Recruitment information pack Guide for applicants

Transcription

1 Recruitment information pack Guide for applicants JOB TITLE Finance and Admin Officer Ref: FAO/0118 Completed application forms must be returned to the Commission no later than 5pm Monday 12 March

2 Contents 1. Introduction - About the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland 2. Job description 3. Person specification 4. Recruitment and selection process 5. Completion of application form guidance 6. Interview guidance 7. Key terms and conditions 8. General information 9. Equality of opportunity 10. Vetting procedure 1

3 1. Introduction Background to the organisation The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) is a non departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Communities (DfC). The Commission was established under the Charities Act (NI) 2008 and came into effect from 27 March The body became operational from 1 June 2009 with the appointment of seven part-time Charity Commissioners. The Act introduced a new regulatory framework for the charitable sector in Northern Ireland. The previous framework did not provide for any form of local registration and only made limited provisions for enforcement generally. The main objective of the 2008 Act is to introduce an integrated system of registration and regulation (including control of charitable, philanthropic or benevolent fund-raising) as well as supervision and support of registered charities. The aim of these changes will be to provide a structure and process through which charities can demonstrate their contribution to society, the public can be assured regarding how charities are spending any donations and government can assist in the better governance of the charity sector. The powers of the Commission are being commenced gradually and the Commission has opened and begun maintaining a register of charities in Northern Ireland, assumed investigative powers and reporting and accounting regulations for charities are in operation. Other powers will be commenced in agreement with DfC. The Commission has put in place systems and procedures in line with the appropriate management of public money and the transparent operation of a non-departmental public body. The Charity Commission is based currently based at the address. 257 Lough Road Lurgan Craigavon Northern Ireland BT66 6NQ Tel No: Web jobs@charitycommissionni.org.uk 2

4 Commission personnel The Commission has a Board comprising of a Chief Commissioner, a Deputy Chief Commissioner and five Charity Commissioners, all on a part time basis. Commission structure (As of October 2017) Chief Exec G5 Head of Corporate Services G7 Head of Compliance and Enquiries G7 Head of Charity Services G7 Communications officer EOI IT officer SO (ICT Level 5) Finance & admin manager SO accountant Monitoring & compliance mgr SO accountant Enquiry manager SO Casework manager SO Legal adviser x2 DP Legal assistant SO Policy development manager SO Finance & admin officer EOII Monitoring & compliance officer EOII Enquiry & compliance support officer EOII x2 Casework officers X3 EOII Policy & research officer EOII Admin Officer x3 AO 3

5 Charity Commission for Northern Ireland vision, purpose, themes and values Vision: A dynamic and well governed charities sector in which the public has confidence, underpinned by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland s effective delivery of its regulatory role. Purpose: to register, regulate and report on the charity sector in Northern Ireland. Our strategic themes for 2016 to 2019 are: Values: 1. developing compliance regarding the use of charitable resources; 2. progressing charity registration to enhance accountability; 3. demonstrating the public benefit arising from charitable giving and activities; and 4. developing as a properly governed, transparent and independent decision making body. Independent, Accountable, Proportionate, Impartial, Transparent, Consistent, Respectful. 4

6 Job Description Job title: Grade: Finance & Admin Officer EOII Starting salary: 23,925 Role Purpose: The key purpose of this role is to develop and maintain CCNI s finance systems and provide advice and support to line managers. The Finance and Admin Officer will produce financial and HR reports, including quarterly returns and attendance monitoring and provide a payroll function. The post holder will be responsible for the management of the admin function and act as Deputy Premises Officer. Reports to: Staffing responsibilities: Finance and Admin Manager 3 Admin Officers The main activities and key areas of responsibility of the post are set out below. 1) Maintain, review and develop CCNI s finance, administration, assurance and HR systems in line with business needs and produce timely and accurate financial reports as required including but not limited to attendance management reports, business case updates, supplier payment analysis and accounts. 2) Coordinate delivery of the administration function across Corporate, Charity and Compliance and Enquiries divisions to include team working, recruitment, training, coaching, performance management, development and appraisal systems. 3) Provide support to payroll function, Board/committee administration and other governance structures. 4) Day to day management and validation of payments, invoices and petty cash including the preparation of journals and process entries accurately and on a timely basis. 5

7 5) File and maintain accurate records on suppliers, procurement and staff to demonstrate compliance with audit requirements and specified procedures. 6) Contribute to the maintenance of effective working relationships with internal and external auditors by providing information and records in a timely manner and addressing queries raised as appropriate and preparing returns to the sponsoring department as required. 7) Co-ordinate delivery of risk assurance framework and collate assurance checks. 8) Contribute to the maintenance of effective working relationships with internal customers and external suppliers by keeping to agreed deadlines. 9) Provide advice and support to the Finance & Admin Manager and provide guidance to staff on finance systems and processes. 10) Management of registration administration and assisting with casework applications. 11) Comply with Data Protection, Freedom of Information and CCNI requirements relating to documentation and record keeping. 12) Ability to work flexibly across teams and a range of areas. 13) Ability to manage own workload and work simultaneously on range of complex tasks. 14) Promoting a positive approach to equal opportunities and ensuring that the Commission s equal opportunities policies and procedures are adhered to, particularly by staff under his/her control, as well as the consistent application of all other Commission policies in all aspects of managing staff and resources. 15) Undertake other ad-hoc duties as may be reasonably required and requested by CCNI. 6

8 Person Specification 1.0 Qualifications Essential 1.1 IATI Diploma for Accounting Technician (or equivalent*) or 4 years relevant experience. * Applications will also be considered from applicants with relevant level 5 formal qualifications considered by the selection panel to be of an equivalent or higher standard to those stated. Desirable 1.2 Accounting qualification 2.0 Experience Essential year s experience of working in a finance function in the last 2 years 2.2 Maintain, review and develop finance, administration, assurance and HR systems in line with business needs and produce timely and accurate financial reports as required, as well as attendance management reports, business case updates, supplier payment analysis and accounts 2.3 Coordinate delivery of the administration and HR functions across divisions to include team working, recruitment, training, coaching, performance management, development and appraisal systems. 2.4 Provide support to payroll function, Board/committee administration and other governance structures. 2.5 Day to day management and validation of payments, invoices and petty cash including the preparation of journals and process entries accurately and on a timely basis 2.6 Co-ordinate delivery of risk assurance framework and collate assurance checks. 2.7 Provide advice and support to the line manager and provide guidance to staff on finance systems and processes 2.8 Management of registration administration and assisting with casework applications. Desirable 7

9 2.9 Experience in a public sector finance function 2.10 Experience of working with auditors 2.11 Experience of Premises Officer role 3.0 Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Essential 3.1 Ability to manage a diverse and complex workload 3.2 Ability to collaborate with key stakeholders 3.3 Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders 3.4 Proficient user of MS Office suite Computer literacy and financial skills 3.5 Excellent numeracy and financial skills 3.6 Good administration skills, attention to detail 3.7 Ability to manage a team providing finance and administrative support Desirable 3.6 Knowledge of Data Protection and Freedom of Information requests 4.0 Circumstances Only those applicants who clearly demonstrate relevant achievement, experience, knowledge and understanding of the essential criteria will go forward to the next stage of the recruitment and selection process. The desirable criteria may be used for short listing if required. The CCNI reserves the right to apply enhanced short listing criteria. 8

10 5.0 Core competences Finance & Administration Officer 1. Seeing the Big Picture 1.1 Keep up to date with a broad set of issues relating to the work of the Commission. 1.2 Develop understanding of how own and team s work supports the achievement of Commission priorities and delivery to the citizen. 1.3 Focus on the overall goal and intent of what they are trying to achieve, not just the task. 1.4 Take an active interest in expanding their knowledge of areas related to own role. 2. Changing and improving 2.1 Understand and apply technology to achieve efficient and effective business and personal results. 2.2 Consider and suggest ideas for improvements,sharing this feedback with others in a constructive manner. 2.3 Conduct regular reviews of what and who is required to make a project/activity successful and make ongoing improvements. 2.4 Put aside preconceptions and consider new ideas on their own merits. 2.5 Help colleagues, customers and corporate partners to understand changes and why they have been introduced. 2.6 Identify, resolve or escalate the positive and negative effects that change may have on own role/team. 3. Making effective decisions 3.1 Demonstrate accountability and make unbiased decisions. 3.2 Examine complex information and obtain further information to make accurate decisions. 3.3 Speak with the relevant people in order to obtain the most accurate information and get advice when unsure of how to proceed. 3.4 Explain clearly, verbally and in writing, how a decision has been reached. 3.5 Provide advice and feedback to support others to make accurate decisions. 3.6 Monitor the storage of critical data and customer information to support decision making and conduct regular reviews to ensure it is stored accurately, confidentially and responsibly. 9

11 4. Leading & communicating 4.1 Display enthusiasm around goals and activities adopting a positive approach when interacting with others. 4.2 Listen to, understand, respect and accept the value of different views, ideas and ways of working. 4.3 Express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, and with sensitivity and respect for others. 4.4 Confidently handle challenging conversations or interviews. 4.5 Confront and deal promptly with inappropriate language or behaviours, including bullying, harassment or discrimination. 5. Collaborating & partnering 5.1 Demonstrate interest in others and develop a range of contacts outside own team to help get the job done. 5.2 Change ways of working to facilitate collaboration for the benefit of the team s work 5.3 Proactively seek information, resources and support from others outside own immediate team in order to help achieve results. 5.4 Readily identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning and make progress by working with colleagues. 5.5 Listen attentively to others and check their understanding by asking questions. 5.6 Take responsibility for creating a working environment that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion. 6. Building capacity for all 6.1 Take ownership of team and individual development by identifying capability needs and consistently achieving development objectives. 6.2 Take responsibility for the quality of own work and seek opportunities for improvement through continuous learning. 6.3 Proactively support the development plans of others. 6.4 Take account of the diverse contributions of team members and delegate work to improve capabilities of all. 6.5 Encourage and be open to developmental feedback from others. 7. Delivering value for money 7.1 Manage information and financial data so that it is accurate, easily located and reusable. 7.2 Can account for expenditure and create well supported argument for extra expenditure. 10

12 7.3 Take opportunities to challenge misuse of resources in order to achieve value for money and sustainable ways of working. 7.4 Understand that all actions have a cost and choose the most effective way to do something in a resource- efficient way. 7.5 Ensure that recognised control procedures and practices are maintained. 7.6 Monitor resources against plans and budget, identify and flag up variances. 8. Managing a quality service 8.1 Explain clearly to customers what can be done. 8.2 Work with team to set priorities, create clear plans and manage all work to meet the needs of the customer and the business. 8.3 Ensure that levels of service are maintained flag up risks or concerns in order to meet customer requirements. 8.4 Keep internal teams, customers and delivery partners fully informed of plans and possibilities. 8.5 Promote adherence to relevant policies, procedures, regulations and legislation, including equality, diversity and health and safety. 8.6 Identify common problems or weaknesses in policy or procedures that affect service and escalate these. 9. Delivering at pace 9.1 Create regular reviews of what and who is required to make a project/activity successful and make ongoing improvements. 9.2 Be interested and positive about what they and the team are trying to achieve. 9.3 Take ownership of problems in their own area of responsibility. 9.4 Remain positive and focused on achieving outcomes despite setbacks. 9.5 Check own and team performance against outcomes, make improvement suggestions or take corrective action when problems are identified. 9.6 Set and achieve challenging goals and monitor quality. 10. Achieving outcomes through delivery partners 10.1 Be able to identify and access Commission procurement and appropriate expertise Understand and be able to explain Commission approach to assigning contractual and financial delegations. 11

13 10.3 Recognise when deliverables and/or services derived from a business arrangement are not being delivered to the required level of quality or standard and take appropriate action Fully meet commercial confidentiality and data security requirements in contracts. 12

14 4. Recruitment and selection To apply for the Finance & Admin Officer role please forward a completed application form clearly demonstrating how you meet the requirements of the role to: Finance & Admin Manager Charity Commission for Northern Ireland 257 Lough Road Lurgan Craigavon Northern Ireland BT66 6NQ OR by to jobs@charitycommissionni.org.uk If you are ing you should check your application has been properly submitted. The Commission will issue a delivered/read only on request. Completed applications must be received at the above address or address by 5 pm Monday 12 March The Commission will not accept incomplete application forms; application forms received after the closing deadline or reformatted application forms. Applicants using Royal Mail should note that 1st class mail does not guarantee next day delivery. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that sufficient postage has been paid to return the form to the Commission. The Commission will not accept any application where we are asked to pay any shortfall in postage. 13

15 5. Completion of application form guidance The following information provides guidance on completing your application. Please read this information carefully before submitting your application The application form is designed to ensure that applicants provide the necessary information to determine how they meet the vacancy requirements and the short listing criteria. You should ensure that all sections of the application form are completed. You should ensure that you provide evidence of your experience in your application form, giving dates/length of experience, job title and examples of what you did to outline your experience. It is not sufficient to simply list your duties and responsibilities. The space available on the application form is the same for all applicants and must not be altered; otherwise your application may be rejected. We will not accept CVs, letters, or any other supplementary material in place of or in addition to completed application forms. Applicants must complete the application form in either typescript font size 12, or legible, block capitals using black ink. Applicants must not reformat application forms; otherwise your application may be rejected. Information in support of your application will not be accepted after the closing date for receipt of applications. Do not use acronyms, complex technical detail etc. Write for the reader who may not know your employer or your job. Write down clearly your personal involvement in any experience you quote. Write I statements eg I planned meetings, I managed a budget, I prepared a presentation. It is how you actually carried out a piece of work that the panel will be interested in. The examples you provide should be concise and relevant to the criteria. This is very important as the examples which you provide may be checked out at interview and you may need to be prepared 14

16 to talk about these in detail if you are invited to interview. It is your unique role the panel are interested in, not that of your team or division. The Commission will not make assumptions from the title of the applicant s post or the nature of the organisation as to the skills and experience gained. If you do not provide sufficient detail, including the appropriate dates needed to meet the criteria, the selection panel will reject your application. ONLY the details provided by you in your application form (Section 4 Employment History, Section 5 Essential and Desirable Criteria and Section 6 Other Information) will be provided to the selection panel for the purpose of determining your eligibility for the post. 6. Interview guidance If this is your first experience of a competence-based interview, bear in mind that it does not require you to: Talk through previous jobs or appointments from start to finish; Provide generalised information as to your background and experience; or Provide information that is not specifically relevant to the competence the question is designed to test. A competence-based interview does however require you to: Focus exclusively, in your responses, on your ability to fulfil the competences required for effective performance in the role; and Provide specific examples of your experience in relation to the required competence areas. 15

17 In preparation for the interview you may wish to think about having a clear structure for each of your examples, such as: Situation Task Action Result briefly outline the situation what was your objective, what were you trying to achieve what did you actually do, what was your unique contribution what happened, what was the outcome, what did you learn The panel will ask you to provide specific examples from your past experience in relation to each of the competences to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and abilities. You should therefore come to the interview prepared to discuss in detail a range of examples which best illustrate your knowledge, skills and abilities in each competence area. You may draw examples from any area of your work / life experiences. 16

18 7. Key terms and conditions The appointment is permanent and full time. The salary for the position is 23,925 per annum. The person appointed will be expected to take up the position as soon as possible. Appointment is subject to completion of required pre employment checks to include: Appropriate documentary evidence of eligibility to work in the UK Security check via AccessNI, Basic Disclosure. Please note that successful applicants will have to pay the administration fee for the completion of the AccessNI Basic Disclosure Documentary original evidence of qualifications Employment history validation Prior to taking up his/her new duties, the successful applicant must enter into an agreement setting out the terms of his/her appointment. Training and development The Commission actively develops all staff and invests significantly in training and development for business success and growth. Age Retirement age will be in accordance with statutory requirements and Commission policies. Pensions The Commission offers all new employees an attractive pension package. Further details can be found on the Department of Finance website at: or, if you are unable to access the website please contact Civil Service Pensions as follows: 17

19 Civil Service Pensions Waterside House 75 Duke Street Londonderry BT47 6FP Tel: Hours of work Employees work a minimum 37 hour week, Monday to Friday. Employees will be required from time to time to work outside normal working hours. Leave arrangements The leave year runs from 1 February 31 January of the following year. Annual leave entitlement is 25 days. Leave entitlement in the period prior to the start of the new leave year is pro-rata. Location The Commission is currently based at the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, 257 Lough Road, Lurgan, Craigavon, Northern Ireland BT66 6NQ. Family friendly policies The Commission has a range of policies designed to assist employees with families and is keen to promote a work/life balance. Probation All employees are subject to a 12 month probationary period. At the end of this period, subject to satisfactory performance, the successful applicant will be confirmed in post. No smoking policy The Commission operates a no smoking policy in its office. 18

20 8. General information Interviews It is intended that interviews for this post will take place at the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, 257 Lough Road, Lurgan, Craigavon Northern Ireland BT66 6NQ on Wednesday 21 March Interviews will not normally be rescheduled to accommodate applicants who are unable to attend on the agreed date. Reschedules will be entirely at the discretion of the panel. If an applicant fails to present herself/himself for interview, at the allocated time, it will be deemed that they have withdrawn from the process. Feedback The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is committed to ensuring that the processes used to recruit and select employees are fair, open, honest and transparent. We are consequently committed to providing feedback in respect of interviewed applicants. We are unable to provide feedback in respect of short listing decisions other than that which is set out in the short listing decision letter. All feedback requests must be in writing, requests will be accepted. The Commission will aim to formally respond to the feedback request within 15 working days of receipt of the request. Travel It is not Commission s policy to pay travel expenses to any applicant attending interview. Order of merit The selection panel will assess applicants against the interview criteria. Those applicants who meet the required standard(s) and pass mark will be deemed suitable for appointment. The selection panel will then list those suitable for appointment in order of merit with the highest scoring applicant ranked first. The Commission will allocate an applicant (or applicants) to a vacancy (or vacancies) in the order listed. The order of merit is valid for one year. Please note: this information pack does not form part of conditions of employment 19

21 9. Equality of opportunity The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity in its employment practices and aims to ensure that no actual or potential job applicant or employee is discriminated against, either directly or indirectly, on the grounds of gender, marital status, disability, race, community background or political persuasion, age, dependants, sexual orientation or trade union membership. Each person shall have equal opportunity for employment, training and advancement in Commission on the basis of ability, qualifications and performance. This maximises the effective use of human resources in both the organisation and the individual s best interests. The Commission is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community. To facilitate equality of opportunity the Commission offers a range of family friendly policies. To help ensure that we are meeting our equality of opportunity obligations, the Commission monitors the composition of employees and applicants. This monitoring helps to identify if any of our policies, procedures or activities are operating to the detriment of any particular grouping within our diverse society. The Equal opportunities monitoring form included with your application form is part of your application and should be returned. If you do not return the Equal opportunities form, your application will be considered incomplete. The monitoring form will not be available to the selection panel. The Commission is an Equal Opportunities Employer and all applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit. 20

22 Disability requirements We will ask on the application form if you require any reasonable adjustments, due to disability, to enable you to attend any part of the assessment process. Details of any disability are only used for this purpose and do not form any part of the selection process. If you have indicated on your application that you have a disability and are successful in the selection process and are being considered for appointment, you may be required to outline any adjustments you consider necessary in order for you to take up an appointment. 10. Vetting procedure Assessment information It is the Commission s policy that successful applicants provide sufficient documentation to satisfy nationality and vetting requirements. Nationality requirements The Commission must ensure that you are legally entitled to work in the United Kingdom. The Commission will require original documentation to be provided that demonstrates the applicant s right to work in the UK. All successful applicants must provide when requested one of the single documents, or two of the documents in the specified combinations given, from List A; List A documents 1 A passport showing that the holder, or a person named in the passport as the child of the holder, is a British citizen or a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies having the right of abode in the United Kingdom. 2 A passport or national identity card showing that the holder, or a person named in the passport as the child of the holder, is a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland. 21

23 3. A residence permit, registration certificate or document certifying or indicating permanent residence issued by the Home Office or the Border and Immigration Agency to a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland. 4. A permanent residence card issued by the Home Office or the Border and Immigration Agency to the family member of a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland. 5. A Biometric Immigration Document issued by the Border and Immigration Agency to the holder which indicates that the person named in it is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom, or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom. 6. A passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control, is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom, has the right of abode in the United Kingdom, or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom. Document combinations An official document issued by a previous employer or Government agency, e.g. HM Revenue and Customs (formerly the Inland Revenue), the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus, the Employment Service, the Training and Employment Agency (Northern Ireland) or the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency, which contains the permanent National Insurance number and name of the person. and one of the following:- An Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office or the Border and Immigration Agency to the holder with an endorsement indicating that the person named in it is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom. A full birth certificate issued in the United Kingdom which includes the name(s) of at least one of the holder s parents. A full adoption certificate issued in the United Kingdom which includes the name(s) of at least one of the holder s adoptive parents. 22

24 A birth certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland. An adoption certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland. A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen. A letter issued by the Home Office or the Border and Immigration Agency to the holder which indicates that the person named in it is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom. Advice on Nationality can be obtained from the Home Office website - ACCESS N.I. checks (criminal conviction checks) Before appointing anyone to a post, it is our policy to request an Access NI check to be carried out. Access NI was established by a joint programme between the Northern Ireland Office, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Department of Education and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Access NI enables organisations in Northern Ireland to make more informed recruitment decisions by providing criminal history information about anyone seeking paid or unpaid work in certain defined areas, such as working with children or vulnerable adults. The check will tell us if you have a criminal record, or if your name is included in the Independent Safeguarding Authority Barred Lists. Any information which we receive will be treated confidentially and we will talk to you about it before we make a final decision. A check will only be carried out if you are considered to be the successful candidate and are being offered an appointment. In your application you must tell us if you have ever been convicted of a criminal offence, cautioned by the Police or bound over. You must tell us about all offences, even minor ones such as motoring offences and spent convictions, that is, things that happened a long time ago. If you leave anything out it may affect your application. In addition, it is important to note that if your application is successful and you become an employee of CCNI, you must tell us immediately if you incur any criminal charge and/or conviction, no matter how minor. The category of AccessNI check required for this post is; 23

25 Basic disclosure certificate You should not put off applying for a post because you have a conviction. We deal with all criminal record information in a confidential manner, and information relating to convictions is destroyed after a decision is made. Please note: It is a criminal offence for anyone who is included on a barred list to work or seek work, in regulated activity. Individuals who are barred may be able to work in controlled activity. For more information, the address of the AccessNI website is: Successful applicants who are being considered for appointment will be expected to apply for the Basic Disclosure and produce the certificate to the CCNI before appointment. The Basic Disclosure Application Form can be downloaded from the AccessNI website. Guidance notes on the completion of the form are also included on the website. Failure to complete the form and return the certificate to the CCNI will be result in the application being excluded. Criminal Record information is subject to the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (NI) Order