Deputy Head of Finance – Children’s Social Care & Education -Interim

Do you have senior experience in Public Sector Financial management?

We are currently looking for a Deputy Head of Finance covering the Children and Young People’s Services

Education and SEND Directories.. We are going through a Financial Transformation at Hillingdon and the role will require the ability to work strategically and manage /motivate /mentor the existing team on an Interim basis.

At Hillingdon we’re proud of our commitment of ‘Putting our residents first’, ensuring they’re at the heart of everything we do! We want to attract talented individuals like yourself who share our aspirations for the borough and can support us to deliver exceptional services for Hillingdon.

With an ambitious strategy we pride ourselves on delivering services that improve the lives of all our residents, businesses, and partners. Embarking on a journey of continuous improvement, we’ve set an agenda to ensure the provision of; safer communities, a thriving local economy, a greener more sustainable environment, whilst increasing our digital capabilities.

Working at London’s second largest borough can be tough, particularly with government reforms, budget restrictions, and political attention – but it’s enough to keep us busy and ensures no two days are the same!

Within Finance, our role is to strategically advise Service areas on all financial matters in the wider organisational context, while also supporting them to set and manage their budgets effectively, along with monitoring the delivery of cost savings and efficiencies as we deliver our programme of business change. We operate a business partnering model, ensuring that our finance team most effectively supports and facilitates a specific service area, as a core part of their leadership team.

your brief will include:

* Leading and managing the Children’s Social Care Finance Teams within Corporate Finance, supporting, Children's Social Care and Education & SEND, advising on relevant aspects of strategic finance and business partnering, alongside comprehensive financial direction, support and guidance to a range of Council’s services and Directorates.

Support transformation and business led projects within Children’s Social Care and Education & SEND, ensuring that timely and robust financial information is provided to support with decision making and take an active role in shaping outcomes of projects. In addition, ensuring that budgets are realigned to deliver savings targets, reporting timing differences in delivery.

*Ensure that Senior Management and their budget managers are supported to deliver accountability for budget management and that directorates comply with Financial Standing Orders and all other financial policies and procedures as directed by the Director of Corporate Finance.

*Supporting the statutory accounting process, external audit process and legislative changes that may have financial impact on directorates.

*Establishing effective external working relationships with key stakeholders within the community, government, professional bodies and other appropriate public and private bodies to ensure the service has the knowledge and expertise to continuously improve its performance.

*Providing leadership that encourages staff to recognize their contribution to the strategic objectives the council has set and foster a high-performance culture including carrying out internal service reviews to promote positive people management that ensures appropriate performance.

About you:

We are ideally looking for a qualified accountant with significant exposure to public sector/local authority with a clear understanding of the legal, financial and political context of management within a Local Authority.

A professional who can lead and manage change in a large multi-disciplined organisation and take a lead role in the financial aspects of service improvement and transformation programmes.

Significant experience in a senior management role with direct management experience of leading professional and managerial groups in areas of service responsibility.

A successful track record of building and developing partnerships and working effectively in co-operation with a wide range of internal and external bodies including both statutory and non statutory organisations and community groups.

What we offer

Competitive Salary and Pacage

We value our employees and are committed to ensuring that they enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career with us. We understand that a happy and motivated workforce is essential for the success of our organisation. That is why we offer a wide range of employee benefits to enhance your work-life balance, financial wellbeing, health, and professional development.

Here’s a comprehensive overview of the fantastic benefits we provide:

Work Life Balance

• Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.
• 36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36-hour workweek for all full time staff.
• Generous Holiday Entitlement – You will receive a minimum of 26 days annual leave each year, in addition to bank holidays. This entitlement increases to a maximum 37 days after 10 years of service.

Health & Wellbeing

• Hillingdon Sport Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.
• Cycle Purchase Scheme – Promote eco-friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme.
• Discount on Golf Fees – Enjoy up to 30% discounts on green fees at council owned golf courses.
• Financial Benefits – Secure your future with access to the Local Government Pension Scheme and membership to the Credit Union
• Vivup Benefits – Access a variety of offers and discounts through our Vivup Benefits.
• Eye Care – We contribute towards eye tests and lenses for Display Screen Equipment
• Mental Health Support – Our mental health first aiders are trained to identify, understand, and help employees experiencing mental health issues.
• Support and Counselling Services – Access free 24-hour confidential advice and counselling as well as a legal advice service for you and your immediate family.

Commute with Ease

• Travel Support – Make your daily commute easier with our season ticket loans and free car parking. We also provide bicycle parking, lockers, and showers at the Civic Centre.

Equity, Diversity and Equality Statement

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We value the unique perspectives and experiences of all individuals, and we believe that our workforce should reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities. We recognize the value of a diverse workforce and encourage applications from candidates from underrepresented groups.

Join us in building a workplace where diversity is not only embraced but also celebrated, and where every individual has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to our organization's success.

Additional Information

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Applicants should be aware that the post will only be offered to successful candidates subject to an Enhanced DBS check as well as other employment clearances.

Due to an expected high volume of applications, we could close this role early, we therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.