Head of Costing

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Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.

Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup.

We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 - the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013. Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.

To achieve this we value Respect, Compassion, and Inclusion; Being accountable over staying comfortable; Listening over always knowing best; and Succeeding together over achieving alone. You can read more about our visions and values here

Our hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care. The Trust is rated as "good" or "outstanding" in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.

LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King's College London's GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.

We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities. This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ICS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

Job overview

The Head of Costing will take responsibility for the day to day management of the costing team in the provision of expert advice and recommendations to divisions on all costing issues including national cost collection, service line reporting and patient level costing.

The post holder will support the Head of Productivity & Efficiency and the Associate Director of Finance in the implementation of the organisation's Costing and Service Line Management Strategies, ensuring that policies, systems and resources enable the Strategy of the Trust to be delivered whilst ensuring compliance with appropriate technical, professional and quality standards.

The post holder will lead on the production of the Trust's national cost collection return in accordance with the national reporting timetables. They will also lead on the preparation of benchmarking reports in liaison with other trusts and communicate the findings to Divisions, the Head of Productivity and Efficiency, the Associate Director of Finance, and the Deputy Director of Finance.

They will direct, motivate and manage the team and play a key role in developing their skills and working with other senior finance colleagues to ensure the finance function overall provides high quality, professional financial support to the Trust that meets the needs of the business.

The post holder must have a recognised CCAB or equivalent qualification and have significant experience in senior roles within finance.

Main duties of the job

Costing and Reporting

Lead on the implementation of SLR and PLICS system, acting as the lead liaison with the external partners.
• Responsible for the development of PLICs and SLR to ensure that they meet the multiple specifications required of it across the Trust and that the systems to deliver best practice, working closely with internal and external key stakeholders on highly complex tasks.
• Perform advance data analysis with the ability to write, modify and run complex SQL queries on single or multiple tables/views from the same or linked servers. Additionally export and import data to SQL databases from various sources and formats and create/edit complex stored procedures using SQL.
• Provide support to Clinical Divisions where service development opportunities have been identified to ensure they are supported by accurate fully costed activity assumptions and are in line with Trusts strategic objectives.
• Lead on the production of the Trust's national cost collection in line with the costing manual for submission to the Department of Health inclusive of the education and training cost return, in accordance with NHSI timetables and guidance, including reconciliation to Final Accounts and submitted HES data.
• Working for our organisation

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
5. Making equalities mainstream

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Costing and Reporting
• Responsible for the development of PLICs and SLR to ensure that they meet the multiple specifications required of it across the Trust and that the systems deliver best practice.
• Perform advance data analysis with the ability to write, modify and run complex SQL queries on single or multiple tables/views from the same or linked servers. Additionally export and import data to SQL databases from various sources and formats and create/edit complex stored procedures using SQL.
• Provide support to Clinical Divisions where service development opportunities have been identified to ensure they are supported by accurate fully costed activity assumptions and are in line with Trusts strategic objectives.
• Lead on the production of the Trust's national cost collection in line with the costing manual for submission to the Department of Health inclusive of the education and training cost return, in accordance with NHSI timetables and guidance, including reconciliation to Final Accounts and submitted HES data.
• Act as the lead point of contact for the clinical divisions for all cost issues and providing expert advice in advanced practical and theoretical costing.
• Act as the technical lead for the Trust in all matters relating to costing.
• Provide and apply expert knowledge in reporting applications/software at an advanced level, being able to update existing reports and developing new dashboards for the Trust ensuring functionality is centred on user preferences.
• Apply knowledge off and keep updated on changes to PbR currencies and HRGs to ensure this is fully reflected in the patient level data and data requirements needed to maintain the patient level costing system.
• Support the development and presentation of the Trust's costing reports year on year taking account of the wide range of issues including impact of clinical activity, national guidance and long-term trends.
• Ensure all clinical and internal recharging activity is being recorded and collected routinely highlighting any significant deviations to the Head of Productivity & Efficiency and Associate Director of Finance.
• Hold regular meetings with divisions to communicate the unit costs and their compilation to ensure that all apportionments are accurate.
• Lead on and sign off updated apportionment methods to support further refinement and greater accuracy and transparency in line with best practice guidance.
• Provide an analysis of revised costs to support the implementation of internal recharging system.
• Liaise with the Department of Health to resolve any queries or concerns regarding new guidance or services.
• Ensure costing timetable is consistent with the monthly / quarterly reporting timetable as required.
• Be responsible for the development of an integrated Service level management tool linked to the production of national cost collection and patient level costing and ensure that a full audit trail is maintained between all systems.
• Provide costing seminars to budget holders as part of an on-going programme within the trust with particular reference to patient level costing methodology.
• Liaise with the Performance team and clinical divisions to maintain up-to-date records of all clinical activity required for HRG cost apportionment.
• Be aware of changes in NHS Finance and the impact they might have on the service and ensure that clinical activity is in line with requirements of the costing guidance issued annually.
• Understand cost drivers within the trust and their impact on performance and provide a unit costing service to those departments that require it.
• Lead on the development and document processes to meet the changing requirements NHSI Mandated Costing standards.
• Maintain close links with the Income and Contracts Team and lead on providing patient level costing information to advise and ensure local patient prices are competitive, realistic and in accordance with practice set out in NHS Executive guidance.
• Provide an executive summary on the final national cost collection index and the impact this has on the trusts overall financial position referring to previous years and other trusts index scores.
• Review your role periodically identifying training needs and ensuring that these are fulfilled either via mandatory CPD or PDR in consultation with the Head of Productivity & Efficiency.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade as determined by the Head of Productivity & Efficiency.

Benchmarking

• Liaise with external agencies on the collation, submission and interpretation of the Trust's input into benchmarking projects.
• Provide expert advice on benchmark profitability and cost efficiency of services through market analysis or networks and develop ideas for improving or developing profitability.
• Engage with system-wide costing initiatives and represent the Trust at the APC Efficiency Working Group.
• Lead Trust participation in development of joint PLICs platform for acute providers in southeast London.
• Lead on interpreting and communicating the results of benchmarking exercises (e.g Model Hospital, FutureNHS Collaboration, etc) to appropriate staff groups within the organisation.
• Develop the understanding of costing and benchmarking exercises, including the provision of education and training to colleagues, within the Trust.

• Promote the benefits to Divisions of participating in costing and benchmarking exercises.

Audit and Data Quality

• Be responsible for ensuring that clear audit trails are maintained as per internal / external audit guidelines in relation to costing.
• Lead on behalf of the Finance Department the drive for improvements in data quality issues affecting costing data.

• Attend local and regional meetings with NHSI and other external stakeholders including auditors from the National Costing Assurance Programme and system suppliers.

Policy Development
• Lead on the provision of financial advice / evaluation of clinical service developments planned within the Trust.
• Lead the development and maintenance of a range of policies and procedures associated with the Costing team.
• Support the planning for and implementation of new strategies to respond to changes in the Trust financial regimes, thus ensuring maximum benefit is achieved by the Trust.

Professional Responsibilities

• To maintain the integrity of the Trust's financial systems, procedures and reports. This includes regularly designing and updating bespoke reports tailored to the requirement of individual divisional management teams.
• To implement audit recommendations and continually working on improving financial practices throughout the trust.
• To undertake Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in line with the relevant institute requirements.

Work force

• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure the team is compliant with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements, ensuring they are up to date and fully compliant.
• Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated, and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
• Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trust's recruitment policy and process.
• Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
• Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
• Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.
• Deliver training both within the Finance Directorate and the wider Trust. This will include one to one training sessions as well as devising and running group training sessions for finance and non-finance staff.
• Deputise for the Head of Productivity & Efficiency as required.

Financial
• Assist the Head of Productivity & Efficiency with the production of highly complex financial reports for Trust Board, Executive Management Team and sub committees of the Trust Board as required.
• To lead the development and roll-out of the patient level costing dashboards across the Trust. Providing training and support for all senior managers (including finance) and clinicians throughout the Trust as required on all aspects of the National Cost Collection and Patient Level Costs.
• Be responsible for all financial support and resources to assist the divisions in understanding cost behaviour.
• Carry out any financial modelling necessary to inform the financial planning process within the trust.
• Critically analyse unit costs to ensure that accurate apportionments are being used and offer recommendation to divisions on alternative measures.
• Work in conjunction with the Divisional Delivery Directors and Executives leading on Trust wide themes to identify and deliver efficiency initiatives, ensuring initiatives are valid and measurable on their financial impact.
• Support the development of business case for major projects and initiatives through the provision of costing information as required for inclusion within business cases and financial appraisals.

Person specification

Costing Experience

Essential criteria

• Evidence years of experience working in costing at senior level

Desirable criteria

• CCAB qaulified

Experience using costing systems

Essential criteria

• Costing System Experience (IQVIA)

We reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date, please apply early. We do not contact applicants with the outcome of the shortlisting. If you have been shortlisted, you will receive an invite to an assessment day or interview.

As a local employer and anchor institution we work closely with our community to recruit locally and we welcome applications from the widest variety of people to ensure our workforce are reflective of the local communities which we serve. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply including if you are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, live with a disability (visible or not) or are LGBT+. We have a number of active staff networks including Disability, LGBT+, Multicultural Inclusion and Women's staff networks to bring staff together and celebrate diversity across our whole workforce.

Please note, not all roles will meet the criteria for a skilled worker visa.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Candidate Information Pack (PDF, 836.2KB)
• Working at LGT (PDF, 4.2MB)