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Job summary

Main area
Finance
Grade
Band 7
Contract
Fixed term: 12 months (Maternity cover)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Hybrid working - Mainly home working with 1 day per week at Hollins Park House and some face to face divisional meetings)
Job ref
350-TWS8059982
Employer
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Hollins Park House
Town
Winwick, Warrington
Salary
£49,387 - £56,515 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
25/06/2026 23:59
Interview date
16/07/2026

Employer heading

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust logo

Finance Business Partner

Band 7

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Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.

Using AI to support your application

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a helpful tool when preparing your application, supporting you to organise and structure your application and present your experiences clearly. However, we want to hear about your experiences and achievements. Please ensure everything you submit is truthful, accurate, and reflects your own work and experience. Your authentic story is the best way to help us understand who you are and what you can bring to the role. If content appears to be copied or misrepresented, it may impact the outcome of your application. We encourage you to use AI responsibly as a support tool, not a substitute for your own voice.

For tips and guidance, please refer to our applicant guidance.

Your experiences matter, let them shine.

Applications that appear mostly or fully generated by AI, without clear personal examples linked to the person specification, may be rejected.

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Job overview

To lead on the financial and business management of a division to ensure a balanced budget and ongoing financial viability. To take a leading role in the senior management team for the Division, leading the budget setting process providing financial and business planning support and leadership in service redesign, formulation and evaluation of strategies and the achievement targets.

Main duties of the job

To lead the budget setting process annually for the dedicated areas of responsibility within the budget setting timetable.
To work with and advise budget holders in identifying areas of efficiencies and monitoring and reporting on the performance against CIP targets.
To provide accurate, timely and relevant financial information and advice to the budget holders and feed information to the monthly Board reporting.
To analyse variances, produce financial forecasts and advise and support all budget holders to take corrective action where necessary.
To support managers by highlighting the implications of any funding changes and support the locality in any service redesign.
To consider the impact of national changes e.g., payment by results and provide advice appropriately.
To, review and update systems for managing the financial practices within the locality, in line with trust policy.
To liaise with other members of the finance department for all financial queries from the locality and to maximise systems and financial services.
To ensure departmental controls and procedures and followed.

Working for our organisation

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See Job Description and Person Specification attached which details all the main responsibilities for the role advertised.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • The post holder is required to be a qualified accountant or equivalent experience
  • At least two years experience of managing and developing staff
Desirable criteria
  • Having experience of working in a Mental Health Trust
  • Five years senior management experience.
  • Dealing with auditors.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working effectively and constructively with a range of staff across all levels and disciplines
  • Experience of working under pressure and meeting deadlines

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of NHS Trust finance regime
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of NHS SBS general ledger and business intelligence reporting tool.

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Understands the bigger picture
  • Well developed analytical skills
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Negotiating skills
  • Ability to manage own time
  • Ability to work as part of team
  • Computer literate with knowledge of various software packages, including Microsoft office

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Employment Charter Status - Aspiring LevelVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardCTP The Ministry of Defence partnering with Right ManagementNavajo - Merseyside and CheshireDisability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStep into healthArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Lauren Pickavance
Job title
Business Accountant
Email address
[email protected]
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