Account Manager

Job Introduction

Adults and Childrens Financial Services (ACFS) support the delivery of the following Staffordshire County Council priorities:

• To offer support at times of crisis to help people maintain their independence
• That people know what to expect from care services, who is eligible and who will pay
• There are quality and affordable care services available to meet people’s needs

Adult and Children's Financial Services (ACFS) are a pivotal part of the Adult and Children Social Care Pathways, responsible for facilitating and overseeing the payment to providers of Adult and Children’s Social Care and for the collection of client contributions in accordance with Care Act 2014 and local policy. The amount of income and expenditure that is processed by ACFS is in excess of £100m net per annum and the service supports circa 10,000 citizens.

To enable the successful collection of income, ACFS is responsible for undertaking means tested Financial Assessments of adults who have an assessed eligible care need. This also applies to those who are seeking financial support to Adopt, Foster or provide Guardianship or other official support to a child. As part of this service clients can receive advice on Welfare and Benefit entitlements, to ensure they maximise their income and reducing the funding required from SCC.

This role is a fixed term contract for 12 months. 

Main Responsibility

Key Accountabilities:

• Responsible for the interface with all internal and external partners, vendors and clients of ACFS, with regards to Client relationship management, ensuring positive relationships are fostered.
• To manage all Complaints, Appeals and Vendor approval processes. including any requirements arising from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).
• To support the ACFS Service Manager in strategic decision-making and strategic design decisions for ACFS so that the service operating model remains fit for purpose, robust and flexible to cope with current and future demands.
• To follow business processes and procedures for the role and to interpret and enact all policy and contractual agreements with Vendors and Providers so that the service continues to operate and be compliant within agreed policy and procedural frameworks.
• To support the ACFS Service Manager and Commissioners in development of contracts, advising on financial aspects to ensure the deliverability of contracts and that robust financial controls are in place
• Responsible for ensuring that work activities meet the relevant Key Performance Indicators for the service, identifying and implementing plans to address underperformance and to drive continuous improvement and embed Performance Management throughout ACFS.

The Ideal Candidate

• NVQ IV or equivalent qualification (such as HNC); or relevant experience.
• Local government or public sector experience
• Experience in a customer service setting and excellent interpersonal skills. 
• Experience of presenting complex or contentious concepts to stakeholders; resolving complaints and demonstrating a flexible "can do" approach
• Excellent numeracy skills, with an ability to analyse and present data and a working knowledge of financial processes and financial systems

If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role please contact Donna Colgrave, Senior Finance Business Partner on 07966 857 525

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too. 

Our benefits:

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance. 

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process:

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.