Accountancy Assistant

at  South Wales Fire and Rescue Service

STANDARD SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

1. To attend in-house and external training courses as required.
2. To undertake in addition to the above duties and responsibilities such
   additional duties as may result from time to time from changing
   circumstances, but which will not change the general character or level
   of responsibility accorded to the post.
3. To utilise information technology as fully as possible within the
   constraints of the job, which shall include co-operating fully with any
   scheme or pilot scheme using the same, that shall be introduced within
   the department or across the Service.
4. To implement the principles of the Service’s Equal Opportunities and
   Diversity Policies and Welsh Language Schemes whilst carrying out the
   above duties.
5. To ensure awareness and compliance with any directorate, department
   or team plans that may be implemented from time to time and ensure
   awareness and compliance with any systems or procedures
   implemented within the department.
6. To adhere to Health & Safety Legislation/Relevant Service Policies and
   Procedures and to take reasonable care for the health and safety of
   yourself and other persons who may be adversely affected by your
   acts/omissions.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE POST

To provide comprehensive support to the service and service accountants in
regard to all aspects of finance and to actively contribute to an effective and
efficient finance function.
To have particular focus on the provisions of management accounting and
support budget holders with the provision of advice and information to ensure
accurate budget setting, monitoring and forecasting.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To prepare and distribute the annual budget submissions and to assist in
   the allocation of annual budgets and ensure these are linked to annual
   directorate plans.
2. To undertake regular review of expenditure/income profiles to feed into
   budget monitoring activities to ensure accurate year end forecasts.
3. To ensure accurate budget information is contained within systems
   supporting budget holders by undertaking regular reconciliation with
   financial ledgers and liaising with internal depts. i.e. Procurement, ICT
   etc.
4. To undertake periodic budget meetings to support budget holders in
   determining accurate information to assist budgeting process. This will
   include analysis and investigating areas of persistent under/overspend to
   feed into budget setting, monitoring and outturn reporting.
5. To maintain a register of authorised budget virements for each financial
   year and ensure these are implemented in budget information available
   to users.
6. To support the process for making claims for externally funded projects.
7. To assist in training new and existing budget holders in all relevant
   financial matters and with particular reference for systems supporting
   budget information.
8. To assist and support the annual closure of Accounts process, providing
   working papers and information to support disclosure notes.
9. To provide management reports from the system as required.
10. To assist with the capturing and recording of all efficiency gains identified
    through the budget processes.
11. To actively participate and feed into change programs designed to
    improve systems of work and the service provision to the organisation.
12. To be responsible for gathering and presenting data on all local
    performance indicators for the accountancy function.
13. To provide cover for the grade 7 comparative posts within the team.
14. To observe and promote practices and activities which are within the
    Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities Policies of the South Wales
    Fire & Rescue Service.
15. Any other duties commensurate with the post and grade.