* Monitor the accounts receivable ageing report and follow up overdue debts professionally.
* Maintain accurate customer account records and billing information.
* Investigate and resolve discrepancies such as short payments, incorrect invoicing, or missing purchase orders.
* Prepare weekly AR reports, including aged debt analysis and risk commentary.
* Work closely with operational teams to ensure all billable activities are captured and invoiced on time.
· Liaise with CYP Management regarding all income and expenditure and provide insight reports on the CYP department on a monthly basis or as requested.
* Support external audits with AR schedules, balance reconciliations, and documentation.
* Ensure compliance with financial policies, audit requirements, and internal controls.
* Accounts Payable
* Process staff reimbursement, invoices supplier payments related to CYP in line with financial procedures.
* Ensure all expenditure is fully authorised and correctly allocated to CYP department.
* Liaise with staff, suppliers, and contractors to resolve invoice or payment queries.
* Deferred Income & Revenue Recognition
* Maintain and update deferred income schedules for any sales or income related to CYP department.
* Ensure revenue is recognised correctly in line with accounting policies (e.g., accruals basis, performance obligations).
* Reconcile deferred income balances monthly and investigate variances or unusual movements.
* Support the month-end process by preparing income accruals and deferred income journals.
* Work with teams to confirm when services have been delivered so income can be released appropriately.
* Assist with forecasting income by identifying future revenue to be recognised from deferred balances.
* Budgeting & Financial Support
* Assist with annual budget preparation by collecting and validating income and expenditure information from CYP Manager.
* Help budget holders understand their financial reports, particularly income timing, deferred revenue, and outstanding receivables.
* Provide AR and deferred income insights for cash flow forecasting and budget reviews.
* Update budget trackers, templates, and financial models with accurate and timely information.
* Work with the Senior Finance Officer & Finance Manager during reforecasting, year-end, and mid-year budget revisions.
* Ensure CYP expenditure is coded correctly to programmes, funding streams, and restricted funds where relevant
* Support the CYP team by producing ad hoc financial summaries to support commissioner requirements as requested.
* Support CYP managers to identify variances, budget pressures or issues, escalating risks to the Senior Finance Officer
* General Finance & Administrative Responsibilities
· Assist with bank reconciliations on a regular basis.
* Support month-end close by preparing reconciliations, journals, AR schedules, and documentation.
* Maintain organised, audit-ready records for invoices, remittances, deferred income schedules, and correspondence.
* Respond promptly to internal and external finance queries.
* Contribute to improving processes to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and financial control.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £26,327.22-£29,784.00 per year
Benefits:
* Bereavement leave
* Company pension
* Health & wellbeing programme
* Sick pay
Work Location: In person